My dad had a custom cabinet shop. He built something like this out of scrap. Today it sits in my living room as a reminder of him and his craftmanship.
3 years late to the party it seems. Great video! Very relaxing. Loved seeing your care in moving the beast around your shop, especially when the casters were on.
For me this video was the perfect pace. Enough to let you see what's going on, without someone talking for 10 minutes between each step. Very well done in both the restoration and editing.
Seriously. The work kind of speaks for itself. So many people spend an inordinate amount of time discussing minutiae of their project to the point that it gets boring/annoying. Then again that's what the scrubbing/ffw function is for I guess.
Growing up in a saw mill and seeing custom wood work, this piece brought me to literal tears. She is one lucky lady. That bowl was the cherry on top. Your work is beyond amazing.
My Father bought one of these years ago from a butcher shop that was closing. My Brother has it in his kitchen at the end of the countertop. Many memories of butchering deer on that block that we harvested up on our place.
my family still has my grandfather's block like that. while he was active as a butcher he would take it to a cabinet shop down the road and they would plane it flat again. for the past 35 years my mom has been using it s a kitchen island,
That stuff you are scraping out of the cracks isn't grime. It's beeswax. I have a very similar block. The proper way to treat a butcher block to keep it sterile is to melt and push beeswax into any cracks. It's a natural antibacterial and is food safe.
Starting to think the very best editors on the planet are all carpenters. Top-notch editing! What else could make me watch a man sand a giant hunk of wood? Cinematography, that's what.
I picked up an 1895 butcher block. I did the restoration myself. I know exactly what it takes to do what you did. Absolutely amazing. Congratulations on a showcase piece. Mine went to my wife. It is her favorite piece of furniture.
Hope the owners were really impressed with this. My wife is an art conservator/restorationist and I know she would be proud of how much effort you put into maintaining the original character. Top notch craftsmanship Kris!
there are different "schools" but conservators keep from using modern products like polyester or epoxy. Also machine sanding removes a lot. So this is re-newing, and not restoration.
I use flat black paint to give new wood an aged look. I spray on an sand to my liking.....its crazy how it changes. New to a hundred years old. Most dont even know. Theres alot to learn, and im wiling. Ive never burned wood, or took a chain an beat the wood. Cool beans! Thanks. I love your videos.
I have the same butcher block here in AZ. I bought it from a lady in CT. She said it was her grandmother's butcher block. I've had it for over 40 years & she said her grandmother had it for as many years as she can remember. She was late 60's when I bought it from her. Now I have to make some room & refinish mine. Great job, thanks
For those who would like to purchase a board I have a waitlist on the website. www.krisdevo.com New RU-vid channel for all my short form content! ru-vid.com/show-UCc44pBasVfxY699YnPMqStw The owners have had this for over 30years and the block is now retired to light duty. The casters were for it to be able to be rolled into the kitchen just 8 feet away. The epoxy was only used on the sides and bottom. Yes some of the epoxy is in the big cracks that run all the way through to the top. Food grade mineral oil and butcher block conditioner were used on the rest of the block. Danish oil is food grade after a 30 day cure and was only used on the base, little cutting board and bowl. The block was not flattened (by many different methods) to try and keep as much character and history. The small sander was meant to only take a little at a time as needed. Restoring something of this nature was not taken lightly by the owner and I. Just like many things there is more then one way to do a restore/refinish and more then one correct opinion on how to approach this. Lots of people have taken this project personal in a good way and a very small amount of people have taken it in bad way. I love all the great comments and any rude comments will not be tolerated here. Thanks for watching! PS the owners could not be happier how it turned out.
I don't see an issue with your approach if the client is happy. People on the Internet seem to forget that commissioned work is done to the client's specifications, not the contractor's, so the 'correct' way to undertake a project is whatever approach achieves the client's desired outcome within the hours quoted. If the owner is pleased with the outcome and you turned an acceptable profit, then you did a good job. I'm not into antique furniture, but it looks good for that style of piece.
