Hi folks. Long time reader, but very few posts.
I've been renovating my kitchen and part of that included an 8 foot long by 40 inch wide island with butcher block countertop which includes a 16 inch overhang for seating. The quote for a butcher block slab big enough for the island was the same price as granite so we bought two 8 foot long counters (at 25 inches wide each) with the intention of ripping them down and joining them using glue, biscuits and pocket screws.
What just dawned on me though, is that at best, the piece with the 16 inch overhang will only have 6 to 8 inches overlap on the base cabinets. This concerns me for obvious reasons. I was not concerned with supporting the 16 inch overhang if it was one piece that was secured to the base cabinets, but given that I'm using two narrower pieces glued together, I have concerns.
Adding legs or corbels won't work with the design.
My thought was to use the leftover pieces of the butcher block and make 38 inch long rods (may 3 inches by 3 inches) that I would bolt to the cabinets and which would stick out to support the overhang. I was thinking of using four or five of these. Do you think that would be enough or do I need to come up with something better?
That alternative I thought of was getting a half inch thick sheet of 4x8 plywood or mdf and mounting the countertop pieces on top of that, but I understand that butcherblock should not be glued down or mounted on top of a solid piece, so I don't think that works. If I'm wrong on that though, please let me know as that might be a good option.
I appreciate any advice you may have.
Thanks.