I have the ‘luck’ of getting several 2 – 3 inch thick butcher block table tops that were used at a commercial bakery for over 20 years. They show their share of use and there are deposits of flour and other baking products. On some of them there are worn areas from everyday use. Specifically in the middle and some corners where the thickness of the top is about 1/2 lower than the rest of the top. Also, they weight a ton!
My plans are (of course in the near/distant/sometime future) or basically I will like to:
1- Take them to a wood shop where they can be sanded/planed to consistent thickness.
2- I am not sure how to handle some of the gummy deposits. I tried removing some of it with a solution of bleach and water. I was also trying to kill all remains of cockroaches and their eggs. Tops came from a bakery in Washington DC where the roaches are the land barons at nighttime.
3- The width of the tops are between 3 and 5 ft. I am guessing that I am going to have a hard time with the wider tops. For the wide ones, I am thinking about renting a floor drum sander and go at it. I am not sure how to get it ‘flat’ and even, besides eyeballing it.
Can anybody recommend a shop in the Washington DC/Virginia/Maryland area that can do this?
If so, ball park figure on price?
Any ideas, input, comments, please share them?
Thanks in advance!
Replies
My local hardwood dealer here in western Los Angeles has a milling fee of $60 per hour and they will, among other things, run items through their jointer, saw, planer, and wide sander. What I'd do is consider cutting the table tops down the middle so that they can be machined ... I'm sure a shop or business in your area can handle tops 1.5 to 2.5 feet wide ... and then re-glued.
I think most butcher tops are end grain up, as opposed to end grain on the sides, so I'd be concerned about tearout using a planer. If you could find someone willing to sand them down this problem would go away. I think this would cost no more than $10 to $10 per top where I do business because their sander is fast and will take the wood down quickly ... at the same time leaving a very smooth and workable surface.
John
But, what are you going to do with them...when they are all sanded and pretty?
I guess the usual, workbench tops, maybe an island, firewood (just kidding...) At least that is my plan. And according to my wife, I have too many plans, too many projects and I think that I can build and fix anything or everything... in my mind, of course
Eug,
I re-read your initial note. All things considered...flour, eggs, sugar, ...I suggest you bake it..I'll work on the frosting...lol
Seriously, I wondered if you just turn it over and work with it from the un-used side. I tried to reuse a maple 36x36 cutting board....lots of work. Finding a shop with a big sander is definitly the way to go...
I would assume that 'butcher block' of the size you describe and loaded with bakery residues is not end grain. I clean up this kind of butcher block with a cabinet scraper.
Now for flatening it. Here's a chance to hone your hand planing skills. See the recent thread about flatening and redressing a work bench. Don't try to do it all at one sesion. Try 15 or 20 minutes a day and by the time you are able to find a shop to machine it for you, it will be already smooth and flat.
BJGardening, cooking and woodworking in Southern Maryland
If this the usual commercial butcher block, it is end-grain. Even if you can find a planer big enough to handle it, you may get chip-out. An abrasive planer would do a better job. However, taking off a half inch with a sander is a lot. Another approach would be to make a router jig. There is a pretty standard rig that would surface the slabs nicely. Look in most router-jig books for a better description, but I'll try to quickly describe it here. Fasten boards to two opposite sides of your block. Make sure the top surfaces of the boards are parallel. Build a bridge that rests on the boards, and is stiff enough that it doesn't sag when you lean on it. In the middle of the bridge, bolt your router. Now sweep the router side to side, and forward and back. The tip of the bit describes a flat plane. Make several passes with the bit lower and lower, and eventually you'll get a flat top on your block. There'll be some machining marks on the surface, but a sander will easily take them out.
Might be worth more to a decorator or antique shop. They love those kind of things and might pay twice of making a new flat one.
Rick
okay, put all of the blocks together on a flat surface so they won't slide around. build a sturdy 2x4 frame to hem them all in, perhaps even a little liquid nails where all the sides meet. rent a floor sander and go to town. just make sure to take a picture.
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