Butcherblock top

[dennis thompson]

My wife would like a butcherblock board to place on top of our granite countertop, she will use the butcherblock for food preparation. Some questions:
-should I make or buy this
-if I make it:
what wood ahould I use,
what glue should I use
what should I finish it with
-if I buy it , does anyone have a good source

The size will be 21" x 30"
Thanks
Dennis

[Howard Acheson]

Do you mean a true end grain up butcher block or a long edge grain cutting board type?

Typical woods are hard maple or beech if it's actually going to be cut and chopped on.

If you are going to build an end grain block here is some info that may be helpful.

There is a little engineering that needs to be considered when building an end grain butcher block or cutting board. First, choose wood where the growth rings (viewed from the end) run as close to 90 degrees or parallel to one edge. Remember, the expansion/contraction is about double along the annular rings verses perpendicular to the rings. You've got to keep the grain running in the same direction as you glue up your strips. In other words, don't glue a flatsawn edge to a quartersawn edge.

Next, the way butcher blocks are made is to glue up strips of wood like you were making a laminated type cutting board. These laminated panels are then run through a planer to flatten them and bring them to equal thickness. Then the panel is crosscut into strips of blocks equal to the thickness that you want the butcher block to be. These block strips are then glued together again keeping the grain running in the same directions.

Not paying attention to the grain orientation will lead to the block cracking and/or joints being pulled apart.

A type II adhesive will work just fine however, you need to be sure you do everything right to get good adhesion. Your glue faces should be flat and freshly cut. It they were cut more than a few days earlier, freshen them up with about three swipes with 320 sandpaper and block to keep the faces flat.

Generally, threaded rod is not used as maple has quite a bit of movement when it's moisture content changes. Threaded rod would restrict this movement and either deform the block or pull the nut/washers into the wood when it expanded leaving the rod performing no function when the wood later shrinks. Proper gluing will keep the block together.

Finally, it always much cheaper, and a lot less aggrevating to purchase a butcher block than to make one. The firms that specialize in end grain butcher blocks have speciaiized equipment to apply the necessary clamping force, plane the initial boards exactly correctly, plane the first glue up and then clamps to make the final block.

[Ben Martin]

Go to the articles sub-forum, there is a very good write up on cutting boards.

[Quinn McCarthy]

Dennis

Traditionally butcher blocks were white oak or maple. I usually use either titebond II or III. Titebond III is water proof but I have never had any trouble with boards I have make. The best finish for butcher block is mineral oil or butcher block oil. Make sure you keep both sides well oiled.

Some of the butcher blocks the wood was oriented with the end grain facing up. This makes for a longer lasting and cool looking board. I wouldn't try end grain unless you have a sander of planer with really sharp knives. Planing end grain makes a ton of noise. There is also a lot of tear out. You need to have a scrificial board around your block when you plane it. If you make a board using the flat grai option make sure you have the quarter sawn grain facing up.

Hope that helps.

Quinn

[Matt Meiser]

If by butcher block you don't mean end grain, I had my parents buy a 24x36x1.5" one from KenCraft. The cost wasn't too bad considering how much hard maple it contains, the fact I didn't have to do any work besides rounding the edges, and the fact that it was sanded smooth on their wide-belt sander. They did a nice job on it for us. I'd think it would be UPSable in the size you want.

[Rob Wright]

Dennis -

I would build it - it's why we have tools and a shop! I would use TB3 and hard maple. I like end grain ones better. Here is a post of one I did http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=54445

if you want to buy - try here:http://www.buybutcherblock.com/

have fun and good luck!

[Stephen Saar]

I am actually planning to make one myself in the future. I found the Wood Whisper has a good video on how to make one.

http://thewoodwhisperer.com/episode-7-a-cut-above-part-1/

This is the plan I intend to use when I go to make mine.

-Stephen

[Michael Schwartz]

If you have the equipment to do it right I don't see any reason not to make one.

Remember your going to have allot of glue lines that need to be perfect so you should have a jointer and planer large enough to handle the project.

I am getting ready to make a very large batch of end grain cutting boards myself.