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Hexagon Wall Shelves[4/4 · 4ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 5 hexagon shelves
Shop Black Walnut 4/4 · 4ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 4' Lengths
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak (QS)
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
Five hexagon shelves that hang together as a honeycomb, about 14" point to point. Each board makes one shelf from six 7" sides, mitred at 30° and reinforced with splines across every corner. Hang them in a tight cluster or spread them up a stairway wall, and fill them with small plants, candles and photos.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hexagon sides, 30° mitre both ends | 30 | Boards 1–5, six each | 7" long point × 4" × ¾" | 7" long point × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Hanging strip | 5 | Board offcuts | 4" × 1" × ¾" | 4" × 1" × ⅞" |
| Splines | 60 | Board offcuts, ripped thin | ⅛" thick slips | ⅛" thick slips |
Corners: 30° bevel on each end of every side (120° corners), glued, with two ⅛" splines across each corner (or 2 brads).
Hanging: a 1" × 4" strip glued on edge under the top side at the back, two screws through its face into a stud or rated anchors.
Finished size: S4S 14" point to point × 12⅛" flat to flat × 4" deep, ¾" walls; inside 10⅝" tall · S2S same outside size, 3½" deep, ⅞" walls; inside 10⅜" tall.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 4/4 · 4ft (S4S or S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- Clear packing tape
- 10 × #8 × 2½" screws, plus rated wall anchors where there is no stud
- 1¼" brads (only if you skip the splines)
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly
Tools
- Mitre saw or table saw that bevels to 30°, with a stop block
- Table saw and a scrap V-cradle for the spline slots
- Band clamp
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits
- Flush-cut saw
- Level and stud finder
- 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 One board, one shelf. Each board makes one hexagon from six matching sides. Keep the six pieces from each board together so the grain and colour flow around the shape.
- 2 Set the saw to 30°. Tilt the mitre saw or table saw blade to a 30° bevel, so the cut runs across the board's thickness. Cut six short scrap pieces and tape them into a ring. If the last joint gaps, nudge the bevel a hair and try again. Small errors add up twelve times.
- 3 Cut the sides. Bevel one end of a board. Flip the board end for end, measure 7" along the long face (the long point) and cut. Clamp a stop block at that length and cut all six sides. The short face of each side measures about 6⅛".
- 4 Glue up the hexagon. Lay the six sides in a row, long faces down and tips touching, with packing tape across every joint. Brush glue into each mitre, wait a minute and add a second coat — mitres are end grain and soak up the first. Roll the row into a ring, tape the last joint and pull it tight with a band clamp. Leave overnight.
- 5 Cut the spline slots. Make a cradle for the table saw: two scraps screwed into a V with each side at 30° from flat, so a corner points straight down. Set the blade to cut ½" into the corner. Cut two slots across every corner, about 1 5/16" in from the front and back edges.
- 6 Glue in the splines. Rip ⅛" slips from the leftover end of the board, with the grain running across the joint. Glue one into each slot. When dry, trim them with a flush-cut saw and sand flush. No table saw? Drive two 1¼" brads across each corner instead.
- 7 Add the hanging strip. Rip a 1" × 4" strip from the offcut. Stand it on edge under the top side, centred and flush with the back, so its face will sit flat on the wall. Glue the edge on — the grain runs the same way as the top side, so the glue holds. Drill two countersunk holes through its face for the wall screws.
- 8 Sand and finish. Sand 120 → 180 → 220 and ease every edge. Apply wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly, 2–3 coats.
- 9 Hang it. Hold the shelf level on the wall and mark the two holes. Drive #8 × 2½" screws through the strip into a stud, or into rated anchors (25 lb each or more) where there is no stud. Keep each shelf to about 5 lb: small plants, candles and photos.
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 One board, one shelf. Each board makes one hexagon from six matching sides. Keep the six pieces from each board together so the grain and colour flow around the shape.
- 3 Set the saw to 30°. Tilt the mitre saw or table saw blade to a 30° bevel, so the cut runs across the board's thickness. Cut six short scrap pieces and tape them into a ring. If the last joint gaps, nudge the bevel a hair and try again. Small errors add up twelve times.
- 4 Cut the sides. Bevel one end of a board. Flip the board end for end, measure 7" along the long face (the long point) and cut. Clamp a stop block at that length and cut all six sides. The short face of each side measures about 6".
- 5 Glue up the hexagon. Lay the six sides in a row, long faces down and tips touching, with packing tape across every joint. Brush glue into each mitre, wait a minute and add a second coat — mitres are end grain and soak up the first. Roll the row into a ring, tape the last joint and pull it tight with a band clamp. Leave overnight.
- 6 Cut the spline slots. Make a cradle for the table saw: two scraps screwed into a V with each side at 30° from flat, so a corner points straight down. Set the blade to cut ½" into the corner. Cut two slots across every corner, about 1 3/16" in from the front and back edges.
- 7 Glue in the splines. Rip ⅛" slips from the leftover end of the board, with the grain running across the joint. Glue one into each slot. When dry, trim them with a flush-cut saw and sand flush. No table saw? Drive two 1¼" brads across each corner instead.
- 8 Add the hanging strip. Rip a 1" × 4" strip from the offcut. Stand it on edge under the top side, centred and flush with the back, so its face will sit flat on the wall. Glue the edge on — the grain runs the same way as the top side, so the glue holds. Drill two countersunk holes through its face for the wall screws.
- 9 Sand and finish. Sand 120 → 180 → 220 and ease every edge. Apply wipe-on oil, hardwax oil or water-based poly, 2–3 coats.
- 10 Hang it. Hold the shelf level on the wall and mark the two holes. Drive #8 × 2½" screws through the strip into a stud, or into rated anchors (25 lb each or more) where there is no stud. Keep each shelf to about 5 lb: small plants, candles and photos.
Why 30°? A hexagon has six corners of 120°. Each corner is two mitres, so each end gets half of 60° off square — 30°. Twelve cuts have to close to exactly 360°, so test on scrap first.
Why splines? A mitre glues end grain to end grain, which is weak on its own. The splines cross the joint with long grain and carry the load the glue can't.
Why a hanging strip? The sides stand out from the wall, so there is no back to screw through. The strip runs the same way as the top side, so it glues on solidly and gives the screws something to hold.
Make It Yours
- Contrast splines: walnut splines in a maple shelf, or maple in walnut.
- Back panel: glue a ¼" plywood back into a rabbet for a shadow-box look.
- Mixed set: five species from a mixed pack hung as one honeycomb.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Keep hands well clear of the blade when cutting the spline slots. The cradle holds the shelf; push it with both hands on the shelf, never near the corner being cut.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
- Mount into wall studs (or rated anchors sized for the load). Check for wires and pipes before drilling.
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 bevel is a little off 30°, or the sides aren't all the same length. Any error repeats twelve times. Re-cut on scrap, adjust, and use a stop block for every side.
About 5 lb on the bottom side when screwed into a stud or good anchors. That is a small potted plant, a candle or a few photos — not books.
Not from this pack. Six 7" sides use almost the full 47" board. For a smaller cluster, cut 6" sides and you get a little more offcut.
Planned offcut: about 4½" off the end of each board. Use it for the hanging strip and the splines. All 5 boards go into the shelves.
No. A 2ft board only fits three 7" sides. A 2ft pack makes smaller hexagons: cut 3½" sides, six per board, for a set of five mini shelves.
