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Countertop Shelf Risers[4/4 · 4ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 2 risers + 1 spice riser
Shop Black Walnut 4/4 · 4ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 4' Lengths
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak (QS)
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
Double your counter or cupboard space with simple solid-wood risers. Mugs, plates or canned goods go on top and underneath, and the small spice riser lifts the back row of jars so you can read the labels. One 4ft pack makes two big risers and one spice riser — all with crosscuts, two easy glue-ups and a few screws.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big riser top halves | 4 | Boards 1–4 | 25" × 4" × ¾" | 25" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Big riser leg pieces | 8 | Boards 1–4, two each | 8" × 4" × ¾" | 8" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Spice riser top | 1 | Board 5 | 25" × 4" × ¾" | 25" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Spice riser legs | 2 | Board 5 | 4" × 4" × ¾" | 3½" × 3½" × ⅞" |
Big tops: 2 pieces × 25" edge-glued.
Legs: 2 pieces × 8" edge-glued one above the other, grain front to back.
Top to legs: 4 pre-drilled #8 screws per leg, outer holes oversize for movement. No glue (cross grain).
Spice riser: single-board top on two square legs, 2 screws each.
Finished size: Big risers S4S 25" W × 8" D × 8¾" H · S2S 25" × 7" × 7⅞". Spice riser S4S 25" × 4" × 4¾" · S2S 25" × 3½" × 4⅜".
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 4/4 · 4ft (S4S or S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- 20 × #8 flat-head screws: 1¼" (S4S) or 1½" (S2S)
- Felt or rubber pads
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits
- 6 bar clamps, 12" or longer
- Tape measure, combination square, pencil
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- 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, and finish ⅞" thick instead of ¾". No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 23½"/47½" long with ¼" to square an end, 4" wide, ¾" thick · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean), ⅞" 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 Plan the boards. Boards 1–2 make big riser 1, boards 3–4 make big riser 2, board 5 makes the spice riser. Each big riser uses two tops and four leg pieces.
- 2 Crosscut. Cut each of boards 1–4 into a top at 25" and two leg pieces at 8". Cut board 5 into a spice top at 25" and two spice legs at 4".
- 3 Glue up the parts. Edge-glue the big tops in pairs: 25" × 8". Edge-glue the leg pieces in pairs, one on top of the other, so each leg is 8" deep × 8" tall with the grain running front to back. Clamp and leave overnight.
- 4 Square and sand. Check the legs stand flat and square; sand or trim the bottoms if they rock. Sand everything 120 → 180 → 220 and ease the edges.
- 5 Mark the screw holes. On each big top, draw a line ⅜" in from each end — the centre of the leg below. Mark 4 holes along it, about 1" and 3" in from the front and back edges.
- 6 Drill for movement. Drill and countersink the two middle holes to a snug clearance size. Drill the front and back holes ⅛" oversize so the top can move. Pre-drill into the legs.
- 7 Attach the legs. Stand a leg under each end, flush with the end, front and back. Drive #8 × 1¼" screws down through the top into the leg. Screws only — no glue between top and legs.
- 8 Build the spice riser. Same method: one spice leg flush under each end of the spice top, grain front to back, 2 pre-drilled #8 × 1¼" screws into each.
- 9 Finish. 2–3 coats of wipe-on oil or water-based poly. Add felt or rubber pads under the legs so the risers don't slide or scratch.
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 ⅞" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Plan the boards. Boards 1–2 make big riser 1, boards 3–4 make big riser 2, board 5 makes the spice riser. Each big riser uses two tops and four leg pieces.
- 3 Crosscut. Cut each of boards 1–4 into a top at 25" and two leg pieces at 8". Cut board 5 into a spice top at 25" and two spice legs at 3½".
- 4 Glue up the parts. Edge-glue the big tops in pairs: 25" × 7". Edge-glue the leg pieces in pairs, one on top of the other, so each leg is 8" deep × 7" tall with the grain running front to back. Clamp and leave overnight.
- 5 Square and sand. Check the legs stand flat and square; sand or trim the bottoms if they rock. Sand everything 120 → 180 → 220 and ease the edges.
- 6 Mark the screw holes. On each big top, draw a line 7/16" in from each end — the centre of the leg below. Mark 4 holes along it, about 1" and 3" in from the front and back edges.
- 7 Drill for movement. Drill and countersink the two middle holes to a snug clearance size. Drill the front and back holes ⅛" oversize so the top can move. Pre-drill into the legs.
- 8 Attach the legs. Stand a leg under each end, flush with the end, front and back. Drive #8 × 1½" screws down through the top into the leg. Screws only — no glue between top and legs.
- 9 Build the spice riser. Same method: one spice leg flush under each end of the spice top, grain front to back, 2 pre-drilled #8 × 1½" screws into each.
- 10 Finish. 2–3 coats of wipe-on oil or water-based poly. Add felt or rubber pads under the legs so the risers don't slide or scratch.
Why no glue between the top and legs? The top is 8" deep with its grain running side to side, so it swells and shrinks front to back. The legs' grain runs front to back, so they don't. Glue would lock them together and something would crack. Screws with oversize outer holes let the top move.
Why stack the leg pieces? Two 4" pieces edge-glued give an 8" tall leg with the grain running front to back. That's long grain to long grain in the glue joint and the leg matches the top's depth exactly.
Why pre-drill? Maple, oak and hickory split if you drive a screw without a pilot hole. Pre-drill every screw and countersink so the heads sit flush.
Make It Yours
- Two-tone: walnut legs under a maple top, or the reverse.
- Stepped spice rack: set the spice riser on top of a big riser at the back for three levels of jars.
- Open legs: cut a 2" half-round finger notch in the bottom centre of each leg for a lighter look.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
- Keep the risers away from the stove and other heat sources. They're for dishes, cans and jars, not for cutting on.
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.
Yes. A stack of plates on a 25" solid-wood top is no problem — the legs carry the load straight down to the counter.
Measure first. The big riser is 8¾" tall (S4S) and 8" deep. Most upper cabinets are 11–12" deep with 10–13" between shelves, so you get two levels of mugs or glasses.
Any species in the pack works. Maple and oak shrug off dings; walnut and cherry look great out on the counter.
Planned offcuts only: about 6" off boards 1–4 and about 13" off board 5. The 13" piece makes a handy trivet or a third spice-riser leg set.
Yes, with a smaller result. Cut 22" tops instead of 25": boards 1–2 make one big top, boards 3–4 give the four big leg pieces plus the two spice legs, and board 5 is the spice top. You get 1 big riser and 1 spice riser.
