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 Yesterday we glued up the two halves of the butcher block top. Now the glue has set overnight and has reached it's full strength. We remove the clamps and clean up the halves. Here we've laid the halves in position to see how they will look.
 Next we run the halves through the planer to flatten and smooth both surfaces. We're not quite as picky about the bottom since it will not be seen, but it needs to be flat so it will sit evenly on the cabinet. Because we must avoid tear-out we make many very light passes, it takes a long time. And these blocks are heavy; about 20 pounds a piece.
 Next we install the cut-off sled on the table saw and trim the halves to *near* finished length. we want to leave just a little, about 1/4" for a final trim once it's all put together.
 Next we joint the two center edges for the final glue joint. This is a little trickier to do using my table saw method with blocks as thick and heavy as these. But even if I had a jointer for this task, this would be difficult unless it was a BIG jointer.
 Once it's right, it's time to apply the glue. Just the right amount, spread evenly with a small stiff brush. For the butcher block we're using TiteBond type III glue. This glue replaces the old style polyurethane glues that foam all over and turn your hands black. I've found this stuff to be just as strong as Gorilla Glue (at least on wood) without the hassles. And, since it's waterproof there is no worry that cleaning the block thoroughly will lead to joint failure.
 With a joint this size there is little time to lollygag. We align the halves, check to make sure they're both right side up (Hey, it happens!) and apply firm pressure with clamps. Space the clamps evenly, use clamps from above as well as below to insure a flat panel. And don't over tighten the clamps. Going gorilla on them will just force too much glue out of the joint: starve the joint and it will fail.
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