Thank you for addressing that. Sometimes there's no one way in restoring an object. This butcher block is beautiful. I would proudly display and use it. The owner is very lucky! . It's always a warm feeling to see people restoring anything of the past.
Watching this video brought back some memories. I worked part-time after school in a butcher shop for two years. Starting out my primary duties were to replace the sawdust on the floors and clean the butcher blocks with a brush scraper and salt. My arms started to develop nicely after a while. 😉
Fascinating restoration. I’ve often seen these and just felt like I wouldn’t be able to move the thing around to clean it up. I was impressed with your idea to fill with epoxy. And that super-fast tape-up looked really cool!
Amazing job! I am a life-long woodworker (professional) of more than 40 yrs. at it - so? .... Great job! Wonderful video (just simply fun to watch). Your dedication and patience was its own reward! - right to the very end. So enjoyed your taking the time to distress that pristine base you created - good call. Thanks for sharing your craft and your gift - wonderful results.
@Rudolf Boukal I really appreciate the kind words! Especially coming from a professional, life long woodworker. Glad you enjoyed the video and thought it was fun to watch. Thank you thank you. Cheers
I have one exactly like that. Had it for years. It is in better condition than the one you’re working on. It needs to be restored also. I’m an old lady, nearly 80, but I think I can do this after watching you. Thank you so much. It’s been years, but maybe I’ll be able to enjoy it after all.
Wow!! The finished block looks great! As a professional Chef, I used an old cutting table just about like that except more beat up from decades of hard use. Now I almost wish I had taken the time to restore it like that, But I was too damn busy running the kitchen and putting out food to worry about it... Thank you for sharing this project.
I'm rather addicted to watching people who have your level of talent and workmanship do a project like this. I was absolutely delighted to see what you did with this wonderful piece of history. Amazing job, Kris.
I love that the deepest scars survived the renewal. Hard work leaves marks. It's good that the stories, even though they may not be known in their entirety to the block's new caretakers, leave echoes that they can hear nonetheless.
The only part that I found slightly distracting was the new dowels. They pop just a wee bit too brightly. Otherwise this is a masterful restoration in every way. Also the cutting board and bowl were loving additions.
Customer gets what the customer wants, I would never had put the base & wheels on it. My uncle had one just like it I wish I had gotten my hands on when he closed the butcher shop decades ago. Beautiful work you did. I'm always looking for one of my own.
How you do your work; with how much craftsmanship and love to the work and the part itself.... the editing of the video and the time how long it is, all this is need to be set as a standard for all other youtubers ! I love your work! 👏🏻👍🏻
What an awesome job! It's wonderful to see an old piece of history like that brought back to life. You did a great job restoring it. I'm sure the new owners are thrilled. It will be a conversation piece for sure!!!
Absolutely beautiful! At first, I thought there was no way you could clean this up, but you took it to another level, and now it will last a long time. Great job.
Dad bought one from some antique place many years ago....no idea what happen to that one. One you had sure looked like it....loved that old thing...Nice job making it right again.
My soon to be wife had both her grandparents pass away with in the same year recently and one piece she was reluctant to take was an old block similar to this which is in poor shape. I convinced her to take it and think about it before discarding. I would love to restore it for her in remembrance of them. I only hope I can do half as good of a job as you, but this video has steered me in the right direction
First off, impressive restoration. Well done! I don’t know who made them. When I was a teen in the mid 70’s, I worked for an independent butcher shop here in Phx. We had several of these (identical) and we used them to break down sides and quarters of beef, pork etc. The butchers would use saws and primarily big cleavers to hack through the meat and bones so the pieces were manageable enough to put them to the band saws. These benches had to be not only heavy but almost indestructible. I suspect the reason they were splitting is because we used a large metal brush and bench scrappers to clean off the suet and blood ~ then the unthinkable now, hot bleach water to disinfect the top. Hence the splits and the accumulation of dark grime/crap on the bottom. Memories...you wont find these in any stores now a days...Cheers from Arizona~
My Dad was born in 1905. He told me of going into a butcher shop with Grandpa. They had an old butcher block in the shop, and there was an old black man standing on the top with an adze. He was trimming the top in his bare feet. His feet were all scared and he was missing some pieces of toe. Dad asked him why didn't wear shoes to protect his feet. The old man said that he couldn't because then he couldn't feel where the high spots were so he could trim them.
