Making Wood Countertops

Although the beauty of a well-crafted wood countertop is obvious, its durability is not. Dan Vos, a custom woodworker who specializes in countertops, shows in this article how to construct a countertop that is both beautiful and durable enough to hold up under the challenging conditions of a kitchen. He discusses the importance of choosing a species and then provides step-by-step instructions on milling the stock, gluing up the blank, shaping and sanding the top, and finishing the counter. Although these instructions (and the accompanying photos) cover the process for making a face-grain countertop, Vos describes the benefits and drawbacks of making edge-grain and end-grain countertops as well. He concludes with a list of steps to take during installation to ensure that the wood's natural movement can occur and that the counter is sealed against water damage.