DIY Butcher Block Counters

Wood counters can add so much warmth to an all white space. Read on for our DIY Butcher Block Counters.

Back in July I shared the reveal of this space here and the other week I shared how to create these slatted built-in benches here.

As I mentioned in these posts our pool house is not a very big space, it’s only an 8′ x 10′ shed, so we had to get creative with storage. The benches do double duty as furniture and storage. The counter conceals the fridge and a stock cabinet we bought. To create the butcher block counter we used soft maple that was leftover from Luke’s workbench build.

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DIY Butcher Block Counter

Materials

• 8/4 Unfinished Maple (you can use other hardwoods, this is what we had extra of)
• Table Saw
• 13″ DeWalt Thickness Planer
• A Jointer
• Jointer Plane (optional)
• Biscuit Jointer
• Biscuits
• TiteBond III Wood Glue
• Bar Clamps or Pipe Clamps
• Track Saw and Guide Rail
• Woca Oil for sealing
• Buffer Drill attachment for finishing
• Sandpaper

Method

Step 1 – Cut lengths of wood about an inch longer than then need to be for your finished countertop. You need to cut enough lengths so the added width is a couple of inches more than the depth of your counter.

Step 2 – Plane the lengths of wood so they are flat on the two wide surfaces. You could edge joint one surface but you don’t really need to. All of the lengths need to be the same thickness and trying not to waste too much wood.

Step 3 – Edge joint one edge of each board on the jointer.

Step 4 – Run them through the table saw to cut the other edge parallel to the jointed edge.

Step 5 – (optional step if you want to make a sprung joint) Clamp adjoining boards on top of each other so they’re perfecting meeting on the joining edge. Put them in a vise and plane so they are very slightly concave. This gives the joint a tight spring (so they won’t come apart when they are glued).

Step 6 – Lay out all the lengths together and mark a position on each joint every foot.

Step 7 – Using the biscuit jointer cut a biscuit hole at each marking. The reason for this is to ensure alignment of the top surface when glueing.

Step 8 – Glue the edges and insert biscuits into the joints. Push together.

Step 9 – Clamp the whole counter top together and wipe away any excess glue. Leave clamped overnight.

Step 10 – Using a track saw and guide rail, cut the whole counter top to desired length (ensuring it’s square).

Step 11 – Seal counter top. See below*

*We sealed the counter top with woca oil. You may remember we used this oil on our dining table and the small Ikea island we have in the kitchen. To apply simply use a brush or rag, allow to soak in for 30 minutes and then buff with a drill attachment. You can read a full step by step here.

See how gorgeous the counters look:

So warm and the wood top is so smooth.

The hardware came from D. Lawless and can be found here.

Oh, I also wanted to share the rustic raw edge shelf, too. Luke used the same wood.

How Make a Raw Edge Shelf

Materials

• Length of 8/4 Maple (or other hardwood as desired)
• A Jointer
• Jointer Plane (optional)
• Drill
• Woca Oil for sealing
• Buffer Drill attachment for finishing
• Sandpaper
• Blind Shelf Supports

Method

Step 1 – Thickness plane the board.

Step 2 – Joint the least attractive edge.

Step 3 – Attach the shelf supports to the wall, preferably on joists.

Step 4 – Mark the positions of the shelf supports on the joined edge of the board. Drill holes in the board based on the instructions that come with your shelf supports.

Step 5 – Seal wood. See above instructions.

Step 6 – Install shelf onto supports.

The shelf just adds more warmth and a rustic touch to this coastal space. It’s the perfect spot to add a faux plant and extra glasses.

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Please let me know if you have any questions either via email or in the comments below. I always love hearing from you guys.