Giant butcher block?

[sudsy9977]

Anyone have any suggestions. I have a big butcher block like the ones used in old fashioned butcher shops. It’s crazy warped on the top and has all accumulated gunk on the sides and bottom. What kind of tools could I use to flatten the top? Any professional I could bring it to to pay to do the top? Maybe someone who does cabinets or something?

What about years of fats and oil soaking into it. Any advice on small cracks? I don’t know where to start. Ryan

 

[Pensacola Tiger]

What are the dimensions? I used a radial arm saw and a surface planer attachment to level a 24" x 36" table top. Slow work, but the end result was fine.

 

[tedg]

I don't know what you might have for tools, but its easy enough to build a sled for a router to ride on. (Google router sleds)
You don't mention a size. In my shop I have a 43" wide belt sander, but its limited to 8" in height. Mine is a midsized machine, they come a lot bigger. Most any well equipped custom wood shop has one. One pass over a jointer will clean up all the sides nicely. As for small cracks, I would clean them with acetone then (depending on the size of the crack) make small wedges, (with the grain running in the right direction) glue and tap them in place with a hammer.

 

[sudsy9977]

I’ll have to measure it. It’s probably like 3 feet square or so.

 

[HRC_64]

If the thing is end grain than keep in mind planing on end-grain is much harder,
most people use belt sanding and not power-planing tools (google this for more info).

If there are like huge warps (presumably from cutting?) they will take some effort to flatten.

 

[tedg]

A 25hp (or more) sander with a 40 grit belt doesn't mind if its end grain. It will do in minutes what would take hours, if not days, with other methods.

 

[Andrew]

I'll second that a router and sled is a really effective way to flatten something like that.

 

[MartinT]

Giant is usully for pro/commercial use here