Newbie here, but wondered if anyone would mind giving me a few pointers on building a butcher block table for my wife’s Christmas present. I got one hulk of a solid oak barn beam to work with, it’s 9x13x93 and my question is: I’ve got this solid piece, can I simply cut it in half, plane away the uglies, put my threaded rod through two well placed holes and screw it tight? All the antique ones I’ve seen have either end grain up, or side grain, but are ripped into maximum 4″ strips, is there something to the thinner parts? (Mine would be close to 12″ wide by 6″ thick.)
Sorry this isn’t about dovetails, but I’m not quite ready for all that. But this chunky butcher block looked plausible.
Any thoughts appreciated… well, at least loosely related to the subject. 🙂
Replies
Hope you aren't planning on using it for a cutting board. The oak has too many pores which will breed bacteria. I don't seen any need for threaded rod which will not allow the top to expand and contract normally especially as oak moves quite a bit. Hard maple is the preferred wood for cutting on. At the end of the day the butcher would scrape the area he worked to minimize places for bacteria to grow. That's why old butcher blocks have that wavy surface. The beam is going to be wet inside and I don't think it will be dry in time for this xmas or a few xmas's down the road. Either get dry wood or another present.
Rick
Edited 11/29/2002 11:53:14 AM ET by rsl
Well shoot, that's not what I was hoping to hear of course... but that's why I came here to get some answers, thanks for the info, I guess I always thought oak would be real hard.
I wonder if she'd be happy with a nice barn beam for Christmas?
Havebroom,
I made an end grain hard maple butcher block about 6 months ago....what a bear. Getting it nice and flat on top with all that end grain... I put a maple wood trim around all the cubes...blew apart shortly thereafter..when water came in contact.
The prefered wood now is walnut. Apparently the walnut contains something that fights germs. However, my wife would not use it to cut on anyhow, much easier to use plastic cutting boards on top for clean-up. Public Health requires food prepares to have seperate boards for each meat and fish also.
Anyhow, that chunk of oak. Could make some beautiful turned legs for a nice kitchen work table / eating table....
Any source for this walnut germ killing information? I know the walnut chips can't be used for animal bedding, at least horses anyway. At least that's what all the horse owners say when they come to pick up shavings. Walnut is awfully soft for a cutting board.
Rick
RSL,
I don't where I heard that Walnut was a prefered cutting board wood from a germ control aspect...it may have been on here. However, I remember thinking it might make sense because Walnut Oil is loaded with Lenolinic and Linolenic fatty acids....not as much as linseed oil...but still very high amounts. It is these fatty acids that give linoleum its germ fighting poperties...
A true long lasting butcher block is END GRAIN. You can use side grain, but it will not stand up to use by a busy butcher
Richard
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