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Countertop Paper Towel Holder[8/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 4 paper towel holders
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths / 4-6"
How it goes together
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 heavy hardwood paper-towel holder that stays put when you tear off a sheet with one hand. A thick round base holds a rounded post in a mortise, and a domed knob finishes the top. The roll drops straight over the knob, so changing it takes two seconds. One pack makes four — one for your counter, one for the shop and two to give away.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base halves | 8 | Boards 1–2 (three each), board 3 (two) | 7" × 4" × 1¾" | 7" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Post blanks → 1¼" square posts | 4 | Boards 4–5, ripped in half | 14" × 1 15/16" × 1¾" | 14" × 1 11/16" × 1¾" |
| Knob blanks → 1½" knobs | 4 | Boards 4–5, end of each strip | 1½" × 1 15/16" × 1¾" | 1½" × 1 11/16" × 1¾" |
Base: two 7" pieces edge-glued, long grain to long grain, cut to a 7" disc.
Post to base: 1¼" square post with ⅜" roundovers, set in a ½" deep mortise, glued, plus one #10 × 3" screw from below in a counterbore.
Knob: 1½" domed knob on a glued ⅜" × 1½" dowel — never glue end grain to end grain on its own.
Finished size: 7" round × 16¾" tall overall (S4S and S2S). Post stands 13½" above the base — room for a standard 11" roll.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- 4 × #10 × 3" flat-head wood screws
- 4 × ⅜" × 1½" fluted dowel pins
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- Felt pads and 16 small non-slip 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
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide), push stick and splitter
- Bandsaw or jigsaw (round bases)
- Router or router table with a ⅜" roundover bit
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits, 1" and ⅝" Forstner bits, ⅜" brad-point bit
- ¾" chisel and mallet
- 4 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. 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 Cut the base pieces. Square one end of boards 1–3. With a stop block at 7", cut three pieces each from boards 1 and 2 and two from board 3 — eight in all. Pair them up by colour.
- 2 Glue up four bases. Edge-glue the pieces in pairs, long grain to long grain, into blanks 7" × 8". Clamp, scrape off the squeeze-out once it turns rubbery, and leave overnight.
- 3 Rip the post strips. Rip boards 4 and 5 down the middle with a push stick and splitter — four strips about 1 15/16" × 1¾". Crosscut a 14" post blank from each strip and keep the long offcut for the knob.
- 4 Size the posts. Rip each post blank to 1¼" square: one pass off the width, then turn it and take one pass off the thickness. A paper-towel core is about 1⅝" inside, so 1¼" leaves room. Rout a ⅜" roundover on all four long edges so the post looks like a fat dowel.
- 5 Shape the knobs. Rip each offcut to 1½" square. Shape a dome on one end with a sander or rasp, rounding it to no more than 1½" across, then cut it off 1½" long. Shaping the end of a long piece keeps your fingers clear. Test that a roll slides over a knob.
- 6 Round the bases. Draw a 7" circle centred on each glue seam and cut it on the bandsaw or with a jigsaw. Sand to the line. Or keep them square and round the corners with a 1" radius. Ease the top edge.
- 7 Cut the mortises. Trace the end of a post in the centre of each base. Drill out the waste ½" deep with a 1" Forstner bit and pare the walls square with a chisel to a snug fit. Drill a ⅜" hole ¾" deep in the top of each post and the bottom of each knob.
- 8 Assemble. Glue a ⅜" × 1½" dowel into each knob and post. Glue the post into the mortise. From below, drill a ⅝" counterbore ½" deep and a pilot hole up into the post, then drive a #10 × 3" screw. Check the post is square while the glue sets.
- 9 Finish. Sand everything to 220. Wipe on 2–3 coats of oil or water-based poly. Stick a felt pad over the screw and four non-slip pads under the base.
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 Cut the base pieces. Square one end of boards 1–3. With a stop block at 7", cut three pieces each from boards 1 and 2 and two from board 3 — eight in all. Pair them up by colour.
- 3 Glue up four bases. Edge-glue the pieces in pairs, long grain to long grain, into blanks 7" × 7". Clamp, scrape off the squeeze-out once it turns rubbery, and leave overnight.
- 4 Rip the post strips. Rip boards 4 and 5 down the middle with a push stick and splitter — four strips about 1 11/16" × 1¾". Crosscut a 14" post blank from each strip and keep the long offcut for the knob.
- 5 Size the posts. Rip each post blank to 1¼" square: one pass off the width, then turn it and take one pass off the thickness. A paper-towel core is about 1⅝" inside, so 1¼" leaves room. Rout a ⅜" roundover on all four long edges so the post looks like a fat dowel.
- 6 Shape the knobs. Rip each offcut to 1½" square. Shape a dome on one end with a sander or rasp, rounding it to no more than 1½" across, then cut it off 1½" long. Shaping the end of a long piece keeps your fingers clear. Test that a roll slides over a knob.
- 7 Round the bases. Draw a 7" circle centred on each glue seam and cut it on the bandsaw or with a jigsaw. Sand to the line. Or keep them square and round the corners with a 1" radius. Ease the top edge.
- 8 Cut the mortises. Trace the end of a post in the centre of each base. Drill out the waste ½" deep with a 1" Forstner bit and pare the walls square with a chisel to a snug fit. Drill a ⅜" hole ¾" deep in the top of each post and the bottom of each knob.
- 9 Assemble. Glue a ⅜" × 1½" dowel into each knob and post. Glue the post into the mortise. From below, drill a ⅝" counterbore ½" deep and a pilot hole up into the post, then drive a #10 × 3" screw. Check the post is square while the glue sets.
- 10 Finish. Sand everything to 220. Wipe on 2–3 coats of oil or water-based poly. Stick a felt pad over the screw and four non-slip pads under the base.
Why such a thick base? A full 1¾" of hardwood weighs enough that the holder doesn't tip or slide when you pull a sheet. Most store-bought holders are light and walk across the counter.
Why a 1¼" post? Paper-towel cores are about 1⅝" inside. A 1¼" post with rounded edges lets the roll spin freely and drop on and off without catching.
Why a mortise? A post screwed on from below can work loose. Set ½" into the base, it is held on all four sides; the glue and screw keep it there.
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
- Contrast knob: walnut knobs on maple holders, or the other way round.
- Square base: skip the circle and round the corners for a modern look.
- Shop version: skip the finish and add a magnet in the base for a holder that sticks to a steel bench.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Rip the post blanks with a push stick and splitter. Shape the knobs on the end of the long offcut, never on a loose 1½" block.
- Rout the post roundovers on a router table with a fence and push blocks.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
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. The post stands 13½" above the base, and standard and large rolls are 11" tall. The base is 7" across, which suits rolls up to about 6½" wide.
Keep the knob no more than 1½" across and it drops through a standard core. Test a roll before you glue the knob on.
Yes. Plane or sand a chamfer on each corner of the post instead of the roundover. It still looks good and the roll still slides on.
Planned offcuts only: about 2" off boards 1–2, about 9" off board 3, and about 7½" off each post strip after the post and knob. The thin rippings from sizing the posts make good stir sticks. All 5 boards go into the holders.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes eight holders: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan twice.
