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Salt Cellar with Swivel Lid[8/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 10 salt cellars
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths / 4-6"
How it goes together
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers. Food-safe species shown.
A pinch of salt should be one hand away. This salt cellar is a solid hardwood block with a deep round well and a thin lid that swings open on a brass pin. Every board makes two, so one pack gives you ten — one by the stove and nine for the people who cook for you.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bases | 10 | Boards 1–5, two each | 5¼" × 4" × 1¾" | 5¼" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Lid blanks | 5 | Boards 1–5, one each (crosscut after resawing) | 10⅝" × 4" × 1¾" | 10⅝" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Lids (resawn) | 10 | Lid blanks | 5¼" × 4" × ⅝" | 5¼" × 3½" × ⅝" |
Base: one solid 5¼" block with a 2½" Forstner well 1¼" deep.
Lid: resawn ⅝" thick from the same board, so the grain runs the same way as the base. No glue between lid and base.
Pivot: ¼" brass rod or hardwood dowel, glued into the base only, ⅝" from the back and left edges. The lid swings on it.
Finished size: S4S 5¼" × 4" × 2⅜" H · S2S 5¼" × 3½" × 2⅜" H. The well holds about 6 tablespoons of salt.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S) — walnut, maple or cherry
- 12" of ¼" brass rod (or a ¼" hardwood dowel)
- 5-minute epoxy (brass) or wood glue (dowel)
- Paste wax for the pin
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Food-safe finish: mineral oil or board oil
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Bandsaw with a fence (for resawing the lids)
- Drill press
- 2½" Forstner bit and ¼" drill bit
- Hacksaw (for brass rod)
- Clamps or a hand-screw to hold the parts
- 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. 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 One board, two cellars. Each board makes two bases and two lids. Keep each board's parts together so every lid matches its base.
- 2 Crosscut. Square one end. Clamp a stop block at 5¼" and cut two bases from every board. Leave the rest whole as a lid blank about 10⅝" long — a longer piece is safer to resaw.
- 3 Resaw the lids. Set the bandsaw fence ⅝" from the blade. Stand each lid blank on edge, best face against the fence, and saw it with a push block. Keep the ⅝" slice. The other slice, about 1" thick, is planned waste — save it for test holes. Crosscut each slice into two 5¼" lids.
- 4 Flatten the lids. Sand the sawn face of each lid flat on sandpaper stuck to a flat surface. The lid must lie flat on its base with no rocking.
- 5 Drill the wells. Mark the centre of each base's top face. Chuck a 2½" Forstner bit in a drill press and set the depth stop to 1¼". Clamp the base and drill slowly, lifting often to clear chips. That leaves a ½" thick floor.
- 6 Drill the pivot. Set a lid on its base, edges flush, and clamp them together. Mark a point ⅝" in from the back edge and the left end. Drill a ¼" hole through the lid and ¾" into the base, so the holes line up.
- 7 Sand. Sand all parts 120 → 180 → 220. Round the edges of the lid and base, and sand the inside of the well smooth. Blow out the dust.
- 8 Finish. Wipe mineral oil or board oil on every part, inside the well too. Let it soak in, wipe off the extra, and give it a second coat the next day.
- 9 Fit the pin. Cut a ¼" brass rod or hardwood dowel 1⅜" long. Glue it into the base hole only (epoxy for brass). Open the lid hole slightly with sandpaper on a dowel, then wax the pin. Drop the lid on and check it swings open and shut freely.
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 One board, two cellars. Each board makes two bases and two lids. Keep each board's parts together so every lid matches its base.
- 3 Crosscut. Square one end. Clamp a stop block at 5¼" and cut two bases from every board. Leave the rest whole as a lid blank about 10⅝" long — a longer piece is safer to resaw.
- 4 Resaw the lids. Set the bandsaw fence ⅝" from the blade. Stand each lid blank on edge, best face against the fence, and saw it with a push block. Keep the ⅝" slice. The other slice, about 1" thick, is planned waste — save it for test holes. Crosscut each slice into two 5¼" lids.
- 5 Flatten the lids. Sand the sawn face of each lid flat on sandpaper stuck to a flat surface. The lid must lie flat on its base with no rocking.
- 6 Drill the wells. Mark the centre of each base's top face. Chuck a 2½" Forstner bit in a drill press and set the depth stop to 1¼". Clamp the base and drill slowly, lifting often to clear chips. That leaves a ½" thick floor.
- 7 Drill the pivot. Set a lid on its base, edges flush, and clamp them together. Mark a point ⅝" in from the back edge and the left end. Drill a ¼" hole through the lid and ¾" into the base, so the holes line up.
- 8 Sand. Sand all parts 120 → 180 → 220. Round the edges of the lid and base, and sand the inside of the well smooth. Blow out the dust.
- 9 Finish. Wipe mineral oil or board oil on every part, inside the well too. Let it soak in, wipe off the extra, and give it a second coat the next day.
- 10 Fit the pin. Cut a ¼" brass rod or hardwood dowel 1⅜" long. Glue it into the base hole only (epoxy for brass). Open the lid hole slightly with sandpaper on a dowel, then wax the pin. Drop the lid on and check it swings open and shut freely.
Why resaw the lid from the same board? The lid's grain and colour match its base, and both parts move together with the seasons, so the lid stays flush.
Why drill the pin hole through both parts at once? Clamped together, the holes line up exactly. That keeps the lid square on the base when it closes.
Why glue the pin into the base only? The lid has to turn on the pin. Glue it in the base, and open the lid hole just enough that it swings without wobble.
Make It Yours
- Thumb notch: sand a shallow scoop into the front edge of the lid, opposite the pin, so it's easy to push open.
- Two wells: drill two 1¾" wells side by side for salt and pepper, with the lid covering both.
- Brass accent: sand the pin flush with the lid top for a small brass dot.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Resaw on the bandsaw with a fence and a push block. Never resaw a short piece on the table saw.
- Clamp every base before you drill. A 2½" Forstner bit can grab a loose block and spin it.
- 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.
Yes, once finished with mineral oil or board oil. Walnut, maple, cherry, oak, sapele, padauk and purpleheart are all fine for things that touch food. Skip aromatic cedar for anything that touches food. Wear a dust mask when cutting exotics like padauk, purpleheart and sapele.
No. Salt is dry and wood has held salt for centuries. Keep the cellar away from the sink, wipe the well dry if it gets wet, and re-oil the outside now and then.
Yes, with care. Clamp a scrap with a 2½" hole on top of the base as a guide, use a hand drill on low speed, and wrap tape on the bit at 1¼".
Planned offcuts only: the end trim, about 1⅞" (S4S) or 1⅝" (S2S) at the end of each board, and the 1" thick slice left from resawing each lid blank. The yield check counts the full lid blank. All 5 boards go into the cellars.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes 20 salt cellars: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan twice.
