Butcher block countertops are some of the most sought after counter tops in the world. The beauty of natural wood with the ability to have a full work surface that can handle almost any abuse, is a quality in a counter top worth having. When the butcher block is looking old, you can re-sand it, bringing back it’s original form. These countertops are very expensive, costing at least if not more than granite. There is a simple way to make this kind of countertop yourself for under $400 for an entire kitchen.
Collecting The Lumber
Butcher block is traditionally made out of cherry, oak, maple, and walnut because of the density of these woods. Stick to these varieties of wood when choosing your butcher block material as you will not want to be disappointed after a lot of hard work. Find a tree of one of these varieties, or even a mix of these trees that are already down and still in pre-rotting stages. Hire someone with a portable ban saw and help them cut and load the tree portions that are usable onto the portable ban saw. They will cut boards out of the tree to your desired thickness. For countertops, 1 1/2 inches is standard for countertop depth so make the boards 2 inches so you have plenty to work with later in the finishing process.
Take the lumber and load it up into a dry area for about 8 months to 1 year to naturally dry. This is where the patience comes in.
Preparing The Lumber
You will be spending a lot of time after the waiting period planing the boards as it will take several passes to get a nominal width that is consistent and true. This will take the most time and you will be sick of your planer after a few weeks of nothing but planing.
Assembling The Countertop
Start assembling the boards by gluing each piece and screwing it through the sides. This will allow you to assemble the entire countertop in a day or two. Clamp the outside finishing boards with bar clamps and make sure that the last piece is full of glue. Always make the end a few inches longer than the coutertop needs to be and trim the ends so that the sides are perfectly shaped and can be sanded very quickly with 200 grit sandpaper and that is all. There should not be a need for a lot of sanding.
Seal the butcher block countertop with a food safe sealer and get a few of your strongest friends to help you install it. One thing that needs to be addressed is to make sure that your cabinetry can handle the weight load. Install a few boards tying the sides together across the top if you are not confident in your cabinetry.
It should be noted that this is not a traditional way to build butcher block countertops, but it works very well and will last an entire lifetime if maintained properly.
