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Slim Cheese Boards[4/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 5 cheese boards
Shop Black Walnut 4/4 · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths
How it goes together
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers. Food-safe species shown.
Five slim serving boards with a shaped handle and a hang hole. Each board in the pack becomes one cheese board, so there are no glue-ups and nothing to fail in the sink. Use them for cheese, bread and fruit, hang them on the kitchen wall, or tie them up as a gift set.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Board blanks | 5 | One per board | 18" × 4" × ¾" | 18" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Finished board | 5 | Blank + handle | 14" serving area, 4" handle → 1½" wide | 14" serving area, 4" handle → 1½" wide |
No joinery: each board in the pack is one cheese board, 18" long.
Shape: 14" serving area + 4" handle narrowing to 1½", ⅝" hang hole 1" from the end, far corners rounded ¾".
Finish: ⅛" roundover, sand to 220, raise the grain, mineral oil and board wax.
Finished size: S4S 18" L × 4" W × ¾" · S2S 18" × 3½" × ⅞". Wider boards make wider cheese boards.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 4/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- Card or ¼" plywood for a template
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Food-safe finish: mineral oil or board oil
- Board wax (beeswax and mineral oil)
- Leather cord or twine for hanging loops (optional)
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square)
- Bandsaw or jigsaw
- Drill with ⅝" Forstner or brad-point bit
- Router with ⅛" roundover bit (or sand by hand)
- Spindle sander, drum sander bit or sanding block
- 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 Cut the blanks. Square one end of each board and crosscut it at 18". Save the 5⅛" offcut from each one for coasters or a cheese spreader.
- 2 Make a template. Draw one board on card or ¼" plywood, 18" × 4". The last 4" narrows to a 1½" handle, centred. Curve the shoulders where the board meets the handle and round the handle end. Round the two far corners with a ¾" radius (trace a coin or a small lid).
- 3 Trace and cut. Trace the template onto each blank so the set matches. Cut the outline with a bandsaw or jigsaw, staying about 1/16" outside the line. Clamp the blank when using a jigsaw.
- 4 Fair the curves. Sand to the line with a spindle sander, a sanding drum or a sanding block. Run your hand along the shoulders. They should flow with no bumps or flat spots.
- 5 Drill the hang hole. Mark the hole 1" from the handle end, centred. Drill a ⅝" hole straight through with scrap clamped underneath so the back doesn't blow out.
- 6 Round the edges. Round over all edges with a ⅛" roundover bit, or sand them soft by hand. At ¾" thick these are slim boards, so keep the roundover small on the faces and a little bigger on the handle.
- 7 Sand. Sand 120 → 180 → 220. Wipe with a damp cloth to raise the grain, let it dry, and sand again at 220. This keeps the surface smooth after the first wash.
- 8 Oil and wax. Flood every face and edge with mineral oil or board oil, let it soak in for 20 minutes, and wipe off the excess. Repeat the next day. Buff on a coat of board wax.
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 Cut the blanks. Square one end of each board and crosscut it at 18". Save the 4⅞" offcut from each one for coasters or a cheese spreader.
- 3 Make a template. Draw one board on card or ¼" plywood, 18" × 3½". The last 4" narrows to a 1½" handle, centred. Curve the shoulders where the board meets the handle and round the handle end. Round the two far corners with a ¾" radius (trace a coin or a small lid).
- 4 Trace and cut. Trace the template onto each blank so the set matches. Cut the outline with a bandsaw or jigsaw, staying about 1/16" outside the line. Clamp the blank when using a jigsaw.
- 5 Fair the curves. Sand to the line with a spindle sander, a sanding drum or a sanding block. Run your hand along the shoulders. They should flow with no bumps or flat spots.
- 6 Drill the hang hole. Mark the hole 1" from the handle end, centred. Drill a ⅝" hole straight through with scrap clamped underneath so the back doesn't blow out.
- 7 Round the edges. Round over all edges with a ⅛" roundover bit, or sand them soft by hand. At ⅞" thick these are slim boards, so keep the roundover small on the faces and a little bigger on the handle.
- 8 Sand. Sand 120 → 180 → 220. Wipe with a damp cloth to raise the grain, let it dry, and sand again at 220. This keeps the surface smooth after the first wash.
- 9 Oil and wax. Flood every face and edge with mineral oil or board oil, let it soak in for 20 minutes, and wipe off the excess. Repeat the next day. Buff on a coat of board wax.
Why one board per cheese board? No glue joints means nothing to open up after years of washing. All the work goes into the shape and the finish.
Why raise the grain? The first time a new board gets wet, loose wood fibres stand up and it feels fuzzy. Wetting it and sanding once more before oiling means it stays smooth.
Why a template? Five boards that match look like a set. One good template gives every handle the same shape.
Make It Yours
- Mixed set: make each board from a different species for a tasting-board gift set.
- Cheese spreader: shape one of the 5" offcuts into a small spreader knife, or cut it square for a coaster.
- 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.
- Clamp the board when drilling the hang hole. A large bit can grab and spin the work.
- 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.
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.
Light slicing of cheese and bread is fine. They are slim boards, so use a proper cutting board for heavy chopping. Sand out knife marks once a year and re-oil.
Hand wash with warm soapy water, dry them standing on edge, and never soak them or put them in the dishwasher. Oil whenever they look dry.
Planned offcuts: about 1" squaring each board and about 5" left at the end of each one, plus the small waste beside each handle. The 5" pieces make coasters or cheese spreaders. All 5 boards go into the cheese boards.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes ten cheese boards: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan. Or make five long 40" grazing planks with the same handle.
