Butcher Block treatment

[DIY Rookie]

I just got a 10ft piece of Butcher block for my workbench top. It's naked, not treated. What would you guys recommend for treating it? Making it the most durable since it will be my workbench. Appreciate your help and advice. Ty

 

[CombatNinja]

Do you want to seal it or put on a sacrificial penetrating coating that will slowly wear and need to be renewed occasionally?

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

First- I wouldn't buy butcher block for workbench.
Second- If someone gave me the butcher block I'd use it as is.

But, if you insist on making it "purdy"- put about 10 coats of poly on it!

My workbench is two layers of "sacrificial" particle board. It's used for everything from repairing parts, electrical, woodworking, even painting of small parts (brush). The current "top" is about 10yo, it'll probably be really to flip in a few more yrs.

 

[nadogail]

My wooden topped bench is topped with two layers of Red Resin Paper; I buy it in rolls from the store that sells me my paint.

 

[vwpieces]

I built these over the winter. Tops are tractor trailer floor planks glued together

One for the woodshop (Left) has 2 thin coats of oil Poly wiped on. THIN. And 0000 steel wooled.
Bench for the auto shop (Right) I left raw but oiled, yeah oil. I clean it off with WD40 squirter bottle and rag. So far its worked to keep clean.

Thick poly will scratch, dent etc. Why I did what I did... but depends on the environment and abuse it will see.

 

[vwpieces]

Another top I made from the tractor trailer flooring. This one has 5+ coats of water Poly.
It is the top for my electronics bench. Again, depends what it's end use and abuse.

 

[DIY Rookie]

First- I wouldn't buy butcher block for workbench.
Second- If someone gave me the butcher block I'd use it as is.

But, if you insist on making it "purdy"- put about 10 coats of poly on it!

My workbench is two layers of "sacrificial" particle board. It's used for everything from repairing parts, electrical, woodworking, even painting of small parts (brush). The current "top" is about 10yo, it'll probably be really to flip in a few more yrs.

First- Nobody asked you if u would buy or use butcher block and making it "Purdy" but hey you do you

 

[ZRX61]

Why do they call laminated planks "butcherblock" in the US? Butcher block has vertical grain, laminate doesn't.

 

[oldmachinenut]

This is my recycled maple butcher block bench top. I sanded the damaged original finish down to bare wood and put around 8 coats of Minwax Tung oil finish. It is actually a wipe on poly/oil blend, it has held up very well and is easy to reapply if I ever need to.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I have a real butcher block in our kitchen. Our butcherblock is nearly 200 kilograms. I buy and use a special food grade chopping block oil treatment from CLARKS.

​

 

[jack stand]

Why do they call laminated planks "butcherblock" in the US? Butcher block has vertical grain, laminate doesn't.

They are usually maple and they're appearance is similar to a real butcher block....turned on edge. Just a very affordable hardwood slab that's available in countertop sizes. I used them for our kitchen counters as an alternative to a laminate, solid surface or stone and we simply treat it with mineral oil once or twice a year.

 

[bdbecker]

I think what it comes down to is what your long term expectation is for appearance.

If you just want to put something on it to give it a finished look and keep the occasional oil or paint spill from seeping into the wood, personally, I'm a fan of finishes that can be repaired easily. Boiled linseed oil, Danish oil, heck, even mineral oil would all do a good job of keeping the wood from absorbing spills. They won't protect the surface from dents or scratches, but should you want to touch it up, it'd only take a few minutes.

Now if you want to keep the butcher block looking like new, that is a whole different story. As mentioned already, poly would probably be the better option. But even then, will require maintenance.

 

[Showkey]

Bench top material comes up often………it’s a personal choice and somewhat dependent on the type of work being done. Beside the work there’d a comfort, a look involved and practicality. Fine Woodworking on steel bench is not desirable. Rebuilding an automatic transmission on work bench is not practical.

MDF vs Hardboard for painted benchtop? And what paint?

The bench in my garage is 2' wide by 20' long. It it topped with 3/4" plywood that it very oil stained and dark. It wasn't pretty when I moved in, and I haven't helped. I want to brighten it up some, and give it some oil and chemical resistance. My plan is to overlay it with either MDF or...

www.garagejournal.com

Stainless steel top or wood butcher top?

What are the pros and cons of having a stainless steel top versus a wood butcher top? Initially I thought a wood butcher top may be better, since it has some give in it when working on certain parts versus a stainless top which would be more solid.

www.garagejournal.com

Solid hardwood lasts a life time, renewable oil finish and sheet metal cover for the real rough stuff.
Leave the welding to the welding table.......

