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Slatted Hardwood Trivets[8/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 6 trivets
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.
Thick slatted trivets for hot pots, casseroles and teapots. Each one is five chunky hardwood slats threaded on two ¼" dowels, with small spacer blocks holding ½" gaps so air moves under the pot. Every board is ripped into three strips, so one pack makes six trivets — keep two and give the rest away.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slats | 30 | Boards 1–5: 3 strips × 2 slats | 8" × 1¾" × 1¼" | 8" × 1¾" × 1 1/16" |
| Spacer sticks → 48 spacers | 5 | Boards 1–5, end of one strip | 6½" × 1¾" × 1¼" | 6½" × 1¾" × 1 1/16" |
| Dowels (bought, ¼") | 12 | Four 36" hardwood dowels | 10¾" long | 10¾" long |
Slats: five 8" slats laid on their 1¾" face, ½" apart.
Dowels: two ¼" hardwood dowels through every slat, 1¼" in from the ends, glued in the two outside slats only.
Spacers: ½" slices cut from the leftover strip ends, threaded on the dowels between the slats.
Finished size: S4S 8" × 10¾" × 1¼" tall · S2S 8" × 10¾" × 1 1/16" tall. Six trivets, each with five slats.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- 4 × ¼" hardwood dowels, 36" long
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Finish: mineral oil, board oil or hardwax oil
- Optional: ¼" ID × ½" nylon spacers instead of making wood spacers
Tools
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide), push stick
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Drill press with a fence and stop block (or a drilling guide)
- ¼" brad-point bit
- Hand-screw clamp
- 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 Plan the cuts. Every board is ripped into three strips about 1¼" wide. Each strip gives two 8" slats, and one strip per board also gives a short spacer stick. Six trivets need 30 slats and 48 spacers.
- 2 Rip three strips. Set the fence at 1¼" and rip each board into three strips, 1¼" × 1¾". Use a push stick on every pass. Keep the strips from each board together so the colour matches.
- 3 Crosscut the slats. Square one end of each strip. Clamp a stop block at 8" and cut two slats from every strip — 30 slats. From one leftover piece per board, cut a 6½" spacer stick.
- 4 Drill the slats. Lay each slat on its 1¼" face against a drill-press fence with a stop block. Drill a ¼" hole straight through the 1¾" width, 1¼" from each end and centred on the height. The fence and stop put every hole in the same spot, so the dowels slide through.
- 5 Make the spacers. Crosscut ½" slices off the spacer sticks — 48 in all, plus a few spares. Use a set-off block, not a stop block, so the slice can't jam against the blade. Hold each slice in a hand-screw and drill a ¼" hole through the middle of its big face.
- 6 Sand before assembly. The sawn rip faces end up on top, so sand out the saw marks. Sand all slats 120 → 180 → 220 and ease every edge. Sand the spacers on a sheet of sandpaper on the bench.
- 7 Cut the dowels. Cut twelve ¼" dowels to 10¾". Lay out one trivet: five slats on their 1¾" faces, best side up, with a spacer between each pair on both dowel lines.
- 8 Assemble. Put a drop of glue in the holes of the two outside slats only. Thread the dowels through slat, spacer, slat, spacer to the far side. Squeeze the slats together on a flat bench and check the ends line up. Let the glue dry, then sand the dowel ends flush. Each trivet is 8" × 10¾" × 1¼" tall.
- 9 Finish. Wipe on mineral oil, board oil or hardwax oil, two coats. Skip varnish or poly — a hot pot can soften a film finish and leave a ring.
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 Plan the cuts. Every board is ripped into three strips about 1 1/16" wide. Each strip gives two 8" slats, and one strip per board also gives a short spacer stick. Six trivets need 30 slats and 48 spacers.
- 3 Rip three strips. Set the fence at 1 1/16" and rip each board into three strips, 1 1/16" × 1¾". Use a push stick on every pass. Keep the strips from each board together so the colour matches.
- 4 Crosscut the slats. Square one end of each strip. Clamp a stop block at 8" and cut two slats from every strip — 30 slats. From one leftover piece per board, cut a 6½" spacer stick.
- 5 Drill the slats. Lay each slat on its 1 1/16" face against a drill-press fence with a stop block. Drill a ¼" hole straight through the 1¾" width, 1¼" from each end and centred on the height. The fence and stop put every hole in the same spot, so the dowels slide through.
- 6 Make the spacers. Crosscut ½" slices off the spacer sticks — 48 in all, plus a few spares. Use a set-off block, not a stop block, so the slice can't jam against the blade. Hold each slice in a hand-screw and drill a ¼" hole through the middle of its big face.
- 7 Sand before assembly. The sawn rip faces end up on top, so sand out the saw marks. Sand all slats 120 → 180 → 220 and ease every edge. Sand the spacers on a sheet of sandpaper on the bench.
- 8 Cut the dowels. Cut twelve ¼" dowels to 10¾". Lay out one trivet: five slats on their 1¾" faces, best side up, with a spacer between each pair on both dowel lines.
- 9 Assemble. Put a drop of glue in the holes of the two outside slats only. Thread the dowels through slat, spacer, slat, spacer to the far side. Squeeze the slats together on a flat bench and check the ends line up. Let the glue dry, then sand the dowel ends flush. Each trivet is 8" × 10¾" × 1 1/16" tall.
- 10 Finish. Wipe on mineral oil, board oil or hardwax oil, two coats. Skip varnish or poly — a hot pot can soften a film finish and leave a ring.
Why lay the slats flat? On their wide face the slats are stable and won't roll. The trivet sits low, about 1¼", so a pot can't tip off it.
Why glue only the outside slats? The dowels lock the outside slats and everything between them is trapped. Less glue means less squeeze-out to clean out of the gaps.
Why a drilling fence? Five slats only line up if every hole is in exactly the same place. A fence and stop block on the drill press do that for all 60 holes.
Make It Yours
- Two-tone: alternate walnut and maple slats from two packs.
- Round dowel ends: leave the dowels ⅛" proud and dome them with sandpaper for a peg look.
- Hang it: drill a ¾" hole in one end slat so the trivet hangs on a hook by the stove.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Rip the narrow strips with a push stick and a splitter or riving knife in place. Never reach over the blade.
- Cut the ½" spacer slices with a set-off block and let the blade stop before you pick up the slice. Hold small parts in a hand-screw at the drill press.
- Trivets handle hot pots and oven dishes. Don't set a pan straight from a stovetop burner or a 500°F oven on any wood trivet — let it sit a minute first.
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.
Pots and casseroles from the stove or oven are fine. Hardwood doesn't scorch at those temperatures in normal use. Don't use it under a pan that has been on high heat for a long time, like a cast-iron skillet straight off the burner.
Yes. Buy ¼" ID × ½" long nylon spacers, or stack washers on the dowels. Wood spacers just match the trivet.
Any species in the pack. Maple and white oak are hard and pale, so pot marks hide well. Walnut looks great on a dark counter.
Planned offcuts only: the end trim and a sliver at the end of the strips that give a spacer stick, and about 7" (S4S) or 6⅞" (S2S) at the end of the other ten strips. Those make coasters or extra slats. All 5 boards go into the trivets.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes 12 trivets: cut four slats from each strip, make the spacers from the leftovers, and buy eight dowels.
