Butcher block

[Jay Jolliffe]

I'm about to attempt to make a heavy cutting block that will be 20"x20"x 16" thick. I've made a few end grain boards already. Is there anything different that has to be done with a block this size. I see on some there seems to be a few plugs in the sides that I surmise is for threaded rods for extra precaution to hold them together. I will be using rock maple & some other wood intermixed. Can I sill use tight bond 3 or is some other glue more suitable. I thought of epoxy but thats not good for chopping food on....Any ideas would be appreciated:)

[Peter Quinn]

I used to be a chef and have seen a variety of different big blocks (some 42"X32"X24") though have never made one. I've seen them with threaded rod, I've seen them with steel bands like a coopers barrel around the outside, and the coolest one had dovetails at every intersection of each interior piece in the block. Keeping them dry and well oiled goes a long way towards keeping them together.

[Lee Schierer]

I'm about to attempt to make a heavy cutting block that will be 20"x20"x 16" thick.


One thing is for sure, It will be heavy.....I hoe you have a crane or a helper to help you move it around.

[mark page]

Jay,
I gots to ask, why is this thing going to be 16" thick. It's definately going to be a "stump" of a chopping block. Am curious to know what the advantages would be over say a 4" thick one. Am thinking of a future project maybe in this direction and am open for any insight.
Thanks.

[Howard Acheson]

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 aggravating to purchase a butcher block than to make one. The firms that specialize in end grain butcher blocks have specialized 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.

[Rob Wright]

Jay - looks like a neat project. What about just making the exterior rows and columns the full 16-inches and the internal blocks only 4" to 6"? this would have 2 good things come of it - lighter weight and less material. I think TBIII would work fine. I dovetailed my block together and looks nice and has held up over the last year pretty well. I would place a threaded rod around the perimeter, top and bottom, to provide additional insurance that it wouldn't separate. I don't have any additional reasoning other than that I think that it would work and have seen thick ones in gourmet cooking stores with them.


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=83038

Also, Howard seems to like and cut and paste his reply to everyone attempting an end grain butcher block - see post #5 in the link of my small board, and this link: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=23444


Good luck and keep us posted!


- Rob