a W.I.P. Butcher block kitchen island.

[Bryan Cowing]

My son wants an island with an end grain top. I have been working on this 30x43 base since June. I now have started making the 5" thick end grain top.IMG_4854.JPGIMG_4851.jpgIMG_4730.jpgIMG_4650.JPGIMG_4638.JPG

[Bryan Cowing]

making the top from 6/4 maple off cuts I got for a $100. Gluing up 30 wide x 22" section, which makes 4 pcs at just over 5" high when cut and planed. So far got 11" of top made up, got to make 4 more glue ups to get enough for 43" of top.IMG_4858-1.jpgIMG_4859.JPGI cut the glue up in half, plane, then cut again
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[Jim Foster]

This is going to be a nice butcher block!

[Bryan Cowing]

Thanks. So far I am two strips short. Spent 7 am till 8 pm, and now have 38" of strips I calculate the top will weigh 174 pounds. 5.8 per strip x 30IMG_4862.JPG

[Jake Elkins]

That's going to be a fantastic work surface. Looks great.

Have you thought about how you will flatten that? I built one of nearly similar size, and I would have saved about two weeks of time and a few tubes of icy hot if I just got it in mind to build a router sled from the beginning. If I had to flatten one again with handplanes, I would glue a sacrificial board to each end to mitigate the end-grain blow out.

Can't wait to see this finished.

[Gregory King]

Bryan, you just wanted to show off that great looking lathe. General or Grizzly? The project looks interesting. Enjoy. Greg

[Bryan Cowing]

That's going to be a fantastic work surface. Looks great.

Have you thought about how you will flatten that? I built one of nearly similar size, and I would have saved about two weeks of time and a few tubes of icy hot if I just got it in mind to build a router sled from the beginning. If I had to flatten one again with handplanes, I would glue a sacrificial board to each end to mitigate the end-grain blow out.

Can't wait to see this finished.

At 7 am I glued up 10 slices, about 14", and during lunch break, I ran it through the planer. I ran the 3/4 radius bit over the one end to stop blowout. IMG_4865.JPGIMG_4864.jpg

[Bryan Cowing]

Bryan, you just wanted to show off that great looking lathe. General or Grizzly? The project looks interesting. Enjoy. Greg

General 260-1 VS I have had it for 16 years already.

[Mac Cambra]

So any tricks you care share on how to do those pommel cuts on the lathe. I think the leg design is beautiful. I always make a mess of the wood when I attempt the pommels (square to round transitions).

[Bryan Cowing]

Once I have it ruffed out, I use the skew on it's flat to slowly smooth it up. I still get slight chipping. What I do now is make the blank 1/8" oversize or so, take a 1/16" pass on the jointer, then re turn any spots the jointer may have flattened.
IMG_4640.JPGIMG_4641.JPGIMG_4642.JPGIMG_4643.JPGIMG_4648.JPG

[Mac Cambra]

What do you mean you clean it up by using the skew on its "flat"? Are you using the skew like a scraper?

[Bryan Cowing]

What do you mean you clean it up by using the skew on its "flat"? Are you using the skew like a scraper?

I don't have a scraper. A freshly sharpened skew, used very lightly to clean up the ruff surface. The ash was very hard to cut the square areas. The legs are 4& 5/8" square when I started, the corners are very large, very difficult to cut.

[Bryan Cowing]

kid want's a knife slot, added a 1/4 spacer of walnut, waiting on approval from him before I glue up the last sectionIMG_4866.JPG.

[Floyd Cox]

That is going to be one beautiful peice when you are finished.
No offence but I am glad I'm not going to have to help you move it in place when your through.

[Bryan Cowing]

That is going to be one beautiful peice when you are finished.
No offence but I am glad I'm not going to have to help you move it in place when your through.

Top is 175, easy for two to carry, and base is around 80 pounds. I will be using metal clips to keep the top in position.