#Butcher Block glue-up from shorts?

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

dim iris
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Hey y'all, long time, no see! I'm working on a laundry room reno project and just finishing up my washer/dryer pedestal-cabinets. I want to cap off the top with some sort of countertop. The laundry machines are elevated on pedestals, so this counter would go above them, about 6' high and not really have to support any weight (maybe some small decor items)
Because it's a low-stakes, low-traffic laundry room, I'm trying to work on a thrifty budget, and the countertop will barely be visible and not really load bearing, I'm thinking of doing a butcher block style glue-up using a bunch of 2" thick rough fir shorts I've had kicking around.
They're in pretty rough shape, but I don't mind milling things down plugging the holes and such. It'll be held up by ~2" thick "walls" on the ends plus a central 10" wide cabinet column, and so the maximum span is only about 28".
But I want advice from folks with more experience and sense than me. Is this viable? Is it worth the hassle? When butt-joining the end grain, can I just rely on biscuits for alignment and a bit of reinforcement?
I know it would probably be way easier and quicker to just go buy a countertop, but budget considerations aside, I just kind of want to use up this wood and make it for the sake of making it, if it makes sense to do so.

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dusty spruce
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At that height I would be considering plywood with a solid wood edge that you would mostly see.

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Pick the best fir pieces, rabbet them and nail/glue into the front of the plywood countertop.

dim iris
dusty spruce
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I just meant that you wouldn't have to look at it if it's 6 feet up in the air, so it wouldn't matter as much what it looks like.

dim iris
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Right! I mean, that's my thinking even with this butcher block approach — like, if it ends up kind of ugly I'll only ever see the edge.
I guess the core motivation here is whether I want to drop another $100 on a plywood sheet or spend several hours building this from scrap I already have. Classic "am I being a cheapskate?" conundrum 😄