I'm planning to craft my own butcher block tabletop, but I only have a circular saw and an orbital sander at my disposal. The hardwood store does have a table saw, but I know they can't guarantee a glue-ready edge. They can run a planer for me as well, but I'm still left wondering how to square up the wood before gluing it together. Is there a way to do this without needing a jointer? I'm hoping for some alternative solutions.
2 Answers
Hey there! If you're looking to square your boards without a jointer, a hand plane could actually do the trick for you. Even though you mentioned you're not keen on buying new tools, it's worth considering if you plan to take on more projects down the line. Another option could be using a normal planer by stacking some shims to create parallel faces, just make sure it's stable and safe while you work.
It sounds like you're aiming for a butcher block with either top or side grain, right? For that style, you might want to think about how to assemble your wood pieces securely since they won't be end grain. If you're going for top grain and planning a square bar-top dining table, you could just focus on getting those edges flush before gluing them together. Maybe explore options to rent or borrow tools instead of buying them?