Butcher block countertops from Perfect Plank - finger joinery?

8 years ago

I've heard Perfect Plank mentioned a few times as a good source for butcher block counter slabs. I did notice they use finger joinery in many of their species. Does this look OK or does it look like corners were cut by getting butcher block made from shorter boards? Any pictures? I think the finger joints might be more visible in species of wood that have higher variability in color.

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Jonnygun

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Www.hardwood-lumber.com I feel like I got a fair price shipped and am very happy with the product. We went with 3" thick character walnut edge grain. I'll post you a pic in a sec. Your right, they are in ohio. I got them confused with a competitor we also shopped...

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Jonnygun
8 years ago
I think it matters more if you like the busier look or not. What wood are you considering? We did our island using a walnut butcher block from Hardwood Lumber Company out of Tx.

I love it, lots.
bagofchips
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Thx. I think Walnut (especially if using the kind that is more mixed in heartwood / sapwood) will be busier than other species, and then if they are finger joining boards together you'll get even more variegation. I think I might like the busier look you can get inherently with Walnut, I'm not sure I like the additional busier look you get if they are joining shorter pieces together to get planks. It almost looks to me like Perfect Plank is cobbling together longer pieces from scraps before doing glue-up exposing the edge grain where the finger joints are visible -- and the end result is a matter of preference. To be clear, I honestly don't know what I prefer. Perfect Plank's seems to be quite a bit cheaper than others, so that can't be a coincidence?

Hardwood Lumber out of... TX or Ohio? I've also got quotes going w/ HL (out of Ohio). Impressed by their responsiveness so far.
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I will try to get a picture taken here in a couple days. We've got the countertops off right now so we could cut out the sink holes on the router table. Another beautiful thing about wood. They are light enough that I can move the perimeters by myself, and two of us can move the island top. I think it weighs around 90 lbs. We've had them out a few times now for construction projects so they wouldn't get dented and scratched with tools and such. We used a marine varnish (can't remember the name off hand) just right around the edges of the sink where we thought water might be an issue on top, bottom, and edge, no problems when we took the drop in sink out, but will be doing undermount with the new sinks. If it looks like we might start having problems, we'll do something other than oil over the entire top, but I don't see it ever being a problem. I'm pretty religious about oiling in the most used area. Less often on the seating side. I think there are 3 different logs in our kitchen, and the darkest was kept for the tops, but walnut fades unlike most wood, so my floors are already lighter than when they went in a little over a year ago. I haven't noticed a significant change in the tops yet. I do believe oil makes for a deeper darker finish than the polyurethane which brings out the oranges and reds more. The knotholes in the floor are by far the darkest and prettiest areas. I took a picture of the most used area of the kitchen floor, where we had the table and chairs. We moved them to the kitchen when we ripped out the dining room floors and just now moved the table back to the dining room (procrastination is what we do best). Now that the table and chairs are out, I will probably lightly sand and recoat that area of the floor. All scratches seem to be in the finish (oil based polyurethane) and not into the wood itself. I can't feel any of them when I rub my fingers over them anyways. Not to bad for 5 chairs being scooted around every day. I'm sure there are thousands of tiny scratches that aren't noticeable to the naked eye, but if I can't see them with the sunlight beaming in, they don't exist lol. The countertop scratches aren't as noticeable, most likely do to the fact that the oil actually soaks into the surface, whereas the poly sits on top of the wood. I'm sure there are probably knife marks where I've neglected to reach for the cutting board or where I've slid a heavy cast iron pan, but I certainly don't go looking for them and none are big or deep enough to draw attention. I'm pretty sure at one point I found a child's drawing somewhat imprinted into the top, but I've either forgotten about it, or it's gotten enough abuse that it blends. I circled the biggest scratches in the picture, because I'm not sure how big it will be when it posts. They are where the two chairs that were unknowingly missing a pad on a leg sat. There are other smaller scratches that don't pick up in the picture, but again, not noticeable unless you get down on your hands and knees and look for them.
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As a baker I use large maple benches (made by Boos) and sometimes we repair small spots in them by dowelling. I'll use a twist drill of the appropriate size, coat a slightly too-long dowel with woodworking glue, and nudge it in. After drying it sands down and nearly disappears. The dowel should slide in dry without difficulty but without sloppiness, either. If one dowel doesn't quite fill the void you can let the glue dry and do another that overlaps the first. It may require a drill guide to get the holes just where you want them. Take a piece of scrap and drill a nice, straight hole of the same size. Locate, and drill throught the guide. Make the scrap long enough that a helper can hold it in place for you if necessary, or so that you can clamp it. It's not a furniture grade repair but might serve your purpose. You can try it out on a back edge, perhaps, to see how you like it. Good luck, Mark
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Remember that the Ikea butcherblock is pre-treated with their oil, so if you use an incompatible finish, it won't stick. You'd have to sand them all the way down past the existing oil finish, which might be more work than it's worth. I don't know if they're still selling their Behandla oil -- I mean the linseed-based countertop finish, not the beeswax one they have in the stores now -- but that's what I used and it has held up beautifully. It was sort of a pain to apply, but I haven't had to reapply it. It did not have a strong odor like Waterlox does (I tried a sample of that but couldn't handle the smell). I think the thinner tops have more risk of warping than the thicker ones; I believe that's what they told me at the store when I was buying ours. Still, it sounds as though you've got free countertops (well, already-paid-for countertops), so unless there's something wrong with them, I'd go with them! Just don't put in a tile backsplash yet, if they're thinner than the countertops you intend to install later.
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S Hill
8 years ago
Jonnygun, can you post a pic of your countertop? I am in the process of deciding!!! Thanks
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bagofchips
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I ended up going with Hardwood as well. 1 3/4" thick (so a little beefier than standard counters) because I didn't want to overpower the island. White oak. Looks great (using mineral oil only) with white oak oil finish floors. The contrast vs flooring in this photo is magnified because of the pendants and skylight overlighting the island itself. {cannot upload photo successfully right now, will try to do later}
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elbell19
8 years ago
if you can still post that pic, it would be appreciated...
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User
8 years ago
Here's Perfect Plank Alder, unstained but sealed with a lot of Waterlox. It wuold be less obvious with a darker wood species or stained.

