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Long Charcuterie Plank[8/4 · 4ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 2 long planks + 2 cheese boards
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 · 4ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 4' Lengths / 4-6"
How it goes together
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers. Food-safe species shown.
A long, thick grazing plank that runs down the middle of the table. Two 8/4 boards edge-glue into a 46" plank, 1¾" thick, with a shaped handle and a hang hole at one end. The fifth board becomes two matching cheese boards. One 4ft pack makes two planks and two small boards — keep a set, gift a set.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plank boards | 4 | Boards 1–4 (2 per plank) | 46" × 4" × 1¾" | 46" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Cheese boards | 2 | Board 5 | 22" × 4" × 1¾" | 22" × 3½" × 1¾" |
Planks: two full-width boards edge-glued with waterproof glue, long grain to long grain, 46" long.
Handle: 4" long × 3" wide at one end, centred on the seam, with a 2" curve into each edge. Optional 1" hang hole.
Cheese boards: board 5 crosscut in half, 22" each. Corners rounded.
Finished size: S4S planks 46" × 8" × 1¾", cheese boards 22" × 4" × 1¾" · S2S planks 46" × 7" × 1¾", cheese boards 22" × 3½" × 1¾".
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 4ft (S4S or S2S) — food-safe species
- Wood glue (Titebond III — waterproof, food safe once cured)
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Food-safe finish: mineral oil or board oil
- Board wax (beeswax and mineral oil)
- Rubber feet + short screws (optional)
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square)
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide)
- Jigsaw or bandsaw
- Drill with 1" Forstner bit (hang hole)
- 4–6 bar clamps, 12" or longer
- Cauls (straight scrap strips)
- Router with ¼" roundover bit (or sandpaper)
- 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. 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 Sort the boards. Boards 1 + 2 make Plank A and boards 3 + 4 make Plank B. Board 5 becomes the two cheese boards. Put the best faces up and match the colour across each seam.
- 2 Check the glue edges. Push each pair together edge to edge. No light should show along the 46" seam. If it does, joint or plane the edges until it closes.
- 3 Glue up the planks. Edge-glue each pair with waterproof glue into a 8" × 46" plank, long grain to long grain. Clamp every 8–10", alternating over and under, with cauls at the ends to keep the faces level. Leave overnight.
- 4 Cut the cheese boards. Square one end of board 5, then crosscut two cheese boards at 22". Each is 4" × 22" × 1¾".
- 5 Flatten and square the planks. Scrape off the dried glue. Sand or plane the seam flush — a belt sander or hand plane works, or a light pass through a planer if the 8" plank fits. Trim the ends square at 46".
- 6 Draw the handle. At one end of each plank, mark a handle 4" long and 3" wide, centred on the glue seam. Each side steps in 2½". Join each step to the plank edge with a smooth curve about 2" long — a paint-can lid makes a good template. Add a 1" hang hole centred 1¼" from the end if you like.
- 7 Cut the handle. Clamp the plank to the bench. Cut just outside the line with a jigsaw or bandsaw, then sand down to the line with a sanding drum or a sanding block. Drill the hang hole with a 1" Forstner bit, backed with scrap.
- 8 Round the edges. Round every edge with a ¼" roundover bit, or by hand with sandpaper. Round the corners of the cheese boards to about 1" radius — trace a coin or a jar lid.
- 9 Sand. Sand 120 → 180 → 220. Wipe with a damp cloth to raise the grain, let it dry, then sand again with 220 so the board stays smooth after its first wash.
- 10 Oil and wax. Flood every face with mineral oil or board oil. Wait 20 minutes, wipe off the extra, and repeat the next day. Finish with board wax, buffed off. Add rubber feet underneath if you like.
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 Sort the boards. Boards 1 + 2 make Plank A and boards 3 + 4 make Plank B. Board 5 becomes the two cheese boards. Put the best faces up and match the colour across each seam.
- 3 Check the glue edges. Push each pair together edge to edge. No light should show along the 46" seam. If it does, joint or plane the edges until it closes.
- 4 Glue up the planks. Edge-glue each pair with waterproof glue into a 7" × 46" plank, long grain to long grain. Clamp every 8–10", alternating over and under, with cauls at the ends to keep the faces level. Leave overnight.
- 5 Cut the cheese boards. Square one end of board 5, then crosscut two cheese boards at 22". Each is 3½" × 22" × 1¾".
- 6 Flatten and square the planks. Scrape off the dried glue. Sand or plane the seam flush — a belt sander or hand plane works, or a light pass through a planer if the 7" plank fits. Trim the ends square at 46".
- 7 Draw the handle. At one end of each plank, mark a handle 4" long and 3" wide, centred on the glue seam. Each side steps in 2". Join each step to the plank edge with a smooth curve about 2" long — a paint-can lid makes a good template. Add a 1" hang hole centred 1¼" from the end if you like.
- 8 Cut the handle. Clamp the plank to the bench. Cut just outside the line with a jigsaw or bandsaw, then sand down to the line with a sanding drum or a sanding block. Drill the hang hole with a 1" Forstner bit, backed with scrap.
- 9 Round the edges. Round every edge with a ¼" roundover bit, or by hand with sandpaper. Round the corners of the cheese boards to about 1" radius — trace a coin or a jar lid.
- 10 Sand. Sand 120 → 180 → 220. Wipe with a damp cloth to raise the grain, let it dry, then sand again with 220 so the board stays smooth after its first wash.
- 11 Oil and wax. Flood every face with mineral oil or board oil. Wait 20 minutes, wipe off the extra, and repeat the next day. Finish with board wax, buffed off. Add rubber feet underneath if you like.
Why a long plank? A 46" plank runs down the middle of a dining table, so everyone can reach the food. It holds enough cheese, meat and fruit for a crowd of 10 or more.
Why Titebond III? It is waterproof, so the seam survives washing, and it is food safe once cured. The glue joint is long grain to long grain — as strong as the wood itself.
Does wood movement matter? A little. An 8" wide plank grows and shrinks across its width with the seasons. Oil both faces equally and dry it standing on edge so it stays flat.
Make It Yours
- Two-tone: glue a walnut board to a maple board for a striped plank.
- Hand-hold slots: skip the shaped handle. Drill two 1" holes 3" apart near each end and saw out between them for a slot.
- Lighter plank: have the planks planed to 1¼" thick before you start. They lose about a quarter of the weight.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Clamp the plank to the bench while you cut the handle. Keep both hands on the jigsaw.
- Wear a dust mask when cutting and sanding, especially exotics (padauk, purpleheart, sapele).
- Let the oil soak in and dry before the first use. Use only food-safe finishes on anything that touches food.
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.
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.
Hand wash with warm soapy water, dry it right away and stand it on edge. Never put it in the dishwasher or leave it soaking. Re-oil whenever it looks dry.
Yes — about 13–17 lb depending on the species. That weight keeps it steady on the table. If you want it lighter, plane it to 1¼" before you start.
Planned offcuts only: about 1" off the end of each plank board, the handle cut-outs, and about 3" off the end of board 5. All 5 boards go into the planks and cheese boards.
Yes. A 2ft 8/4 pack makes two 22" serving planks the same way (boards 1 + 2 and 3 + 4), plus two 11" cheese boards from board 5.