Penetrating oil like Danish oil, tung oil, poly/oil mix is often preferred over a polyurethane coating.

I have four wood tops that are over 10 years old. 1 of the 4 in the auto shop. Renew the oil finish as needed or required about every three years. Light buff with 3m pad and recoat.

 

[yeldogt]

Commercial tops from the major USA makers have either a UV hardened finish or for the food service industry they are coated with a food grade mineral oil.

I have made a few workbenches out of hard maple and since they are just for woodworking I have them coated with simple shellac -- easy to re-coat and when I flatten the benches with a plane the shellac is not an issue. Also easy to scrape off any glue ..

Also have commercial tops .. like any other build finish they will scratch. Use various sacrificial items when doing some tasks -- from simple cardboard to thin rubber (drawer liners) ..... Masonite works well for some projects. Have a bit of OCD. It always nice to have one bench with about 50 coats of different colored paint in the shop to toss something on and beat it to death.

Any top coating will work -- the goal IMO is to keep things from sticking or liquids from sinking in

 

[Nutria]

I have a 2.5' x 6' butcherblock workbench top. It's maple and had seen hard duty in . . . a butcher shop, but some planing got it pretty flat. Boiled linseed oil for me. I do keep a sheet of corrugated cardboard over it for particularly messy jobs.

 

[ptt49er]

Here's a second vote for BLO - easy to refresh and protects the wood.

 

[LeonardY]

I used a commercial grade floor finish on my butcher block bench.
I used to worry about the finish then just gave up. This thing is going to outlast me.
I did mostly woodworking when I made it. But I'm all over the place in terms of hobbies now. I made a galvanized tray of sorts for when I work on greasy stuff.

 

[budget76]

if it's a lighter use you could give it the cutting board treatment: soak in as much mineral oil as it will take, let it dry, then a mineral oil/beeswax paste mix (melt around 50/50, more oil if you want it thinner). Re-wax every one in a while and done

 

[Colin Len]

Here's a second vote for BLO - easy to refresh and protects the wood.

Agreed. Mostly.

I personally don't like poly because I didn't want something that is a top coat, something that could chip off or need time consuming refinishing. I used a roughly 1:1:1 mix of BLO, poly and mineral spirits.

 

[ptt49er]

Agreed. Mostly.

I personally don't like poly because I didn't want something that is a top coat, something that could chip off or need time consuming refinishing. I used a roughly 1:1:1 mix of BLO, poly and mineral spirits.

That's exactly what's on my plywood bench top now. I've really been happy with it so far.

 

[ZRX61]

I have a real butcher block in our kitchen. Our butcherblock is nearly 200 kilograms. I buy and use a special food grade chopping block oil treatment from CLARKS.

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Howard's also make one that smells vaguely of lavender.

 

[Ohio Auto]

I built this 12 ft long butcher block workbench from an ash tree we cut down. I just sanded it and reapplied Helmsman clear after 10 years or so of use. I prefer a clear coat to enjoy the natural look of the wood. And don't be afraid to use it, and for heavens sake don't cover it up with paper...it's a workbench! I like the markings on it that come from use.

 

[ZRX61]

Another top I made from the tractor trailer flooring. This one has 5+ coats of water Poly.
It is the top for my electronics bench. Again, depends what it's end use and abuse.

Did you buy the 12in wide laminated planks & then join them with biscuits or dowels?

& how come I never knew about this source of cool wood before your post??

 

[ddawg16]

My neighbor was throwing away a butcher block island she had in her kitchen...3'x4'.
I turned it into a outfeed table for my table saw. Works fantastic.

But....I'm about to strip it down. It has some poly coating on it. If I sand something on the table...unless my piece is not clamped down, it vibrates enough to the point some of the poly transfers to my wood.

Once I strip it....I'll give it a few good coats of mineral oil....same thing I use on out cutting boards.

 

[beemerphile]

Mineral oil.

 

[DPG]

Boiled linseed oil for garage work bench and mineral oil for butcher blocks in the kitchen.

 

[93Ramcharger]

I have a real butcher block in our kitchen. Our butcherblock is nearly 200 kilograms. I buy and use a special food grade chopping block oil treatment from CLARKS.

​

How on earth did you get it in the kitchen? My mom has one of those that she wants put in her kitchen and it was heavy for a skid steer loader to pick up.

