Need ideas: what to build w/ Maple Butcher Block

[Dave Harker]

I just got a "hard maple" butcher block at a garage sale for $5.

It is 24" long, 16" wide, and 2.25" thick. It has breadboarded ends with pegs. There is some discoloration at the corners and around some pegs. I could fix those corner problems by cutting 2" off each side, making it 12" wide instead of 16", and then I could plane it as well (12" benchtop planer) to clean up the top surface. I already ran each of the 4 sides through my jointer, cleaning it up quite a bit.

Any ideas on what I should do with it?

1) Use "as is" as a butcher block
2) Use as the top of a small end table
3) Use as a work surface in the shop
4) ???

Thanks!
Dave

[Michael Ballent]

I just got a "hard maple" butcher block at a garage sale for $5.

It is 24" long, 16" wide, and 2.25" thick. It has breadboarded ends with pegs. There is some discoloration at the corners and around some pegs. I could fix those corner problems by cutting 2" off each side, making it 12" wide instead of 16", and then I could plane it as well (12" benchtop planer) to clean up the top surface. I already ran each of the 4 sides through my jointer, cleaning it up quite a bit.

Any ideas on what I should do with it?

1) Use "as is" as a butcher block
2) Use as the top of a small end table
3) Use as a work surface in the shop
4) ???

Thanks!
Dave

The discoloration may be due to screws that are in there... double check it with a metal detector before you ruin a blade it. I see that the boards are starting to separate which indicates that there may be some glue failure. You could just try to take it apart and use it as the beginning of small movable kitchen island, or as stock for some other project... just make sure that you do not have any screws or nails in there... you never know how something was built initially

[Maurice Ungaro]

Just send it to me.

[Scott Parks]

How about a mini work bench? Or use it for the top to a portable tool cabinet?

[John Hart]

Oh man! I'll tell ya what I would do... I would cut that bad stuff off and re-frame it. Then build a little knife drawer cabinet underneath it and put some legs under that....maybe a matching shelf halfway down the legs.

..you know...if it were me.

[Dave Harker]

Thanks everyone, many good ideas - I'll be sure to check for screws before doing anything.

Dave

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Dave...if there's no separation of the boards in the middle area you could use it as a cutting board. It would last you a lifetime. But it would also make a great work surface for small projects. I can't wait to see what you do with it.

BTW, the discoloration is definitely related to the screws.

[Jim Becker]

Sand it and re-oil with mineral oil and use it. That's a really nice design. I'd use it the way it is with just the afformentioned maintenance.

[Jon Toebbe]

Was it Fine Woodworking that recently ran an article about building a "mini-bench" to raise some work (freehand routing, etc.) above the level of the regular bench. It was basically a little trestle table with a top about the size of your butcher block. I don't know if that would be of any use to you, but I thought it was an interesting idea.