Large Walnut Butcher Block Counter Top

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438
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Well, I've been in a frenzy over the last 6 weeks moving shop and setting up in a new space. Exciting times, but it's a lot of work! One of the projects that I had to get done during this period was a large 5.5'x5.5'x2" thick kitchen island counter top. Prior to this I had never tackled a glued up slab on this scale, and it had its challenges. In fact, it was even too large to fit into my truck or van!

Here's the process I employed:

1. Mill the strips of walnut 8" longer than needed (to account for planer snipe) and 3/8" wider (taller) than the finished thickness
- I used alternating thicknesses in the strips, about 1/4" difference, due to problems with yield. Good luck finding clear and straight walnut that's light on sapwood from a lumber wholesaler!
- Also, I laid out all the pieces and clamped them dry to ensure that the strips would result in a 65.75" width (the necessary finished dimension).
2. For gluing, I used a large square tubular metal bar to clamp against to ensure "straightness" as well as squareness (joints that weren't slanting). I made 6 slabs in this way.
3. Despite these precautions the outer strips were still not perfect, so I set up my router table fence as that of a jointer with a 2.5" long straight bit in order to bring things close to the finished joint.
4. Then, using the top of my assembly table, I used a handplane (on the pull stroke) to shoot the edges of the slabs to give them a perfect fit. It was quite easy and quick to do, and not as finicky as one might think.
5. Next, I glued up the six sections into three sections.
6. The three slabs were run through a wide belt sander to bring them down to the final thickness.
7. I double-checked the remaining joints, and re-shot them with a hand plane as needed.
8. These were then glued up in to two final sections, one about 44" wide, and the other about 22".
9. The two sections were clamped together dry, and cut to finished length using my Festool TS 55 Track Saw.
10. Finish sanded to 180 grit.
11. Delivered to customer in two pieces, and glued together on site.

This turned out to be a fun learning experience, and I am very pleased with the outcome.

- Hutch
 

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Wow. Just wow. Well done, well thought out, and well executed. That is fantastic looking and one of a kind for a reason... :thumb:
 
Thanks all! This is one of several decent to good jobs that I have gotten recently. I have been really excited by the upturn in my workload, and it makes me think that someday my business may even be profitable! :crossed:

- Hutch
 
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