Carpentry and Woodworking - Antique Butcher Block

I have an antique butcher block table (approx. 30" x 30" x 15" thick) which I need to restore to put in my kitchen. It is made of vertical pieces and has some spots that are burned, so I will have to sand it. It also has a crack starting on one side and going towards the middle which I am concerned about. What do I need to do to support it or keep the crack from continuing or is it already a major problem. I am renovating my kitchen and want to use it in my new kitchen for food preparation.

I would appreciate information on completing this project.

Thanks.

That is a substantial chunk of wood and needs substantial legs for support. Are there no legs on it now??

Hard to tell about your description of the crack. Can you post pics?? There is no filler I know of that would be safe for food prep, so an alternative repair might be needed. Cut out the crack and fit in a new piece of maple(I assume maple?).

Thanks for replying. I have taken some pictures, but apparently can't post them here. The table does have legs, but they are not on there now. Crack is 9 inches long and is 1/8" wide at widest point. If i put wood filler in it, do you know if I would still be able to use it for food prep? If I don't fill it, then I worry about the crack being open or opening more?

Thanks again for any information.

I can't imagine any sort of filler would be a good repair. Maybe a shop could rout all the way across the block and put some sort of inlay wood in.

Might want to contact this guy...I like his site better than some of the others that came up in a search.

http://www.vermontbutcherblock.com/Resurfacing-and-Repair.html

I bet there are companies around you that could probably do something similar. I looked at 4 that were in places like Phoenix, Balitimore, etc.