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Chunky Tumbling Tower[8/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 1 tower (40 blocks)
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
A giant-size block-stacking game cut from solid hardwood. Every board is ripped in half and crosscut into four chunky blocks — 40 in all, enough for a 13-level tower plus a spare. No glue, no screws, no clamps. Just straight cuts, a lot of sanding and an evening of game night.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 40 | All 5 boards: 2 strips × 4 blocks | 5⅝" × 1 15/16" × 1¾" | 5" × 1 11/16" × 1¾" |
Blocks: rip each board in half, then crosscut 4 blocks per strip with a stop block. No joinery.
Edges: sand every face to 220 and round all edges.
Finish: raw or one buffed coat of paste wax. No film finish.
Finished size: S4S blocks 5⅝" × 1 15/16" × 1¾" · S2S blocks 5" × 1 11/16" × 1¾". 13 levels of 3 stand about 22¾" tall.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Paste wax (optional)
- A cloth bag or crate to store the blocks
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide)
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- Router table with ⅛" roundover bit (optional)
- Tape measure, combination square, pencil
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first. No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 1¾" × 4", ¼" to square an end · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean); we plan S2S 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
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 Check the boards. All five boards become blocks, so every block should be the same thickness. Measure each board at both ends. If one is thicker, sand or plane it to match the others now.
- 2 Rip every board in half. Set the fence at 1 15/16" and rip each board down its length. You now have 10 strips, 1 15/16" × 1¾".
- 3 Square one end. Trim the end of each strip square. Take off as little as you can — you need 22⅞" for four blocks.
- 4 Cut 40 blocks. Clamp a stop block at 5⅝" on a mitre saw or crosscut sled. Cut four blocks from each strip. Never use the table saw rip fence as a length stop — short blocks can kick back.
- 5 Sort out any odd ones. Stack the blocks in threes and look for any that rock or stand proud. Sand those down on a sheet of sandpaper on a flat surface.
- 6 Sand every face. Sand all six faces of every block to 180, then 220. Smooth faces slide; rough faces grab and topple the tower early.
- 7 Round every edge. Ease all 12 edges of each block with 180 grit on a block, or a ⅛" roundover bit on a router table with a push block. Rounded edges don't chip when the tower falls.
- 8 Finish lightly. Leave the blocks raw or rub on one thin coat of paste wax and buff it off. Do not use varnish or poly — a film finish makes blocks stick together.
- 9 Build the tower. Lay three blocks side by side, then three more across them at 90°. Keep crossing until you have 13 levels. One block is a spare.
S2S Lumber Pack
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). S2S boards finish 1¾" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Check the boards. All five boards become blocks, so every block should be the same thickness. Measure each board at both ends. If one is thicker, sand or plane it to match the others now.
- 3 Rip every board in half. Set the fence at 1 11/16" and rip each board down its length. You now have 10 strips, 1 11/16" × 1¾".
- 4 Square one end. Trim the end of each strip square. Take off as little as you can — you need 20⅜" for four blocks.
- 5 Cut 40 blocks. Clamp a stop block at 5" on a mitre saw or crosscut sled. Cut four blocks from each strip. Never use the table saw rip fence as a length stop — short blocks can kick back.
- 6 Sort out any odd ones. Stack the blocks in threes and look for any that rock or stand proud. Sand those down on a sheet of sandpaper on a flat surface.
- 7 Sand every face. Sand all six faces of every block to 180, then 220. Smooth faces slide; rough faces grab and topple the tower early.
- 8 Round every edge. Ease all 12 edges of each block with 180 grit on a block, or a ⅛" roundover bit on a router table with a push block. Rounded edges don't chip when the tower falls.
- 9 Finish lightly. Leave the blocks raw or rub on one thin coat of paste wax and buff it off. Do not use varnish or poly — a film finish makes blocks stick together.
- 10 Build the tower. Lay three blocks side by side, then three more across them at 90°. Keep crossing until you have 13 levels. One block is a spare.
Quick rules Build the tower on a flat floor or table. Take turns pulling one block from any level below the top finished level, using one hand. Place it on top to start a new level. Whoever knocks the tower over loses.
Why no varnish? A film finish gets tacky in warm weather and the blocks grab each other. Raw wood or a thin, buffed wax coat lets them slide out cleanly.
Why are the blocks so big? Chunky blocks are easy for small hands to grip and the tower is tall enough to be dramatic when it falls. That is half the fun.
Make It Yours
- Two-tone: make the tower from two packs and mix walnut and maple levels.
- Dare blocks: write a dare or question on a few blocks with a fine paint pen.
- Storage crate: build a simple box from a 4/4 pack sized to hold all 40 blocks.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Cut blocks with a stop block on a mitre saw or a crosscut sled. Never trap a short block between the blade and the rip fence.
- Supervise young children. The blocks are big, but a falling tower can pinch fingers and toes. Not for children under 3.
- Wear a dust mask when cutting and sanding, especially exotics (padauk, purpleheart, sapele).
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
Hard maple is the classic: hard, smooth and light coloured. Ash, oak and cherry also play well. Mixing boards from different packs makes a colourful tower.
Check that no block is thicker than the rest, then sand any rough faces again with 220. A thin coat of paste wax, buffed off, makes them slide.
Yes, with supervision. Round every edge, sand off any splinters and keep play on the floor. Not for children under 3.
Only the end trims. S4S strips leave about ⅜" after four blocks; S2S strips leave about 2½". All 5 boards go into the blocks.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes two towers: rip the boards in half and cut 8 blocks from each strip.