 

[isb cornbinder]

<y son and I pushed the chopping block up a ramp and into my 2002 Ram. I backed up to the front door and we carefully slid the block out and onto my SnapOn 6 wheel creeper. From there is was a slight struggle over the threshold at the front door and then on to the kitchen. I put $75 each piano casters on the legs. We raised the block with a hydraulic Harley Davidson motorcycle lift.
The block may be heavier than I suggested, because the hydraulic lift struggled and two of us had to assist the lift. The tapered ends of the legs went into the block and the block was lowered.
The block surprisingly easy to move, but, we seldom move it around. I am sure the flooring would be damaged or certainly loosened.
At first, my wife was not so sure about the great lump of hard maple. That has changed to, "I don't know how I ever got along without it," I think the adoring comments of visitors and family may have changer her feelings about the block.
The block came from a famous local restaurant. The restaurant retired the block when they changed from hanging meat to box meat. I was told that change was because of what they called "slippage".

 

[isb cornbinder]

This may be slightly off topic, but, here is an idea I came up with to combine two retired bits and pieces.
The base is from a Singer Sewing Machine I found beside the road. The maple laminated maple top is from a vintage dishwasher, also found in "curb-mart". Almost free sink cut-outs from kitchen renovators make good tops, also.
The up-front investment is nothing, other than cleaning and paint. It is easy to get $150 - $200 on CL. If you spend the time and contrast paint the fancy details in the castiron, The resell can be $100 higher.

I have a real butcher block in our kitchen. Our butcherblock is nearly 200 kilograms. I buy and use a special food grade chopping block oil treatment from CLARKS.

​

 

[vwpieces]

Did you buy the 12in wide laminated planks & then join them with biscuits or dowels?

& how come I never knew about this source of cool wood before your post??

Yeah, I cut off the lap style edge and I think there is 10+in usable. Biscuits used.
They appear occasionally on FB market around here. I think there is a trailer building place that sells off seconds. Takes a lot of sanding to get them nice though. Some have chunks taken out from planer and grain orientation. But there is some nice wood in there, some burl, ribbons etc.
They are about 1 3/8in thick, lengths I have are around 10ft. Think I paid $20 per board. Still have 8 left.

 

[ZRX61]

Yeah, I cut off the lap style edge and I think there is 10+in usable. Biscuits used.
They appear occasionally on FB market around here. I think there is a trailer building place that sells off seconds. Takes a lot of sanding to get them nice though. Some have chunks taken out from planer and grain orientation. But there is some nice wood in there, some burl, ribbons etc.
They are about 1 3/8in thick, lengths I have are around 10ft. Think I paid $20 per board. Still have 8 left.

Dang, that's a bargain. I found a place selling new boards & they're $95.88 for a 12footer of 12x1 1/4:

Laminated Truck Flooring 1-1/4" x 12" x 12' Box Trucks

Hardwood laminated truck flooring for box trucks, dry vans & van bodies, 1-1/4"" x 12" x 12'. Perfect for repair of broken wood boards.

www.trailerdecking.com

 

[ZRX61]

Holy ****, I just saw this... now there's a workbench top worth having

Apitong 3x12 Full Sawn Rough Heavy Duty Trailer Deck Boards

TrailerDecking.com is one of the leading suppliers of Apitong, Keruing Rough Board Heavy Duty Deck Boards in 3x12 Full Sawn.

www.trailerdecking.com

 

[yeldogt]

BLO is just a wiping varnish depending on the amount of thinner.

 

[vwpieces]

Dang, that's a bargain. I found a place selling new boards & they're $95.88 for a 12footer of 12x1 1/4:

Laminated Truck Flooring 1-1/4" x 12" x 12' Box Trucks

Hardwood laminated truck flooring for box trucks, dry vans & van bodies, 1-1/4"" x 12" x 12'. Perfect for repair of broken wood boards.

www.trailerdecking.com

Another source on the used market is bowling lanes.

 

[budget76]

Boiled linseed oil for garage work bench and mineral oil for butcher blocks in the kitchen.

just buy the bottle from the healtcare area of the big box store. Same stuff, way way cheaper

 

[dcdak16]

What ever finish you use, I recommend finishing the underside also, so the wood does not cup or warp with seasonal weather changes.

 

[nh_yota]

Poly isn't a good choice because it will crack and flake off. You want to use an oil treatment that soaks into the wood and remains even if the surface gets dinged up.

 

[DIY Rookie]

I built this 12 ft long butcher block workbench from an ash tree we cut down. I just sanded it and reapplied Helmsman clear after 10 years or so of use. I prefer a clear coat to enjoy the natural look of the wood. And don't be afraid to use it, and for heavens sake don't cover it up with paper...it's a workbench! I like the markings on it that come from use.

I really like that a lot how your turned out. Thank you.

 

[DIY Rookie]

Thank you everyone for the responses. Really appreciate it. A lot of great info.