Saw an article somewhere in fine woodworking about building a maple work surface. I want to put one on a kitchen island. I remember the author had threaded rod though it to make it hold together. I would love to find this article again. I thinkhe was using it for a workbench though.
thanks
Replies
I've seen the same technique used, but the commercially available butcher block countertops I have seen do not have any hardware, so the conclusion I have come to is that it is unnecessary in this application.
The only time you might need to bolt something like that together is when it is supported only at the front and back, so it could bend under load. Examples would be a bench with the legs attached directly to the top or a cutting board with feet. If your workbench design has structural members running front to back or if you're building it on a cabinet base of some kind, you won't need the threaded rods.
The problem with using the bolts, aside from the expense and effort, is in a climate with wide indoor humidity swings. You start with the nuts tight, in the summer the wood swells, but it can't swell where it's constrained by the bolts, so it gets crushed under the washers. In the winter the wood shrinks and the bolts get loose, so you tighten the nuts.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled