I have spent a lot of time researching countertop options for my recent home purchase. I want it to look nice, but I don’t want to spend a lot of money on a 1899 house I don’t plan to grow old in. Yes, 1899!!! The house is small and cute, and a DIY butcher block countertop is perfect. Here are the steps to making it, along with some insight only found by making it firsthand!
Project Overview
Overall dimensions: 1-1/4″h x 45″w x 87-1/2″l
Considerations when purchasing wood for butcher block countertops
- The hardness and grain of the wood matter. This butcher countertop was made from hard maple because it is less susceptible to gouges and dings and has a tight, closed grain. Woods with an open grain, such as oak and ash, are porous, making them susceptible to contamination during food preparation.
- Purchase thicker lumber. The butcher block countertop will undergo numerous sanding sessions before it is finished. With each pass through a drum sander or planer, more and more material will be sanded off. Purchase your lumber 1/8- to 1/4-in. thicker than your planned finish thickness, knowing you will sacrifice that amount in the process.
- Have the mill do as much of the milling as possible. The wood you select from a mill is often roughsawn, which means it has only gone through the first milling step to get to a general thickness and length. This also means that it will have a rough texture and that none of the edges will be square. For a nominal fee, most mills will plane and/or sand your wood to a requested size which will save you lots of time and effort (and sandpaper).
Cut the slats to width
Rip the hard maple boards into 2-1/2-in. wide slats on the table saw. The slats should be at least an inch longer than you require, as they will be crosscut to their final length once glued together. Also, remember that end caps on each end will add length to your finished dimensions.
Mark and cut biscuits
Lay the wood slats on your work surface snugly next to each other and mark the placement for biscuit joints along each seam. Allow for two rows of staggered biscuits on each connecting slat. The top row of biscuits is laid out starting two inches in from the end and then 12 inches apart along the length of the slat. The bottom row of biscuits is laid out 24 inches apart and staggered between the placement of the top row of biscuits.
Dry-fit the wood with biscuits
In order to ensure that the biscuit slots align from board to board, dry fit the wood slats and biscuits without any wood glue. It will ensure that everything comes together nicely before glue is applied. Re-cutting biscuit slots with wet wood glue all over is the last thing you want to do.
Glue together the panel in pieces
Glue up three sections, each consisting of six slats, so they are lightweight and easy to handle when put through the drum sander. Screw a sacrificial piece of wood to the side of your workbench to keep the slats square. Keep the top and bottom of the slats as close to flush as possible.
Be generous with the waterproof wood glue, ensuring complete coverage on the joining faces and glue in the biscuit slots. You want to see a bit of glue squeeze out of both the top and bottom so you know you have adequate glue coverage. Make sure the glue has fully cured before moving on.
Tip: Tape down a thin plastic drop cloth over your workbench before gluing up the sections. This will allow easy clean up and prevent the countertop from becoming glued to your bench top.
Run through drum sander
Once the glued sections have fully dried, remove as much of the dried glue as possible with a scraper. Be careful not to gouge the wood. Leave the thinner layers of glue alone as they will be removed by the drum sander.
Run the sections through the drum sander to clean up the leftover glue residue and smooth out the panels. Ensure all three sections end up at the exact same thickness; ours was 1-1/4-inches. The thickness is crucial for the next step when gluing the three sections together.
Glue the three sections together
Lay the three glued-up wood sections on your work surface side-by-side. Adjust the biscuit joiner so biscuits fall in the middle of the thickness of the slats. Lay out the biscuits starting two inches from the end and then 12-in. apart along the length of the board. Cut the biscuit slots.
Apply glue, install biscuits and clamp together for the finished width of your countertop. Allow the glue to fully cure.
Cut the ends of the slab
Once all three sections have come together, use a track saw to cut the full slab of glued-up slats square on both ends. These should be cut so that they are 7-1/2 inches shorter than what you require for the finished length of your countertop (we cut ours to 80 inches long). This will give you a smooth, flat surface for attaching your end caps with biscuit joints.
