Joining butcher block counter

[Glen Duff]

I am looking at joining two sections of 1 1/2 inch deep butcher block counter at right angles to form an L-shaped breakfast bar. The sections are different widths: 19 inches and 13 inches wide. There is no wall on either side of these sections.

What is the best cut to join the two sections:

1) one straight mitre from corner to corner approx 30 (& 60 degrees) 2) a 45 degree mitre from the inside corner with a right angle portion on the wider board exposing end grain that would then be flush with outside of the narrow board 3) a 45 degree mitre from the outside corner with a right angle portion to the inside corner 4) a butt joint exposing end grain for the full width of either the wider or narrower section.

Are there differences on the stability of the joint. My own impression is that the most attractive and possibly stable joint would be choice 1, a straight mitre.

I have all the machines but cannot cut the full mitre with my sliding compound mitre saw and am concerned that it will be difficult to do it with my table saw (General with a 12" blade and wide table) as the material is very heavy and the angle quite acute. Can this be cut accurately with a portable saw? Any other suggestions.

Also, are there any suggestions for strengthening the joint?

Any thoughts are appreciated and thanks in advance.

Glen Duff

[Ed Angell]

Do a good layout of your chosen miter scheme, rough off the waste with a skilsaw to about 3/32" out side the line. Finish with a heavy router and a

2" bit against a guide board. Ease off the trailing end cut first with the router so you don't chip the edge. I mitered 2 -22" wide Beech BB tops this way and got great results. I used a bolt similar to the Rockler zip bolts the fasten the tops together, I didn't have a plate jointer at the time and used 2 -3/8" dowels for alignment.

Ed Angell

[Bernard Randall]

It's an interesting question that I don't really see any obvious solution for.

If you miter corner to corner: first you waste a lot off both boards, 2, the odd angles 55.6 and 34.38 mean that the individual strips don't align and will give a visual discontinuity from the plan view.

45 degree miters will align the individual strips but there will be dis-continuity in both the plan and one end view.

As it sounds as if you have pre manufactured boards, there is presumably an edge treatment to take off the sharp edges and this will prevent a clean butt joint unless you locally machine to give flush edges.

In the event, each of the 3 options given, none can give a really strong glue joint as each will have at least one end grain element, so you will have to rely on either under counter bolts or a rebate with a ply joining strip.

Hmmmmm.

Bernard R

[Frank McVey]

Hi Glen,

None of the above, really.

The following website shows the SOP for jointing worktops (counters) in the UK. The site shows the joint, the router templates and the special bolts to draw the joint tight.

templates aren't cheap, but are easy to hire in the UK. However, from a thread on the "Wreck" a couple of weeks ago, they don't seem to be so common in the US. Perhaps a business opportunity for one of you entrepeneurs?

Having said that, the joint is fairly easy to make with hand tools, or alternatively, you could make up your own template.

It isn't necessary to use biscuits or dowels to reinforce the joint, although they may help alignment - the bolts used are very strong.

HTH

Frank

[Ed Angell]

Bernard made a good point about the non-matching strips, after mitering and fastening you could inlay a strip of maple or a contrasting wood to take the curse off the mismatch.

Ed Angell