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If it's all end grain, it's not mixed orientation. Mixed would be end grain and long grain on the same plane.
When a board moves due to humidity changes, it tends to swell in width more than it grows in length. Because of this, something made with a lot of the end grain exposed (like a countertop) is typically going to move more than the same thing made with long grain exposed.
I don't know for certain, but I suspect an end grain countertop might be problematic unless it was very thick. The end grain butcher blocks used in real butcher shops tend to be 12" or more thick, and aren't as long as a typical countertop. I believe the thickness adds stiffness and more glue joint surface, which helps keep things in place better. I know from experience that thin (say 5/8" thick) end grain cutting boards don't hold up very well due to movement. A 2" thick countertop might hold up, but I think if they were workable we'd see more of them around.
My parents had maple edge grain countertops in one of the houses I grew up in. Movement wasn't a big problem, but appearance eventually was. They were finished with mineral oil only, so they got a fresh coat from time to time. Still, the countertops eventually got stained and dinged up over the years, and I think my folks were glad to be done with them when they sold that house.
When a board moves due to humidity changes, it tends to swell in width more than it grows in length. Because of this, something made with a lot of the end grain exposed (like a countertop) is typically going to move more than the same thing made with long grain exposed.
I don't know for certain, but I suspect an end grain countertop might be problematic unless it was very thick. The end grain butcher blocks used in real butcher shops tend to be 12" or more thick, and aren't as long as a typical countertop. I believe the thickness adds stiffness and more glue joint surface, which helps keep things in place better. I know from experience that thin (say 5/8" thick) end grain cutting boards don't hold up very well due to movement. A 2" thick countertop might hold up, but I think if they were workable we'd see more of them around.
My parents had maple edge grain countertops in one of the houses I grew up in. Movement wasn't a big problem, but appearance eventually was. They were finished with mineral oil only, so they got a fresh coat from time to time. Still, the countertops eventually got stained and dinged up over the years, and I think my folks were glad to be done with them when they sold that house.
