Butcher block glue-ups

[Tom Hammond]

I'm going to be doing quite a few butcher blocks in the coming months. I'd like to get some inputs on gluing up... ideas on the table, hold-downs, not gluing your work to your table, flattening and avoiding bowing and twisting, keeping the workpiece square, type of clamps, etc.

- I'm building a "clamp" right now that has two 4-ft sections of 2x4 engineered lumber connected by two 4-ft lengths of 5/8" threaded rod so I can do 36x36 pieces. I'd like to do bigger eventually.

- I'm also consideing using steel L-channel as straps across my work to hold it down and align my strips.

Any info or ***pictures*** will be greatly appreciated.

[Brian Penning]

I dunno....but sounds like you might be over-engineering it.
I simply made smaller sections of glued up strips so they passed through my planer and then glued up the smaller sections.

Voila...

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_eDYZqM9-MJw/Sy4qoy9TZsI/AAAAAAAASrM/xmMxkJQ0DNQ/s640/IMG_3972.JPG

[Jay Allen]

Plaining end-grain is not advisable. The knives just don't go well with that type of cut in the first place and it is very likely to blow-out the trailing end. I have heard of entire glue-ups doing what could be called shattering.
This is something best done with a wide-belt sander or drum sander.

[Tom Hammond]

Any pictures of significant-sized glue-ups would be greatly appreciated!!

[Paul Ryan]

I have planned end board cutting boards quite a few times, some up to 15" wide. If you put and round over or chamfer on the edges tear out isn't an issue, just take very lite cuts.

[Karl Brogger]

That's pretty awesome looking Brian. Walnut, Cherry, Maple/birch?

[Brian Penning]

That's pretty awesome looking Brian. Walnut, Cherry, Maple/birch?

Thanks very much...walnut, cherry and maple.
Funny thing, the client wanted something to do some serious cutting of vegetables, meat ,etc. but now his wife won't let him -might ruin the finish..lol
They also love the Kapoosh knife inserts.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_eDYZqM9-MJw/Sy4qo-ddwfI/AAAAAAAASrI/G5itSi8cgww/s640/IMG_3979.JPG

[Chad Stucke]

Take some time to tune up your tools prior to starting this helps considerably when gluing multiple joints at once. Also make a consious effort to keep the pieces lined up the way they were cut and rotate every other one to cancel out any minor out of squareness in the cuts. I would put paper or plastic on the table if you don't want it to stick. It can be easily removed if necessary.
Chad