My First Butcher Block

[Dennis Lopeman]

@ DON - thx... I will learn to read one of these days!! SO... to be clear, the maple on 2 sides it endgrain butcherblock style as part of the design. It's the other 2 where I was just going to do the NO-NO cross grain ... I better reconsider... I already did one... hmmmm

@ Howie - I mixed you up with another fella... but definitely appreciate your insite.

OH oh... I gotta run - BRB later guys.

[Dennis Lopeman]

OK - back. Well - it's just Maple and I can get it for about $2/brd-ft - It's COMING OFF!!! It was only 1 side so far. I'll do the endgrain trick like on the other 2 sides (shown in my pictures now)

As for GRAIN orientation - This will either be a lesson learned, or not a problem/concern. I have my old cutting board (store bought from some BORG like BB&B) for many years now and the grains go in all kinds of directions!! I just looked... very closely... it's 2" thick and there are absolutely no signs of separation on any glue joints or cracks in the wood... I probably use it everyday... and of course never let it soak in water or go in the dishwasher.

So... I obviously cannot do anything about this NEW board (cept cut that one border off), so I'm taking my chances. I'm going to bath it in mineral oil several times this upcoming week... and then I'll post back in a couple months/years and see how I'm doing!

[Dennis Lopeman]

Oooh - I forgot to post progress!! I did rip of the maple "frame" and changed it to endgrain. I must say it looks WAY better that the other two sides that I built into my "slices." I should have done the border LAST (for anyone studying to do this themselves) You'll see in the pictures that two sides of the frame are perfect and the other two are random placement. I didn't account for the differences in position and since there's such a contrast between the maple and the dark black walnut, it's very easy to see. I see it... friends don't really notice... but I'm a crazy perfectionist like that!

I made the corners from some marblewood my wife gave me for Christmas... yes, she gave me wood! Marblewood smells like a barn... reminded me of horse or cow doo-doo... farm... something like that!!

I will of course post all findings about this board as/if they occur. Here are the latest pictures in a nearly finished setup, but not quite stationary:P1300012.jpgP1300015.jpgP2010011.jpg

I've actually made a lot more progress from these pix! My wife found some some Corbels very cheap and I have built out several panels and put the corbels in place. Next on the list is finishing the garbage area panels... The corbels were pretty awesome and only $14/each!!! I'll post those pix below... but consider that sort of off topic...

[Dennis Lopeman]

you see how the butcherblock peninsula will blend into the breakfast bar... so not COMPLETELY off topic!
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YUP - only $14 each!! What a deal! I bought another pair of a different style for $12/each and I have 2 leftover of these... Fireplace Mantel and bathroom mirror projects will be of my future postings!!!
I know I know you all just cannot wait!!!