While the restoration is beautiful, I must agree with others. Not only is the base too big, it simply looks like two seperate pieces jimmy rigged together. Separately, the base, the board and the bowl are Fantabulous!!! Your work is amazing. ✌️👍
It looks wonderful. I used to have a butcher block just like this one but it was definitely in better condition. My former father-in-law was a butcher and it came from one of the shops he worked in. I loved it and your ‘after’ version looks amazing. 👏👍
A buddy of mine came up with one of these back in the 80's. It was a rectangle and slightly larger with 5 steel rods. It came out of a butcher shop and it was dished out about 1.5" lower in the center from so much use. I planed down the top to get it flat and split it in to two pieces, 2 rods in one, 3 rods in the other. It wasn't cracked as badly as that one was. Made new longer legs for both pieces because the original legs left it way to low to the ground. He gave his wife the 2 rod block for her kitchen and his neighbor bought the 3 rod block. His wife still uses hers and says it's been the centerpiece of her kitchen every since she got it and her 2 kids are fighting over who gets it when mom passes.
Just watch this video 📹 and it was great to see all the hard work 👍 you put into this. I was a cabinet maker and in 2005 I had a big stroke, and had to stop working .I used to love making one off pieces, so keep up the great work you are doing and please be safe. From colin bradford in Milton Keynes in the uk 🇬🇧.
Wow!!! You do BEUTIFUL wood work!!!! I clicked on this because we have a family Harloom massive butcher block that belonged to my kids Great great grandfather who owned a grocery store and they butchered meat on it and it has so much character. It’s even bigger than this one here. I thought I could restore it myself. But after watching you do this. I’m humbled lol 😂 I will have to pay someone to do this. It will be worth it. We live in North Texas so if anyone knows a good carpenter with this guys skills please let me know. I wish you weren’t so far away. Well done. It’s gorgeous!!! I bet his wife was sooooooo thrilled!!!
Sometimes I'd think it would be hard to give back a project like that. Not only the piece of history that butcher block is and the stories it holds but the love and attention to detail and craftsmanship you instilled into it...yeah...it's a thing of beauty for sure.
I just stumbled across your channel and watched this video, I immediately subscribed! You are a master craftsman and it is an honor and privilege to be able to watch your creation. Anybody that didn’t like this video, has something wrong with them! I love to watch people create and honor tradition.
You might want to consider using some black oxide coating on the block thru-bolts after you clean them. It's cheap, it looks period-correct and will prevent the bolts from rusting inside the block for several hundred years.
@@JakeCharlson The serve several purposes. One is the obvious to help prevent excess splitting. But, they also help align and hold in place the boards as the block is being built, especially during glue-up.
We "restored" a similar block years ago. The center was "dished". We found a company that had a belt type sander that for a very reasonable sum made the top surface flat again. Yes they are heavy...! The block was from an old meat market and small grocery store in South Texas. Great job on this one..
@@KrisDeVo so can you still use as a butchers block once you've used that epoxy to fill in the cracks? I didn't hear anything thing that mentioned the kind or whether or not it is food grade? I have pretty much the same looking butchers block but it has metal covers for the bolts/nuts. thanks in advance for your input or what videos i should watch
Kris - i want to thank you for your detailed restoration video. You gave me the inspiration to undertake restoring a matching butcher block that has been in the family for over 80 years. I have the very same butcher block with a date code of '03 35' (manufacturer unknown). It had been sitting in our kitchen in use since 1978 and originally came from the family hog farm in Williams California. I am in no sense a woodworking craftsman such as yourself but I was able to follow and replicate the process you detailed in the video. The end result is a showpiece that prominently resides in our kitchen and is still in daily use. I get many compliments on the end result but always have to give you the credit. I did add one extra item that was not part of the original in the form of a hidden easter egg buried behind one of the wooden plugs - i sealed a micro flash drive with our family history, before and after pictures butcher block, and a link to your RU-vid video. Again, thank you! I can truly appreciate the hard work and long hours you put into both the restoration and the creation of the video.
