Butcher block
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Butcher block is a style of assembled wood (often sugar maple) used as heavy duty chopping blocks, table tops, and cutting boards. It was commonly used in butcher shops and meat processing plants but has now become popular in home use.
It is made in two basic styles:
- End grain
- Edge grain
End grain butcher block
In this style, many relatively short (as little as 100 mm/4 inches) pieces of wood are stacked and glued so that the cut ends of the pieces (the end grain) face upwards. This produces an extremely tough, durable surface. In professional applications, the pieces may be substantially longer and the assembled butcher block may be very massive. In this way, it is able to withstand repeated blows from large, heavy meat cleavers. Its thickness also allows it to be resurfaced many times without wearing away an appreciable percentage of the total thickness.
Edge grain butcher block
In this style, cut lumber planks are laid more conventionally, with the thick dimension of the planks running up and down and the thin dimensions sideways. As with end grain butcher block, the planks are then glued up under heavy pressure. Edge grain butcher block can be as thin as about 40 mm (1.5 inches) or up to about 100 mm (4 inches). It is not as strong as edge grain butcher block but is usually much less expensive. The number of times it can be refinished depends on its thickness.
Finishes
Butcher block can be finished with non-toxic oils or with conventional wood finishes. Oil finishes tend to darken over time and must also be re-applied from time to time as exposed, unfinished wood will degrade fairly rapidly. Conventional finishes do not darken but are much more susceptible to damage from cutting tools and damage to them must be rapidly repaired or the underlying wood will be damaged.
Use in the home
Butcher block is now commonly used in the home. It may form table tops, countertops, or the classical legged chopping block. It is easily cut and shaped with conventional woodworking tools and compared to many countertop materials such as Corian and granite, offers a comparably long service lifetime with a relatively low purchase price.
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