Cut and attach end caps
From the same material, cut 3-3/4 inches wide end caps and sand them down to the same thickness as the slats using a drum sander or planer. Mark and cut biscuit slots in the end cap and ends of the slats starting two inches in from each end. Keep the biscuit placement the same as the last round—centered at the center of the pieces.
Glue, install biscuits, and clamp the countertop together. Allow the glue to cure.
Scrape off dried glue
Once all the pieces have come together and the glue has fully dried. Remove as much of the dried glue as possible with a scraper on both the top and bottom of the butcher block countertop.. Be careful not to damage the wood, especially on the side that will be facing up. Leave the thinner layers of glue to be removed with a random orbital sander after the angle iron has been installed.
Embed the angle iron (optional)
To keep the butcher block countertop as flat as possible, I chose to embed a few pieces of angle iron into the underside of the countertop. I used a piece of 1/8-inch thick, 3/4-in. x 3/4-in. steel angle iron that had been cut down to 1/2-inch x 3/4-inch. laying around the shop, but the process would be similar if your angle iron had not been cut down.
Use an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel to cut the angle iron so that it is two inches narrower than the width of the countertop. Pre-drill holes with a 3/16-in. metal drill bit into a 3/4-in. leg of the angle iron and use a deburring bit to countersink the hole for a flathead screw to seat flush in.
Trace the three pieces of angle iron on the underside of the countertop so there are two, 7-1/2-inches from each end, and one in the center.
With a track saw, plunge cut a channel 9/16-inches deep (13/16-inches if you are using 3/4-in. x 3/4-in. angle iron) down one side of your trace mark across the countertop, stopping one inch from the edges. It may take a couple of passes to make the channel wide enough to accommodate the 1/8-in. thick angle iron. For the flat leg of the angle, use a router and a straight cut bit to rout out a square just a hair deeper than 1/8-in. You’ll need to radius the corners on the angle iron, or clean out the corners of the channel cut with the track saw to make the angle sit flush.
Use CA glue to set the angle iron and secure it with #8 1-in. flathead screws. The holes in the angle iron may seem a bit large, but this is to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the countertop.
Finish sand the countertop
Sand the entire butcherblock countertop and its edges, starting with 80-grit to remove any glue residue and working your way up sequentially to 220-grit.
Round-over the top edge of the countertop
Using a router and a 1/8-in. round-over bit, round over the top edge of the countertop. Sand any imperfections or burn marks from the router bit with 150-grit and then 220-grit so they look and feel like the rest of the countertop.
How to install butcher block countertops
Before installing the butcher block countertops, apply a coat of the food-safe beeswax finish to the underside of the countertop with the angle iron and let it dry.
Place the countertop on the island, ensuring a uniform 1-1/4-in. overhang all the way around the island. Secure the countertop to the island with screws from inside the cabinets and with small one-inch angle brackets hidden on the seating side of the island.
Apply a food-safe finish
With a clean microfiber towel or pad, generously apply a food-safe beeswax finish to the butcher block countertop. Let it soak into the wood for a few minutes and buff it back with an electric car buffer with a towel pad cover. The wood will quickly absorb the finish.
Apply and buff three to five coats of the food-safe beeswax finish.
FAQ
How to clean butcher block countertops?
Do not use chemicals to clean your butcher block countertop. Use soap and water with a sponge to clean and dry immediately. Ensure the top is thoroughly dry before reapplying the bees’ wax/mineral oil finish.
What is the best wood for butcher block countertops?
When selecting wood for your butcher block top, you want hardwood with a tight grain. Choosing kiln-dried wood makes the wood more stable and less likely to warp or check as it dries or when the humidity changes. Look for Hardwood Maple or walnut. Avoid using oak or ash on the long grain, as these are known for having a very deep, open grain where food can accumulate, making them less food-safe.
Are butcher block countertops durable?
Wood butcher block countertops are durable and can last for many years, as long as they are maintained by being sealed with a food-safe wood finish and kept clean.
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