SonomaProducts.com wrote:
I don't think you need a cross link type rod but others do.

There are people who advocate this and even insist on it. I have glued
and clamped maybe 50 butcher block type tops, not the end grain
version but edge grain, so lots of maple sticks stood on edge and
face-
to-face glued. I have made them from 1/2" to 4" thick using a variaty
of 4/4, - 8/8 thick boards in sizes ranging from 2' square to 5' x 7'
monsters. I never have run a rod across the pieces. I have never had a
call back, although lots of folks could never find me. In all that
time I only know of one time I had a top start to split along one
joint at the end and the boards I used were really too squirrely to
use but I had to get it done so I just clamped the **** out of them. I
ripped the top along the bad joint, reglued it. It came out perfect
but I held the piece for a while just to be sure and ended up using it
in my kitchen to this day with no prob.

plus, if you buried the end of the rod/nut under the last edge board, you'd
be unable to fix the top like you did if it did split. that's a good
argument against using allthread.