Wood countertops, how to?

Brian Altop

Member
Messages
274
Location
Tacoma, WA
Has anyone made wood counter tops before? I would like to make wood counter tops for my kitchen.

I was thinking of gluing strips of 3/8" hardwood to a 3/4" plywood then installing it.

What would you all recommend? I thought about using 3/4" hardwood, not glued to a substrate, but thought that the expansion and movement that I would end up with would cause problems.

I also thought about sawing hardwood into strips, 1" or so, turning them on side (so basically it would be quarter sawn) then using that.

Don't know.

Your thoughts, experience, suggestions are all welcome!


Brian
 
brian the way tom made his is great,, the movement is going up or down in the wood and there in 1.5 its not much.. and his counter is fantastic looking.. but i am biased he did have me help him sand them:) and i have gotten alot of cold drinks for helping:)
 
Brian,
anything more than 1/8" glued to a substrate will warp, crack and cause you more problems than you want to deal with. Think butcher blocks.

If you're going to have a wooden counter, try to find a good, stable wood that doesn't need a waterproof finish to deal with moisture.

Here's a good discussion of mitering butcher blocks that you might find useful.
 
My parents had edge grain maple countertops made for one of the houses I grew up in. (Something along the lines of the 1'" sawn strip method mentioned in the first post.) In the 20+ years they had them, they didn't have any problems with warping, although over time they got scorched and scratched. I don't recall that we ever re-sanded them, but we did periodically hit them with a fresh coat of mineral oil. They were made in the early 1970s, and the house was sold decades ago, but my dad still uses a cutting board made out of the sink cutout from that countertop. When I get a chance, I'll ask my dad if he remembers what type of glue the cabinetmaker used on them. For some reason, I seem to recall it was epoxy.
 
Final finish was 2 coats Tung Oil Finish and 5 coats wipe on satin poly then a light coat of paste wax. Here are some pics so you do not have to search:)
 

Attachments

  • Countertop 2.jpg
    Countertop 2.jpg
    124 KB · Views: 40
  • Countertop 3.jpg
    Countertop 3.jpg
    124.3 KB · Views: 39
  • Countertop 4.jpg
    Countertop 4.jpg
    117.2 KB · Views: 34
  • Countertop 5.jpg
    Countertop 5.jpg
    117.3 KB · Views: 34
  • Backsplash 1.jpg
    Backsplash 1.jpg
    104.6 KB · Views: 34
  • Backsplash 4.jpg
    Backsplash 4.jpg
    85.6 KB · Views: 34
  • Countertop 6.jpg
    Countertop 6.jpg
    94.7 KB · Views: 33
  • Countertop 1.jpg
    Countertop 1.jpg
    112.8 KB · Views: 34
Lou is to me like Randi and Joy are to Larry and you! TOP of ANY list!!!! :thumb::thumb:
Actually have purchased (Larry saw it) a set of french doors to replace a pair of windows in the dining room. Larry's slab of chocolate is the top of the bar between the dining room and kitchen. Larry saw the butcher block tops I bought at a sale that I plan to rip to width for her counter tops. So, even though nothing has happened inside yet. Things are being gathered and a plan is developing! :thumb:
 
well jonathan if you would get some real numbers around you could have boxes made and deliverd pretty quick.. tom already told me he was gettun bored form not having a kitchen to work on:) and we know lou ann would make it worth our while to put them in for her,,, apple pie with ice cream goes a long way :D:D:thumb:
 
well jonathan if you would get some real numbers around you could have boxes made and deliverd pretty quick.. tom already told me he was gettun bored form not having a kitchen to work on:) and we know lou ann would make it worth our while to put them in for her,,, apple pie with ice cream goes a long way :D:D:thumb:

So Larry, am I hearing we have a road trip to help get Jonathan in gear:rolleyes::p:D:thumb: OH THAT COULD HAPPEN:D:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
Top