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ilovepoco

Want to reconfigure an old butcher block

ilovepoco
12 years ago

My husband's grandfather's old butcher block has been lurking around the house for many years with never a real home or purpose in life... well it's time may have finally come. As part of a kitchen remodel, we want to reconfigure it and use it as a work surface on top of an island.

It's one of those incredibly heavy maple blocks on legs. The top is 30 inches wide, 21 inches deep, and the useable depth is 10 inches - the top surface is softly curved and of varying thickness after being used by 3 generations of meat men.

We'd like to have it split and joined to make a single piece about 21 x 60 x 5 inches thick. We've also talked about having the undulating top sliced off and mounted over the mantlepiece.

This project is beyond our ability for a variety of reasons.

Any suggestions as to what kind of business or craftsperson I am looking for to do this work? I've been googling away, but seem to be finding only fine furniture makers or custom kitchen remodelers.

I am located in the MetroWest Boston area. Thanks!

Comments (5)

  • mike_kaiser_gw
    12 years ago

    Your going to need to find somebody with a 24+" bandsaw. They're massive and expensive, so it's probably going to be a commerical shop. You might actually see if you can find some manufacturers (Laguana is one company) and see if they would give you the names of customers in the Boston area.

    Another alternative might be to find someone with a portable bandsaw, the kind just to mill logs. Woodmizer is one such machine. Again, work backwards from the manufacturer.

    After that any decent cabinet or woodworking shop should be able to glue it up into the size you want and smooth the surface.

  • User
    12 years ago

    Actually, a sawmill would probably be easier to find. The Woodmizer is technically a band saw, but operates horizontally, and is called a saw mill. They are portable.

    However, it would be easier and less expensive to take the block to the mill.

    One way to find sawmills is to simply put 'Boston sawmills' in the Google search box. Or Massachusetts sawmills.

  • bobismyuncle
    12 years ago

    Wood-Mizer used to have a list of owners who would saw-for-hire. That seems to be no more. But here is an alternative.

    Here is a link that might be useful: sawmills

  • ilovepoco
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks everyone... I went to a local lumberyard/milling company and desccribed the project to them. They could do it IF my block did not have any bungs along the side - which cover up metal ties used to hold the block together. (No one wants to risk hitting one with their saw.) Unfortunately, when I checked it out there are bungs all along both sides. We'll have to repurpose the block as-is.

  • John Liu
    12 years ago

    Suppose you remove the bungs and remove the ties. Then have the mill cut it. If the block comes apart w/o the ties, so much the better, it can then be cut w/o a monster bandsaw, and can be reassembled w/ bolts or glue.