Call it distressing the wood. Which is a terrible idea . I use to work for a company that made sold oak , cherry and maple the real stuff to make bedroom suites among other things. We tried this distressing the wood on bedroom suits it did not catch on a all people sent them back to us. They could not even get their cost back for these things.
Great job Kris, i would love to have this in my kitchen. I would build a nice end grain cutting board to work on and store it on the shelf when not use to show off this beautiful butcher block.
Great job and great video. I build cutting boards for family and friends. I absolutely understand the difficulty in repairing yet maintaining the character of the piece. My next project is repairing an end grain cutting board that I had approximately 250 hrs of work in it with 400 individual pieces in it. My daughter's ex husband (never a son in law) absolutely destroyed. 400 pieces of 3" thick walnut, maple and cherry now dried out, cigarettes burns, warped and splits and the feet removed. Really glad to get it back, but no telling how many more hours to restore it. This time it is my "keeper".
You’ve made me appreciate my own countertop cutting block that I’ve had about 30 years. I bought it at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but I spent some serious money on it, and it’s served me well, and is as sturdy now as when I got it. It’s heavy, so I can’t put it on the stove and burn it accidentally, and it has bun feet which keeps it dry underneath, is my theory. Thank you cutting block.
this video helped me forget about my day at work, i always loved woodworking and i even took like 3 classes of it in high school. thank you for the video and you did an amazing job of restoring/refirbishing a classic butcher block from the 40"s . Awesome job
I have also a butcher block handed down to me that came from a butcher shop in Bridgeport CT. The family received it about the early 70's. The butcher shop was in Biz for about 40 years. The legs are similar. I will be searching fo the year on the bottom. Mine has about 3 to 4 inches of wear from the corners down to the center from all the meat chopping over the years. Almost down to the threaded rods. Thanks for the process. This will be a summer project.
This is so strangely interesting, it draws you right in. Your storytelling has a low-key but unique and compelling style, Kris. You're going to do great, will have a million subs in not so many years I think.
Great job! I am so grateful the new owners wanted to refurbish it to new life!! Thank for saving this wonderful piece of history and I am sure all the people who have used it in and since the 1940’s would be astonished at how good it came out and how well you did!!! God bless and thank you for not chalk painting it!! Hehe! 👏👏👏🇺🇸🇺🇸👍👍👍❤️❤️✝️💯 P.S. I would absolutely love to watch and see how one of the original butcher blocks were even made. If you were up for it, I think it would make a great video idea. Thanks🇺🇸
This is amazing Kris. I wanted to say "it turned out like a new one!" but in fact, it's even slightly better than new. Also, it's always a pleasure to see professionals at work. Keep it up sir.
My grampa was a carpenter and made a big chunky table in the 50's with inset pictures of my mom and siblings at the time. I always wondered how he did that! Marvelous video and restoration. Absolutely beautiful!
My whole childhood we had one of these in the kitchen, my mom still has it… It’s always been a part of our household. Just so cool. It came from my family’s store out of the butcher shop. I love seeing them. Ours is all dished in the center from years of use.
Great video. You're an incredible wood worker. But for those of us in the cheap seats, it would've been great to hear & see an explanation of how these grand blocks were originally constructed. It was hard to follow where you were going because I didn't know where the block had been. Don't be shy dude, we want to hear the Teacher, teach! Thanks
Very cool video. I’ve always wanted to restore one of these. Just gonna throw this out there, you’re obviously a well experienced woodworker but just to pass some learnt knowledge along, the aging process looks way more natural on a piece this old and battered if you torch the new wood before distressing it. That way the deep color stays in the dents and since dented wood is more compressed and less willing to accept burns, pretorching is a simple way to get that look. Just a thought though! This was a super fun video to watch, thanks for the work!!
