Iroko worktop options

[I6leon9i]

Hello, first post!

Don't use these forums anywhere near enough, but such a useful resource!

I've come across a load of iroko desk tops (600 x 1200 x 25) and was thinking of making a kitchen worktop from them, probably doubled up so 50mm thick, and then joined end to end. I haven't seen many worktops in solid '1 piece' timber though, everything seems to be 'butchers block' style? Would it be worth ripping it down into staves/planks, staggering and biscuit jointing into one worktop?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I've come across a load of iroko desk tops (600 x 1200 x 25) and was thinking of making a kitchen worktop from them, probably doubled up so 50mm thick, and then joined end to end. I haven't seen many worktops in solid '1 piece' timber though, everything seems to be 'butchers block' style? Would it be worth ripping it down into staves/planks, staggering and biscuit jointing into one worktop?

First off I'd forget about going to 50mm thick - you're just creating work for yourself - so long as they are properly supported they'll be rigid enough and you can get a "50mm look" by just adding a dropped front edge if needs be. I think you may have the wrong idea about what "butchers block" style is (or maybe I have) - it is, so far as I know, where the blocks are cut and glued together in such a way that the end grain faces uppermost...... I wouldn't fancy doing that with iroko. Do you mean narrow stave, perhaps?

If you are intending to do this yourself and you've never sawn or sanded iroko I'd better warn you that it generates a very fine, highly irritating dust which will come straight through the filter sacks on the average workshop dust collector or hone vacuum cleaner. To me in smells peppery and causes my nose to run and my eyes to water initially and gives me difficulty in breathing after a while. Sawing it takes a lot of power and very sharp saw blades because it is so hard (if it's not hard then you likely have sapwood which is nowhere near as durable). Not nice stuff to deal with at all. It also contains quantities of oil so a water-based glue, like PVA will be pretty useless to joint it (the oil film eventually destroys the glue bond) - the recommended approach is to clean off the surface with denatured alchohol just before glueing (to degrease it), use a resin type glue such as urea formaldehyde (Cascamite, etc) and apply sufficient clamping pressure until it sets. You then have the task of cleaning the surface sof glue squeeze out and levelling them. Unless you intend to hand scrape the stuff (hand planing is out - too hard) then the best approach is to find a joiners shop with a wide belt sander and get them to face it off and rethickness it through their sander. Doing this you'll probably lose 2 to 3mm off the thickness depending on how accurate your jointing is.

 

[I6leon9i]

Yes narrow stave, that is what I meant.

Think it's iroko, they are the tops from old school art/science/technology benches, so pretty hardwearing.

Considering the work involved, and the potential irritation caused working with the timber, I'll probably router (dog bone) and join the tops end to end as they are, with butterfly bolts and biscuits (I'd assume?). The downstand suggested is a great idea as I can see what the worktop looks like and then add it on if needed.

Any other helpful tips?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Any other helpful tips?

Yes. Sort of obvious in one way, but trim any joints to reveal fresh timber before jointing - don't leave the surfaces to oxidise or to allow the oils to leach to the surface overnight. Forget biscuits and go for a plywood loose tongue almost the full width of the joint - it will be far stronger than biscuits can ever be (especially if you make the tongue deeper) - in any case biscuits work by absorbing moisture from the glue and swelling to lock themselves in place and all that achieves with UF glue is potentially a starved joint. If you don't already have one get yourself a scraper and ticketer to clean-up the joints - iroko seems to work better with sharp tools than sandpaper which can leave it looking a bit "muddy"