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Charcuterie Paddle Boards[8/4 Wide · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 5 paddle boards
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 Wide · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths / 6-8"
How it goes together
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers. Food-safe species shown.
Five thick serving paddles from one pack of 6–8" wide 8/4 lumber — one per board, no glue-ups. Each paddle is a solid 17" serving board with a 5" handle and a hang hole. Use them for cheese, bread and pizza, or wrap them up as a gift set.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddle blanks | 5 | One per board | 22" × 5½" × 1¾" |
| Finished paddle | 5 | Board + handle | 22" × 5½" × 1¾", handle 5" long → 1½" wide |
No joinery: each 5½" board is one paddle, 22" long.
Shape: 17" board + 5" handle tapering to 1½", ¾" hang hole 1" from the end.
Finish: ¼" roundover, sand to 220, mineral oil and board wax.
Finished size: Each paddle 22" L × 5½" W × 1¾" (or 1½" planed). Wider boards make wider paddles.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 Wide · 2ft (6–8" wide, S2S)
- Card or ¼" plywood for a template
- Sandpaper 80 / 120 / 180 / 220
- Food-safe finish: mineral oil or board oil
- Board wax (beeswax and mineral oil)
- Leather cord for hanging loops (optional)
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square)
- Bandsaw or jigsaw
- Drill with ¾" Forstner bit
- Router with ¼" roundover bit (or sand by hand)
- Spindle sander, drum sander bit or sanding block
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- Planer (optional, to take boards to 1½")
Why S2S only? The 6–8" wide 8/4 boards come S2S: both faces planed, edges rough. Plan on losing about ¼" per edge when you straighten them.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · 6–8" wide 8/4 S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (5½" clean at the narrowest), planned at 1¾" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S2S Lumber Pack (6–8" wide)
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance).
- 2 Cut the blanks. Square one end of each board, then crosscut it at 22". You now have five blanks, 5½" wide. Pick the best face of each for the top.
- 3 Make a template. Draw one paddle on card or ¼" plywood: a 17" board, then a 5" handle that narrows to 1½" wide, centred. Curve the shoulders where the board meets the handle and round the handle end. Trace it onto every blank so the set matches.
- 4 Plane to thickness (optional). The boards are 1¾" thick — chunky and steady. For a lighter paddle, plane or sand them to 1½" before you cut the shape.
- 5 Cut the handle. Saw the outline with a bandsaw or jigsaw, staying about 1/16" outside the line. Keep the waste side of the cut supported so it doesn't tear out as it drops.
- 6 Fair the curves. Sand to the line with a spindle sander, a drum in the drill press, or a sanding block. Run your hand along the shoulders — they should flow with no flat spots or bumps.
- 7 Drill the hang hole. Mark the hole 1" from the handle end, centred. Drill a ¾" hole straight through with a Forstner bit, with scrap under the paddle so the back doesn't blow out.
- 8 Round the edges. Round over all edges with a ¼" roundover bit, or sand them soft by hand. The handle edges can take a bigger round — it should feel good in the hand.
- 9 Sand. Sand 80 → 120 → 180 → 220. Wipe with a damp cloth to raise the grain, let it dry, and sand again at 220.
- 10 Oil and wax. Flood every face with mineral oil or board oil, let it soak, and wipe off the excess. Repeat the next day. Buff on board wax and tie a leather loop through the hole.
Why one board per paddle? No glue joints means nothing to fail in the sink. The wide boards are already a good serving width, so all the work goes into the shape and finish.
Why a template? Five paddles that match look like a set. Trace one good template and every handle comes out the same.
Why so thick? At 1¾" a paddle sits flat and solid on the table, resists warping, and has enough wood to be sanded fresh many times over the years.
Make It Yours
- Live-edge look: leave one long edge natural (bark removed, sanded smooth).
- Mixed set: make each paddle from a different species for a tasting-board gift set.
- Branding: wood-burn initials or a date on the handle before oiling.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Clamp the blank to the bench when jigsawing, and keep both hands clear of the blade line. On a bandsaw, cut the curves in short passes.
- Drill the hang hole with the paddle clamped down — a Forstner bit can grab and spin the work.
- Wear a dust mask when cutting and sanding, especially exotics (padauk, purpleheart, sapele).
Frequently Asked Questions
The 6–8" wide 8/4 pack comes S2S (faces planed, edges rough). Straighten the edges with a jointer, a table saw and a straight-line jig, a track saw, or a hand plane.
Walnut, maple, cherry, oak, sapele, padauk and purpleheart are all fine for serving boards. Skip aromatic cedar for anything that touches food. Wear a dust mask when cutting exotics like padauk, purpleheart and sapele — the dust irritates.
Yes. They are solid hardwood, so light slicing of cheese and bread is fine. Knife marks are part of the charm — sand them out once a year and re-oil.
Hand wash with warm soapy water, dry standing on edge, and never soak them or use the dishwasher. Oil whenever they look dry.
Planned offcuts only: about 1" off the end of each board, plus the small waste beside each handle. All 5 boards go into the paddles.
Yes. A 4ft wide pack makes ten paddles: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan. Or make five 30" pizza peels and serving planks with longer handles.