This popped up and I had to watch. I bought one at an estate sale years ago. The family lived upstairs and had a store/deli downstairs. The store closed and sat for over 40 years. It was like stepping through a time portal. So, I wasn't sure how to go about refurbishing it without ruining it. I now have a great idea of where to start. Thank you so much for posting this project.
I remember 45+ years ago driving deeper into the Indiana Corn Sea with my dad pretty well healed from the North Vietnamese mortar shell and some uncles to pull one out of a dilapidated 150 year-old barn stuffed with treasures. With the help of the farmer's sons we got it home. It was twice as long as yours there and sway-backed like a New Jersey taxi horse from past use. Beeswax had been used on it. We'd get in from the school bus sometimes to find mom had moved it 20 feet across the uneven farmhouse floor. By herself. My dad always joked about her major rearranging: "If I was a blind man I'd be dead of concussion."
Sometimes he'd change it up to being a blind man dying of septic shin syndrome. What made it funny was that his shins were in a Vietnamese rice paddy somewhere around Tchu Lai. Not sure if I spelled that right.
@@fangospucklovesveena464 He married a younger girl and they bought a horse farm a few years back to make a rehab place for vets and such. He beat 5 different cancers, had implant teeth before dentists knew what they were... He's in an electric wheelchair now...ever since he got drunk and fishtailed into a ravine rushing to get a shot at a chipmunk that was plaguing his garden and busted up a shoulder. Still mean as hell unless you're a stranger...lol. I'm currently disowned again.
Fair dinkum mate I didnt want this video to end. Love watching a bit of history being restored. Big thanks on an awesome restoration all the way from Australia. New sub for sure👍
I enjoyed watching this. The only thing I’d want to be different (if this was for me), is for the bottom shelf to be a better match to the colour of the original butcher block, and, I’d like the wood plugs to be darker to pick up the dark distress marks of the piece. The light colour of the plugs looks too new and obvious IMO….but as long as the recipient loves her new butcher block table, that’s all that really matters, right? I can’t help but wonder what such a laborious restoration would cost ?? I’m sure it’s not cheap considering all the work that went into it.
This video gives me hope. I recently inherited a large butcher block very similar to the one in your video. It was used for 75 years in a small company store in a coal mining town in West Virginia. It was then moved to a storage room in the back of the store where it sat unprotected for the next 30 years. The store was built and owned by my wife’s grandparents, Italian immigrants, and later run by their daughter, my wife’s mother. They lived in a large apartment upstairs of the store until my mother-in-law passed away late last year. If I can restore our butcher block to look even close to your finished product, I will be very pleased. I had a few questions about some of the steps / decisions that you made while watching your video, but I don’t know if you are willing to share your rationale or if it is even appropriate to ask. Please accept my apology if my inquire is out of line. I am not a professional woodworker like you. I am a bit if a weekend warrior with a family heirloom that we would love to bring back to use. If you respond favorably, I will ask my questions. If not, I will simply continue to watch and enjoy your videos while admiring your workmanship.
a really great job i am 71 and i am trying to learn how to do a little wood working.i don't think i could i could ever do that kind of work,i am trying to make just small things.THINK YOU for the video i loved it great job.
That turned out amazing. It's very cool knowing food was cut on that before WWll and now after your restoration and preservation it will survive another few generations for sure.
Beautiful work, Kris. We have an almost identical block that came from my father-in-law's grocery business. He was a meat cutter and acquired this block from the store when the health department forced all meat cutters to discontinue the wooden blocks in favor of supposedly-more-sanitary plastic cutting surfaces. His block is now our kitchen island. One of our favorite features is a series of burn marks along the top close to the edge. These are cigarette burns -- the meat cutters had no compunction about smoking while they did their work and would lay their burning cigarette on the block alongside what they were cutting when necessary! Great conversation feature. A forester friend identified the wood species as sycamore on ours.
Fantastic work. You make me regret not pursuing woodworking which I think would have made me happy. Your commitment to quality is appreciated by me and I am sure others who have watched this video.
