A client commissioned me to make a butcher block insert to fill a hole where a cooktop was going to be removed from their kitchen counter. I started by milling down maple into square boards and then gluing them up into these two blanks.

After the glue was set, I ran the blanks through a wide belt sander to clean them up.

Next, the blanks were cut across their width into 3” tall strips. The strips were then glued up to make the end-grain butcher block blank.

The blank was then trimmed and shaped to allow the lower 1” of the butcher block to recess into the countertop. The edges were also rounded over and handles were cut in at either end.

The butcher block was finished with multiple coats of mineral oil.

The oil gives the butcher block a nice warm color and helps to seal it against water, etc.

Installed in the client’s home. A few extra maple blocks are used underneath to hold the butcher block securely in place, while allowing for easy removal for cleaning.