Daylight view
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S Hill
8 years ago
I ended up going with a local company - http://treeline.la/tabletops/
The reclaimed look works well in my space (although they do offer walnut). Most of all, I wanted to see the product in person. I'm so glad I waited and ordered from them... the prices are excellent and craftsmanship looks excellent.
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lakeerieamber
8 years ago
We've had our butcher block top on our island for several years now. We got it from hardwood lumber in Ohio and we love it. We plan to use them again in our new build.
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S Hill
8 years ago
The finger joints would bother me I think... And also how short the planks are make it look a bit busy.
bagofchips
Original Author
8 years ago
It's all about managing budget and visibility. I think for an island in particular that's a tough place to have finger joints. Laundry room, office, TV room, workbench all would have a higher tolerance (though laundry room you'd need to seal pretty good if you have your wits about you). Workbench you want the patina of wear and use.
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Johnny Styles
7 months ago
Finger-joints definitely have pro's and con's and, like many people on this thread have mentioned, it's just a matter of preference.

On one hand, if you can find the material you're looking for in the longer lengths, without natural defects, and for a reasonable price; that's definitely a great solution! As long as the wood isn't stubborn and or naturally prone to twisting and turning, there's no reason why that board won't endure for years and years to come.

On the other hand, Finger-jointed material actually makes the end product stronger and more stable due to reduced stress in the grain. Also, for trees that just don't grow tall enough to supply material for that 16ft bar top you've always wanted, Finger-jointed wood to the rescue!

https://www.perfectplank.com/questionsanswered.html#FAQFingerjoint

I know they also offer Non-Finger-jointed material too up to 8ft in length in Maple and Mahogany!
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Butcher block countertops from Perfect Plank - finger joinery?

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Butcher block countertops from Perfect Plank - finger joinery?

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