Well i’m building a new house and planning on building the cabinets and for the island i’d like to have a nice butcherblock top. Looking as boos brothers and they seem to run around $40/ft. I’ve got a planer (12″) , jointer (6″) , etc.
How tough would this be to take on? Typically stuff’s hardre than it looks but i’ve got some time and Maple seems to run around $4/ft from westpennhardwoods.
Is warping an issue?
Would you use an epoxy glue?
Replies
how tough? depends if it's hard maple(rock maple) or soft maple, different species. Both mill well, even easier with carbide blades and carbide jointer knives.
Like any wood, warp is an issue depending on thickness;the thicker the less warp. Also be sure to fasten your countertop from underneath to prevent movement. I've repaired/restored a number of butcher block counters and warp is not an issue.
Epoxy is an unnecessary expense,wood glue works fine.Epoxy, while strong, is also brittle and wood glue holds up better to the pounding a countertop will take.
"Anything is possible with a big enough expense account."
Hunter S. Thompson
When I built the island in my kitchen I used a woodworking bench top I bought from Woodcraft. It was $400 but it is 7' X 2' and 2 1/4" thick. If that will stand up to woodworking it will surely stand up to a kitchen environment and the thing was flat. I had the maple to make my own top but it sure seemed like a lot of gluing and planing.
Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
Hi Bob ,
What size will the Maple top need to be ? The John Boos products are as good as money can buy . Typically they are made from 8/4 Maple 1 and a 1/2" and thicker for the larger tops . Out West 8/4 Eastern hard Maple costs much more then $4 per bf . Boos makes tops as wide as 48" x I believe 96" long .They also make 36" models . There will always be splits and cracks in time whether you glue them up or purchase them. For myself there is no payoff in making them , with all the waste factored in and the time and surfacing . Warping is generally not a problem and I agree with Jackplane epoxy is not called for .
good luck dusty
I think he is asking how difficult would it be to make his own rather than purchase one.
While it is not technically difficult to make it does take some time for do all of the glue up and then clean up and flatten the top. If you are doing this commercially I doubt that you can beat the price of purchasing one after you consider the cost of your labor, assuming you intend to make one of comparable quality. Additionally, here in the south, the cost of the hard rock maple is apt to exceed the cost of a completed top. Go figure.
Woody
Well i'm thinking about the typicaly 'rock hard maple'
size = still in development but probably 4 x 7 + a section 4 x 4 connecting at a 30-45 degree angle.
warp - i guess i'm kind of worried that if i create these 12" x 7' long pieces that by the time i get one glued up the one that i planed may have warped/shifted some. This is probably an unfounded fear though.
Boos Brothers -- yes, they do seem nice. Just kind of more expensive than i thought + i may need an unusual shape.
Bob yopu sure now how to tackle the difficult tasks. "unusual shape"? rock maple??.... oh boyWicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
Are you referring to a real end grain butcher block or a strip laminated cutting board?
If you plan a true butcher block here is some info you may want to consider:
There is a little engineering that needs to be considered when building an end grain butcher block. 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.
If the block is going to be mounted, it must be mounted in a way that allows expansion and contraction.
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.
Howie and CJ
Thanks...this is exactly the kind of feedback i'm looking for. Howie thanks alot for the insight into wood movement and the impact. If i do take the project on -- i've got a vanity to build first (another story) -- i'll keep you all posted.
some of the best dineros I ever made in the shop (quite a while ago) was providing laminated maple blanks to a local store, who promptly doubled the cost and sold em. I made money and so did they. Would it be foolish to consider that folks who were into Ctops of laminated maple were not really concerned about the "best deal" or finding the "cheapest price"
That was before maple went ballistic, I think I was paying less than a buck CDN$/ BF for it back then. Now hard white is just north of 5$/bf
For the DIY fellas, there is still likely an option for savings there if hard maple is what SWMBO says you want/need . I used 4/4, ripped to 1 5/8, and laminated on-side. Needs a bunch of clamps and quick-time drill for glue assembly.
you gotta do the math, to see if it really still is economical to DIY.
Eric in Cowtown
Thanks cowtown.
One other thought for all of you. I'd like put a prep sink in this island. That raises red flags as i'm sure it'll lead to constant water/maple contact resulting in black wood.
If that's true and i still wanted to use maple for the island. Would it be feasible to encircle the sink w/something more water tolerable like teak -- say a 6" band around it. The sink and teak sound then be surrounded by maple.
Bob ,
The last few sinks I cut in Maple tops were under mount style . This eliminates the place for water to collect and wood to discolor . The cutout overhangs the sink opening about an 1/8" or so all around . If it is not too late you might at least consider it . Also it makes wiping the counter off easy with no sink edge to contend with .
good luck dusty
Jazzdog, it's possible that i'm younger but i wouldn't bet on the better shape ;)
Dusty...it's definately not too late. This project is well into the future.
Bob,
It's not difficult, but it can be physically challenging to manhandle the stock repeatedly working solo. $4.00/BF is a great price compared to here; only you can assess the worth of your time, the suitability of your equipment (especially the need for a stable planer with a suitably sized, rock-solid, outfeed table), and so forth.
Personally, I'd opt for ready-made if I didn't have someone to help me with materials handling, especially during planing, glue-up, and installation. That's probably because I'm over the hill - you're a decade younger, and probably in better shape!
My two cents,
-Jazzdogg-
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
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