WORKBENCH TO BAR TOP

Add LEDs set in epoxy for a unique, high-tech look

- MIKE BERNER

Butcher block countertops are tough as nails and the perfect choice for a garage workbench. But that doesn’t mean they have to be ordinary. I made this design by routing out a hexagon pattern, laying LED strips in between and covering them with epoxy. Flip­ ping that light switch at the end of the day signals that it’s time to put away the tools, sip—and relax.

1 START THE HEXAGON TILES

To cut the 15 hexagon tiles, you’ll need a jig. I started with a 2-ft. x 2-ft. melamine sled. I set my table saw fence to 12 in. and made a partial cut into the sled. I attached a fence at a 120-degree angle with a few screws then fastened a pair of toggle clamps to the fence. Then, I cut 8-1/4-in.-wide strips of 3/4-in. plywood into 10-in. pieces until I had 16 parallelograms.

2 FINISH THE HEXAGON TILES

For the rest of the cuts, clamp a stop block with a 30-degree angle at one end against the fence 4-5/8 in. away from the saw kerf. Clamp the plywood parallelograms into the jig, cut one side, then rotate and repeat until you’ve got a pile of hexagon tiles.

3 CREATE THE PATTERN

Lay out the tiles on the butcher block top, using spacers just like you would if you were tiling a floor. To make the spacers, I ripped 3/4-in.-wide hardwood strips. (The edge of nominal 1-by material is too narrow to use as a spacer for my 3/4-in. router bearing.) Then I cut the strips into 3-in. lengths. I secured the tiles with dabs of hot glue and brad nails.

4 ROUT THE PATTERN