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Desk Pen and Phone Block[8/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 5 desk sets
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 tidy desk set cut from solid 8/4 hardwood. The long block holds eight pens and stands your phone up in an angled slot at the front. The short tray block has two round pockets for paper clips and business cards. Every board makes one set, so one pack gives you five — one for your desk and four for gifts.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pen-and-phone blocks | 5 | Boards 1–5, one each | 10" × 4" × 1¾" | 10" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Tray blocks | 5 | Boards 1–5, one each | 8" × 4" × 1¾" | 8" × 3½" × 1¾" |
No joints: each block is one solid piece of 8/4. No glue or screws.
Pen block: 8 × ⅝" Forstner holes 1¼" deep in two rows; phone slot ½" wide × ¾" deep across the block, 1" from the front, leaning back 15°.
Tray block: two Forstner pockets ½" deep, 2" (S4S) or 1¾" (S2S) across, centred 2" from each end.
Finished size: S4S pen block 10" × 4" × 1¾", tray 8" × 4" × 1¾" · S2S 10" × 3½" and 8" × 3½", same thickness. The slot takes a phone up to about ⅜" thick in its case.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- Self-adhesive felt or cork sheet
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: wipe-on oil or hardwax oil
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a 15° bevel and a depth stop (or a table saw with a mitre gauge)
- Drill press with a fence and depth stop (recommended)
- Forstner bits: ⅝" and 2" (S4S) or 1¾" (S2S)
- ½" or ¾" chisel
- 2 bar clamps, 6" 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 Crosscut the blocks. Square one end of each board. Cut a 10" pen-and-phone block and an 8" tray block from every board — five of each, all 4" wide and 1¾" thick.
- 2 Mark the pen holes. Pick the best face of each 10" block for the top and mark one end as the front. Draw two lines along the top, 1" in from each side. Mark four holes on each line at 1¼", 2¾", 4¼", 5¾" from the back end — eight holes.
- 3 Drill the pen holes. On the drill press, set a fence and a depth stop and drill each hole with a ⅝" Forstner bit, 1¼" deep. That leaves ½" of wood under every hole. Clear the chips often so the bit doesn't burn.
- 4 Mark the phone slot. Square a line across the top 1" from the front end, and a second line ½" behind it. The slot runs right across the block and leans back 15° so the phone tips away from you.
- 5 Cut the slot. Tilt the saw blade 15° so the cut leans toward the back of the block. Use a mitre saw with a depth stop, or a table saw with the mitre gauge and the blade raised ¾". Make the two outside cuts first, then nibble out the waste between them in a few passes.
- 6 Test the fit. Clean the slot bottom flat with a chisel. Slide your phone in, case and all. If it is tight, take one more thin pass off the back wall of the slot.
- 7 Drill the tray pockets. On each 8" block, mark two centres on the middle of the width, 2" in from each end. Drill a 2" Forstner pocket ½" deep at each mark for paper clips, pins and business cards.
- 8 Sand. Break every edge with a ⅛" roundover or sandpaper. Sand 120 → 180 → 220. Wrap sandpaper round a dowel to smooth the hole and pocket rims.
- 9 Finish and pad. Wipe on oil or hardwax oil, two coats, with a thin coat inside the holes. Let it cure, then stick felt or cork under each block so it won't scratch the desk.
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 Crosscut the blocks. Square one end of each board. Cut a 10" pen-and-phone block and an 8" tray block from every board — five of each, all 3½" wide and 1¾" thick.
- 3 Mark the pen holes. Pick the best face of each 10" block for the top and mark one end as the front. Draw two lines along the top, ⅞" in from each side. Mark four holes on each line at 1¼", 2¾", 4¼", 5¾" from the back end — eight holes.
- 4 Drill the pen holes. On the drill press, set a fence and a depth stop and drill each hole with a ⅝" Forstner bit, 1¼" deep. That leaves ½" of wood under every hole. Clear the chips often so the bit doesn't burn.
- 5 Mark the phone slot. Square a line across the top 1" from the front end, and a second line ½" behind it. The slot runs right across the block and leans back 15° so the phone tips away from you.
- 6 Cut the slot. Tilt the saw blade 15° so the cut leans toward the back of the block. Use a mitre saw with a depth stop, or a table saw with the mitre gauge and the blade raised ¾". Make the two outside cuts first, then nibble out the waste between them in a few passes.
- 7 Test the fit. Clean the slot bottom flat with a chisel. Slide your phone in, case and all. If it is tight, take one more thin pass off the back wall of the slot.
- 8 Drill the tray pockets. On each 8" block, mark two centres on the middle of the width, 2" in from each end. Drill a 1¾" Forstner pocket ½" deep at each mark for paper clips, pins and business cards.
- 9 Sand. Break every edge with a ⅛" roundover or sandpaper. Sand 120 → 180 → 220. Wrap sandpaper round a dowel to smooth the hole and pocket rims.
- 10 Finish and pad. Wipe on oil or hardwax oil, two coats, with a thin coat inside the holes. Let it cure, then stick felt or cork under each block so it won't scratch the desk.
Why only 1¼" deep? The blocks are 1¾" thick. A 1¼" hole leaves ½" of solid wood underneath, so the bit can't break through, and it is plenty to keep a pen standing.
Why lean the slot back? A phone standing straight up tips forward when you tap it. Leaning back 15°, it rests against the back wall of the slot and you can read it from your chair.
Why a drill press? Eight holes that line up and stop at the same depth look sharp. A drill press with a fence and a depth stop does that every time. With a hand drill, use a depth collar and a square block as a guide.
Make It Yours
- Card groove: skip the tray pockets and rout a 1¼" wide × ½" deep groove down the tray for business cards or sticky notes.
- Tablet slot: cut the slot ⅝" wide to fit a small tablet in a slim case.
- Name gift: burn or engrave a name on the front end of the pen block.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Clamp each block to the drill-press table or fence — large Forstner bits grab. Cut the slot with the block clamped to the saw fence and your hands well away from the blade.
- 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.
The ½" slot takes most phones in a slim case. Measure yours with its case on. For a chunky case, make the slot ⅝" wide with one more pass.
Yes. Clamp a 15° bevelled scrap to the block as a guide, saw both walls with a fine handsaw to ¾" deep, and chop out the waste with a chisel.
Yes. Add a third row between the others with the holes staggered, but keep at least ⅜" of wood between holes.
Planned offcuts only: the end trim and about 5" (S4S) or 4¾" (S2S) at the end of each board. Test your slot and hole settings on one of them first. All 5 boards go into the desk sets.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes 10 desk sets: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan twice.
