Butchers block

carpenter23

hi all,i've been asked to construct a butchers block,now i have a rough idea of how i'm going to go about it but i was just wondering if anyone here has constructed one before ,how did it go?and any tips or things to watch out for would be greatly appreciated


this is the sort of style i'm aiming for

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/kitchen/3001705

many thanks in advance!!

galwaydude18

carpenter23 wrote: »

hi all,i've been asked to construct a butchers block,now i have a rough idea of how i'm going to go about it but i was just wondering if anyone here has constructed one before ,how did it go?and any tips or things to watch out for would be greatly appreciated


this is the sort of style i'm aiming for

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/kitchen/3001705

many thanks in advance!!

Glue up the top as you normall would the cross cut it into pieces say 60mm wide so that the end grain faces up and then glue all that together. You could even put a threaded rod through the entire top to hole it all together.

If your stuck I could do this for you.

carpenter23

thanks for the info and the offer but it's sumthing i'd like to have a go at and see how it turns out!:)

recipio

I've seen various designs in books. The main requirement is that the blocks are end grain up. This is to stop knives and cleavers etc bouncing off a hard surface.Its worth using something to align them precisely like two biscuits as sanding endgrain flat is hard going.
You could surround the blocks with solid wood sides , drill through the lot and use threaded rod to pull the whole lot together. They weigh a ton so castors might be an idea ?

galwayrush

I made one from beech some time back, one thing i learned, it was way more expensive to make than i had quoted for,both material wise and labour....:o
I live and learn...:)

carpenter23

thanks for the reply's,im presuming the frame that it sits on could be made of softwood to keep costs down ,also any idea which hardwood would be cheapest i was thinking of beech as ye said,also where could this be supplied from because i don't think the local building suppliers stock hardwoods:rolleyes:

recipio

Beech, maple and sycamore are the preferred hardwoods as they are safe with food. Ash should be ok as well.
I'd think about the softwood surround. Is it not a bit 'over economical' !?
Don't know where you are in the country but Chadwicks are reasonably good at stocking the American woods. You will have to shop around for the beech.

carpenter23

sorry i wasnt talking about the surround of the block ,i meant the frame that it sits on say the legs and rails,maybe stain them to blend in a bit ,i'm just thinking of cost because its for a relation of mine and you probly know how doing jobs for the family goes.

recipio

carpenter23 wrote: »

sorry i wasnt talking about the surround of the block ,i meant the frame that it sits on say the legs and rails,maybe stain them to blend in a bit ,i'm just thinking of cost because its for a relation of mine and you probly know how doing jobs for the family goes.[/QUOT

Thinking about it you will need a good solid base for the blocks as they will take a pounding during their lifetime.There's nothing wrong with 22ml ply or such as it will be hidden inside the frame on battens ?
You might also struggle to find 3" hardwood for the legs ( I presume you are thinking of chunky square legs ) In that case just glue up 1" stock into a lamination. It will look way better than a substitute wood.

carpenter23

having a bit of bother sourcing beech,tried chad wicks and the like ,but they say there is no demand so they don't stock it and cant order it in,tried a few joineries but it seems very expensive ,just wondering if any body had any ideas ?oh also i would be looking for planed beech ,

thanks!!

lgk

Try Woodworkers. Bough beech there before.

galwaydude18

How much do you need? I'll ring a few oft contacts on Monday. I should be able to help you out. I could get rough sawn and plane it up for you no bother at all. Do you require 2" or 3" ?

Turbo Turtle

Try Strahan timber get all our hardwoods there and have gotten beech there in the past or I think the carpentry store in naas does some timber as well

recipio

Been to JP Corry ( builders merchants ) in Cahir Co Tipp today and they have 1 and 2" beech in 7ft lengths.Banches also in Gort and Oranmore if you don't mind a trip into the sticks.
Nice people to deal with and will deliver.

carpenter23

what price are they in 2" in caher? would that be the biggest size they do? thanks

recipio

carpenter23 wrote: »

what price are they in 2" in caher? would that be the biggest size they do? thanks

Sorry, didn't buy any ! In general beech is not an expensive hardwood,I'd guess about 20 -25 euro a cubic/ft. Give them a buzz on 0527441452.
They have a great selection of hardwoods including American walnut and Cahir is just off the M8 motorway.