Catskill Craftsmen French Country Workcenter

I needed extra counter space in a studio apartment. We've owned a Boos country work table for nearly 20 years, but I didn't want to spend that kind of money for this application. This is a very nice table.The other reviews pretty much cover it; the table takes a while to assemble but the result is worth the effort. For the most part I enjoyed doing it. I do have some comments:- This thing weighs a ton. I knew it would, but if you've never owned a solid wood table with a butcher block top you'll be surprised.- READ the assembly instructions before you start. Because Catskills Craftsmen uses the legs of this table in multiple products, there are holes that you won't use. I never could get the diagrams of the legs in the instructions to match up with what was in the box. I think it helps to understand how the whole thing fits together; if you do it's easy to figure out which leg is which.- Segregate the hardware by type. And do not lose anything.- READ each section again completely BEFORE you perform the assembly. Preferably out loud. The instructions are notorious for burying something critical in the middle of a paragraph, or adding something at the end of a section that you need to know before you put pieces together.- The Bastion fasteners work well, but if you've never used them they are a little unusual. Just follow the instructions. It will seem like the holes don't line up as much as they should, but that is intentional. The set screw will tighten everything up. You'll see.Overall, I think this is a great work horse of a table. I love the smooth rolling casters. The drawer is very large, and extends all the way out so nothing can get hidden in the back. Not inexpensive, but a very good value. With very little care this thing should last several lifetimes. Highly recommended.UPDATE 11/4/13:The literature says the table is made of hardwood, but doesn't say what the wood is. As opposed to the Boos products that use primarily hard maple, this one is something else that is, by comparison, very porous. Over the last two weeks this table has absorbed 8 ounces of Boos Mystery Oil and half a tube of Boos block cream; only now do I have any excess to wipe off. For example, I let oil pool on the ends of the table legs, and within a minute it was all absorbed. I repeated the application, and within five minutes it was again all absorbed. I'd recommend anyone buying this table to oil it well prior to assembly. Catskills Craftsmen emphasizes how important it is to oil all surfaces of the wood, especially the ends, but it's difficult to do that once the table is assembled.

This is a beautiful piece. Read the reviews BEFORE putting it together. The info learned from others who put this thing together really saved us time. Do as another reviewer says and put the drawer glides on in the beginning just as soon as you can the pieces that attach to the cabinet would be nearly impossible to install at the end of the project as the instructions dictate. Some reviewers discussed the top not being sanded correctly, but I disagree with that. The top is sanded well but NOT sealed....you would not want it sealed if you are using it as a food prep station. So when you wipe the top against the grain of the wood you will notice some resistance on your cloth as with any unsealed wood product. So just wipe the top with the grain to avoid any agravation.

We have had and been using the workcenter for about a month now. We are really happy with it and we have so much more space in our kitchen. It's very nice-looking and extremely well-made. Overall I can highly recommend this product.The only reason I did not give the purchase five stars is that when my husband was assembling it he discovered that an entire package of 8 screws--the ones necessary to attach the shelves below the worktop--were missing from the packaging. Fortunately he had the appropriate-sized replacements in his workshop. Otherwise I suppose we would have had to call the company and wait for them to be delivered, or make an extra trip to the hardware store.Buyers should be aware that the wood does need to be oiled with mineral oil before use (and, ideally, every month or so thereafter). This is a good idea as it makes the wood more stain-resistant. Buyers should also be aware that assembly, while not terribly difficult, is a bit of a chore. It took my husband about 2 hours. The directions are pretty clear, but the pieces are heavy and sometimes a little awkward to manipulate. Some steps really did require 2 people.BUT--once you get the workcenter assembled, it's really great that it's so heavy and solid. It feels well-built and we think we'll have it for a long time.

This is the 3rd Catskill workcenter we've built. Kids got theirs, and now we have ours. There was some minor shipping damage, and Catskill sent replacement parts the day after we emailed them. Had an assembly question, which was quickly answered via email too.This workcenter is a great piece of furniture by Catskill Craftsmen. Assembly is straight forward, and the quality of the workcenter helps it last for many years (kids are still using theirs which are in great shape).

Too many part

it think it is lame and since i need more words i will repeat it again and again and again

Have had this for several months now and well worth the assembly time - had to call Catskill for some insight in aligning couple parts but response was immediate with exact guidance to complete assembly (lay it all out before hand and check hole alignments LOL)has proved to be VERY sturdy, easily moved when needed, locks in position as neededUSE A GOOD OIL as recommended for safe food prep - keeps the finish looking good, helps with cleanup, reduces chance of stains

That butcher block looks and feels great. It's very sturdy and of very precise construction (so different from IKEA and such). It fits our kitchen perfectly and exactly as tall as a nearby stove. It's very convenient. The bottom of the two inch cutting block has large imperfections, but you'd never guess looking at the surface