Butcher block cutouts in granite?

[mbrennan]

Hello All, we installed an island with a U-shaped cutout for butcher block cutting board. we left a tolerance of 1/16" sides and back. needless to say it swelled and broke on the corner. What are your thoughts on the tolerance?

Thank you

[luke getz]

well, obviously it should be larger than 1/16" in your case, but you already know that.

it may vary depending on the type of wood, and what direction the grain is running and how large the butcher block is.

we have never done it, but I probably would have done the same 1/16" and probably would have gotten the same result as you, so thanks for the heads up on that, it is one of those things that is obvious after the fact, but not so obvious before....

[Alex_Bores]

Shouldn't swell more than 1/4" on all sides.

That sucks

[Dan R.]

Too much to look decent, IMO.

[mikedean]

notch the butcher block so it sits on top of the stone, set it in the hole. then you can leave 1" room if needed. dabs of silicone prevent block from moving.

Like a cooktop with a lip.

[Jamie Schiro]

notch the butcher block so it sits on top of the stone, set it in the hole. then you can leave 1" room if needed. dabs of silicone prevent block from moving.

I like that idea. If I'm picturing it correctly it would act in the same way as a drop-in sink or cooktop. Outside edge overlapping the stone.

[Darryl Miller]

notch the butcher block so it sits on top of the stone, set it in the hole. then you can leave 1" room if needed. dabs of silicone prevent block from moving.

I like that idea. If I'm picturing it correctly it would act in the same way as a drop-in sink or cooktop. Outside edge overlapping the stone.

Yep, that's the best way to do it.

[Jonathan]

Thanks for Posting this question, I probably would have not thought twice about just leaving 1/6" and that would just have been for wiggle room during install.

[kevinp]

notch the butcher block so it sits on top of the stone, set it in the hole. then you can leave 1" room if needed. dabs of silicone prevent block from moving.

I like that idea. If I'm picturing it correctly it would act in the same way as a drop-in sink or cooktop. Outside edge overlapping the stone.

Yep, that's the best way to do it.

If you leave enough gap and fill with silicone the silicone will bulge up when the wood expands. The customer does not like that, they'll call you over and over to redo caulk and when enough is enough they get upset... So I like the above idea a lot!

[Darryl Miller]

If you leave enough gap and fill with silicone the silicone will bulge up when the wood expands. The customer does not like that, they'll call you over and over to redo caulk and when enough is enough they get upset... So I like the above idea a lot!

Hmm.... sounds like someone had a bad experience with this already

[Kowboy]

mbrennan:

Did you leave radii in the corners of the "U" or were they machined to 90 degrees? If you do this over, I'd round the corners of the cutting board to match the top.

What is the grain direction of the cutting board? Edge grain moves least: http://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/De ... vement.htm

[mbrennan]

we did not radius the corners, customer wanted 1/16th play with 90 degree corners

[Dustin76]

Owned a cabinet shop for years if I had to make a guess the wood used was maple. Maple will expand 7-9% laterally across the grain in a extreme situation. Meaning if you have a 15 x 15 hole for the block your board could expand 1/4" easily dependent on seasonal humidity and the customers use habits. I would follow the advice from other posters about rabbiting the cutting board down into the stone. I would cut a bevel on the outside edge of the board to give a thinner appearance to it. and I would oversize my cut out by 3/8" each way. I would make the cutting board a little thinner and screw a couple of boards against the stone and the bottom of the board that way it acts like a clamp, can be removed easily in the future or adjusted as need be.