Kitchen unit with removable butcher's block
Samantha Kennerson
Otumoetai College
Year 12 Materials Technology
16 week project
Teacher: Kevin Meyer
Samantha's family are big meat-eaters, with everyone sharing in its preparation and cooking at meal times. However there was no appropriate area in the kitchen for the preparation of meat, so Samantha decided to design and construct a combination kitchen unit and butcher's block. Her father was happy to take on the role of principle stakeholder.
Establishing an initial brief was easy – Samantha just sat down with her father and asked what he really wanted. The butcher's block would have to be able to withstand bashing from meat cleavers and tenderising hammers, and, for hygiene purposes, be easily removable for cleansing after use. The unit would have to be stable when being used, small enough to be stored under a kitchen bench, and easily moved outside into the barbeque area when required. It should also have space to hold the tools and utensils needed.
In the research phase and the further refining of her brief, Samantha examined a number of existing products, detailing the positive and negative attributes of each. After discussions with her family about what they wanted in terms of functionality, shape, style, and finish, she came up with a range of possible concepts. These were evaluated with her father to decide on an option which looked as if it could do what everyone required. Then, with help from her father, she used CAD software to draw up plans for construction of the final agreed outcome.
An important first consideration in the construction phase was the materials to be used for the butcher's block. "It had to be a hardwood," says Samantha, "because it needed to be durable and able to be washed. Butchers block's traditionally lasted a tradesman all their careers, so I had to aim for something that was going to last a fair length of time without falling apart."
Samantha decided on a combination of Bavarian and charcoal hardened pine, and the dimensions were established and the materials priced. The wood for the chopping block was cut into small blocks with each individual block numbered to help to keep them in order.
"I made a jig for the rows of little blocks to go through the thicknesser so they would be flat for the joining process," says Samantha, "and before I glued any blocks together I dry assembled them to make sure everything fitted in the right place."
Once the glue was dry, Samantha sanded the surface and finished the block with a coating of oil.
The unit was designed to incorporate both a sliding drawer and a fixed shelf with a rail above. "The individual boards making up the shelf were routered, then biscuit-cut and glued together, and I chiselled out part of the leg to insert the shelf to make it stronger," says Samantha. "My original design was for the rail to be made of wood dowelling, but someone suggested I use metal and that turned out really well."
Wooden runners were used for the drawer with its base inserted into a groove to provide enough strength to hold the heavy utensils. Holes were drilled in the middle of each leg into which a metal peg was inserted to attach the block and ensure that it could be held stable.
To enable the table unit to be moved around easily, wheels were inserted inside two of the legs with door stubs in the other two to raise their height to the same level.
Samantha finished her project on schedule and her family were delighted with the end result. Everyone agreed that it did exactly what they were hoping for in terms of the original specifications.
"After the 16 weeks I've been working on it, we've ended up with something at the end which is really great," says Samantha. "Because I used a light and a dark wood, the contrast looks really great and I particularly like the way the decorative grain in the wood on the front helps make the handle on the drawer the centre of attention. It's not just suited to our kitchen; it's one that lots of people would like in theirs."
Teacher comment
Samantha's approach to her technology projects has always been impressive. In Year 11, I recall her overcoming all obstacles to complete an outdoor table and bench seating for eight. What she doesn't know, she finds out. She is very organised, determined, and methodical, and she has learned the value of keeping the design process flexible. I believe in doing as little as possible for the students, not wanting to rob them of the opportunity to learn, and Samantha has always been up for a challenge. This year, for a wider community project at Level 3, she has already completed a six-metre L-shaped storage system in sections for the Air Training Corps. Next year, she is considering following a career in furniture design.
Working with students like Samantha reminds me of the importance of providing a variety of courses which allow students to work to their potential. It can be pretty scary sometimes when they think well outside of the square, but I have learned that maybe the square just needed to be adjustable.
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