Help with a butcher block top

Re: A couple of questions....

Garth

Thanks

I started using cauls. Very helpful.

Glue says to clamp for 30 min. Does that mean I can add another after that time? I’m only going to do one at a time.

Re: glue appplication information

Garth

Thanks

So how long should I let one row set up before adding another?

$150 for wood seemed like a bargain to me - at least in Calgary. Best price on regular boards would have been $800 or so.

It will have an oiled charcoal colour Rubio Monocoat finish. Hopefully it will look nice.

My big concern is it tipping over. Legs might be a pain to get around but some “old farm table” ones might look nice and would keep me from needing to bolt it to the floor. Once in a while it will need to move.

$12/bdft for 8/4 hard maple? Wow!

I answered this question in my first reply

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

If the gluing environment is 20 C or higher and the joint is not under any stress(well made) I would add a board to the assembly every 30 min. I have no reluctance to plane a panel after 30 min in clamps if the panel was glued up in summer conditions. Under cooler conditions or if the lumber is not dry (probably not a problem with the humidity you experience in the winter) the time to initially set can be much longer.

No experience with that finish....But as I advocate, don't do chemistry experiments on the finished product. Experiment with finish on test pieces.

Cabinet shops in you area will not be paying more than $4 per board ft for 8/4 maple. Places that cater to hobby woodworkers have huge make-ups for lumber for a variety of good reasons. The trick is to talk your way into buying where the cabinet shops buy. (wear work clothes and talk the talk)

Re: I answered this question in my first reply

Garth

Thanks. I’ll give them at least 30 minuets

Good tip on buying wood. Wholesale is always best.

Are you just adding one board for each glue-up?

Keith Newton

If you are using TB III, which has a longer open time than I & II, you should be able to glue and clamp at least 5~6 layers for each clamp session. If I recall your desired width, you'll end up with 56 glue lines which will take forever just gluing and clamping one layer at a time.

Then, I would consider using epoxy if I wanted to glue it all in one session. As cool as my shop is during this cold snap, I could mix and spread it all, then build a tent over it, with a space heater blowing under to warm it up. Epoxy doesn't cure without the heat, so spending an hour or two isn't an issue.

As for tipping over. Besides adding legs, you could also add a foot on the ends of the cabinet base that extends out on the cantilevered side. If your cabinet is 24" wide, and the top is 40" wide, the center of gravity for the top is 20", just 4" in from the back edge, if there isn't a toe-kick along that side. Adding a foot brace out about 6" would be an easy addition, leaving the unit movable, and being pretty unobtrusive.

Walk before you run

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

The person assembling this top has little experience gluing. He may not know how prone pieces are for skidding out of registration as clamps are tightened. The 7' length will be made up of end jointed pieces. Additionally, he doesn't have a thickness planer for leveling the top. Anything that can lead to a top nearly level after gluing is time well spent.

I have as much gluing experience as most of you and I would not attempt more than one piece at a time to start. If things began to go smoothly I might advance to 2 layers at a time but I am guessing I would have my hands full at one piece at a time keeping several pieces in registration over a 7' span.

I didn't mention it because it adds another level of complexity and need for experience. I might consider driving two brands per board and nipping the head off to make a point that would bury into the mating piece and keep it from skidding as the clamps are tightened.

Re: Walk before you run

Barry Irby

He said these piece have two 3/16" grooves in the "bottom". It occurred to me he could put the bottoms together and insert short pieces of dowels in the grooves to fill them at the ends and to assure registration. That would take care of half the registration problems.

Re: Walk before you run

William Duffield

An equivalent technique to nipping the brads, and a little quicker, is to use some very coarse sand, and just drop a couple grains into the glue before bringing the boards together. Of course, it has the same pitfall if you later expose the sand and strike it with a plane blade, especially since it ie easier to misplace the sand too close to the eventual exposed surface. It also doesn't work if you've got glue on your fingers.