Building a butcher block countertop is fun and can save you a ton of money. You can even use stone for your butcher block countertops. The most important things to do are to decide what material to use for the countertop and how to accomplish it. What I did to save money was to skip the project and get a cast iron block counter top instead. Here are some other ways to save money when building a butcher-block countertop.
It can be done very easily from scrap lumber, maybe o-ring or even wood that is broken. Just make a cast iron grid for the butcher block countertop from leftover scraps. Turned into a nice set of butcher block cornhole boards (also sounds crazy, know what, but it worked). Link here to see examples of how it can be done.
If you already have a solid piece of lumber, you can still build a butcher-block countertop even if it is just for decoration. Just use some long screws to attach the boards to the baseboard and glue the corners together with some silicone glue. The silicone will help hold everything in place while you screw. Make sure you leave enough room around the edges of the countertop for the faucet to fit. Then simply attach the faucet to the board with screws and it will all be over.
How about building a butcher block wood desk for my home projects? I start by going to the hardware store and buying a cheap one part plywood and putting up four posts in a “countertop configuration”. The four posts needn’t exactly be square, they could be slightly off or even misaligned. But they need to be straight and level. I also buy some thin kitchenaid wooden handles to match the wood on my butcher block table and put those on top of the posts to make them run down the sides of the table.
What about building a butcher block wood desk for my home projects? This time I use an actual wood cutting board instead of my kitchen countertop. I bought a whole set at Lowe’s – four slats of cabinetrest butcher block, four clamps, and a wooden handle with a removable clamps that I use when necessary. I cut the boards to the right dimensions, sanded them with some mineral acid to get rid of any scratches, and then assembled them with my hands. It took me maybe a little less than two hours to make my own kitchen countertops.
How about building a butcher block table for my home projects? The same idea applies here. Again I use my mineral oil hand rubbed wooden handles and square blocks from Lowes. I laid them out, marked where the corners would be so that they would fit right and created a rear pocket on one end for food storage.
With my wood glue, I use an old Harbor Freestanding table saw to hold all the pieces in place and start cutting out the pieces. Once the cuts are all done, I then use my jointer planer to get them as flat as possible and to make sure all the pieces are level. Then I finish with my clamps and finish nails to hold everything together.
In summary, the idea is to build a sturdy countertop surface with wood glue, particleboard and jointer planer. Build a table saw frame to support your lumber and use some of your mineral oil to help seal the wood. Use some of your old Harbor Freestanding table saw to make the cut. Finally install your clamps and nails and you’re done. I hope this article helps someone looking for the steps required to build a butcher-block countertop.