Butcher Block(s)

Good morning!

Greetings from Colorado on this spring Saturday where the flowers are blooming and trees are leafing. It's a great time of year, probably my favorite.

As we are preparing to plant our summer garden here, thoughts of food and cooking and gathering are on my mind. So, how perfect is it that the past two weeks were spent in the shop making the very surface where all of these things come together; your butcher block countertop.

The photos will show the steps along the way. Basically, the process is fabricating long strips of 12' white oak, and then assembling them into blocks of three. These groups now become the joints for the wood hinge on the drop leaf section.

Due to the extreme weight of this surface, I have made the counter into two sections for transport, then will glue the final center seam together in place. It will take at least 3 strong people to carry these sections from the trailer into the house, 4 if you count me.

The beautiful features of this countertop are not only in the color and grain of the individual strips, but the focal point is now the hinged drop leaf extension. We decided to take the time to make the hinge rather than purchase it. It fits the design principles so well and plays off of the box joints in the drawers. The stainless steel rod runs the entire width and allows for a strong and smooth pivot point. This was a fun and challenging engineering exercise. Plus, it just looks really cool! My prediction is that this will be a conversation piece while drying your dishes. :)

We will deliver this on Monday and once the two sections are glued and sanded, I will cut the sink hole and the slide-in range opening. Then, the food-safe oil finish gets applied in multiple coats. And, voila!

Next up, the pocket door to your bedroom.

Til next time, be well.

Planing the groups of the 3 to final thickness

That moment when you aren't really sure...