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Loft Conversion - Episode 21

Building a Butcher Block Table

Behind the Scenes - Loft Conversion

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For a dining table, Bob selected the clean, contemporary look of butcher block. Joel Scanlon of Eastern Butcher Block of Providence, Rhode Island delivered this impressive 3" thick 3 ft. by 7 ft. piece of Vermont Rock Maple to the loft where together he and Bob attached the light-weight tubular stainless steel base.

As Joel worked he offered a few helpful tips on working with butcher block. Before drilling put a piece of tape on your drill bit to mark how deep you need to go. By taking this precaution you can prevent accidentally drilling all the way through. Before driving in your lag bolt or screw, put oil or liquid hand soap into the hole to lubricate it and be sure you don't overtighten or you can sheer the bolt or screw right off.

To prevent your butcher block from cracking and warping, it's essential to seal the moisture into the wood. There are two types of finishes you can choose from to accomplish this: oil or polyurethane. If you are planning to use your butcher block as a working food prep surface or if you simply prefer the look of an oiled surface, you will need to oil it with either a boiled oil like a linseed oil (if you won't be preparing food on it) or an edible oil such as mineral oil or even olive oil. Apply oil (don't forget the underside), sand lightly with very fine sandpaper, and oil again. You can never oil butcher block too much.

For a non-food prep surface, you can cover the butcher block with two to three coats of a good grade polyurethane sanding the surface between each coat.

Eastern Butcher Block offers its own proprietary oil finish which creates a rich patina highlighting the maple's natural grain variations as the wood ages as well as a proprietary Flexo washable surface for non-cutting surfaces.

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