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Tealight Candle Logs[8/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 5 sets of 3
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.
Chunky hardwood blocks that hold two tealights each. Line three down a table, group them on a mantel, or give them away as a set. Every board makes one set of three, so one pack gives you five sets — the easiest gift build in the shop. Just crosscuts, a drill press and a good sanding.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candle blocks | 15 | Boards 1–5, three each | 7" × 4" × 1¾" | 7" × 3½" × 1¾" |
No joinery: each block is one solid piece of 8/4.
Holes: two 1⅝" Forstner holes ⅝" deep per block, 3½" apart, centred on the wide face.
Candles: standard tealights in metal cups, or LED tealights.
Finished size: S4S 7" L × 4" W × 1¾" H · S2S 7" × 3½" × 1¾". Two tealights per block, six per set.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- Tealights in metal cups, or LED tealights
- Felt or cork 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
- Drill press (or hand drill with a guide block)
- 1⅝" Forstner bit
- Hand-screw or clamps to hold the blocks
- Router with ⅛" roundover bit (optional)
- 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 One board, one set. Each board makes a matching set of three blocks. Keep each board's blocks together.
- 2 Crosscut. Square one end. Clamp a stop block at 7" and cut three blocks from every board — 15 in all. You need 21¼" per board.
- 3 Mark the holes. On the best 4" wide face of each block, draw a centre line down the length. Mark two hole centres on it, 1¾" in from each end — 3½" apart.
- 4 Set up the drill. Chuck a 1⅝" Forstner bit in a drill press and set the depth stop to ⅝". Test on a scrap and drop in a tealight: the metal cup should sit just below the surface.
- 5 Drill the holes. Clamp each block to the table or in a hand-screw. Drill slowly and lift often to clear chips. Two holes per block, 30 holes in all. No drill press? Use a hand drill with a Forstner guide block clamped on top.
- 6 Shape the logs. Ease every edge with sandpaper, or rout a ⅛" roundover. For a rustic look, knock off the long edges with a ½" chamfer or rasp them uneven.
- 7 Sand. Sand 120 → 180 → 220. Clean every bit of dust and loose fibre out of the holes with a brush and vacuum.
- 8 Finish. Wipe on oil or hardwax oil, two thin coats. Let it cure fully (check the can — often a week) before you light a candle. Don't finish inside the holes.
- 9 Add pads. Stick felt or cork pads under each block so they don't scratch the table.
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 One board, one set. Each board makes a matching set of three blocks. Keep each board's blocks together.
- 3 Crosscut. Square one end. Clamp a stop block at 7" and cut three blocks from every board — 15 in all. You need 21¼" per board.
- 4 Mark the holes. On the best 3½" wide face of each block, draw a centre line down the length. Mark two hole centres on it, 1¾" in from each end — 3½" apart.
- 5 Set up the drill. Chuck a 1⅝" Forstner bit in a drill press and set the depth stop to ⅝". Test on a scrap and drop in a tealight: the metal cup should sit just below the surface.
- 6 Drill the holes. Clamp each block to the table or in a hand-screw. Drill slowly and lift often to clear chips. Two holes per block, 30 holes in all. No drill press? Use a hand drill with a Forstner guide block clamped on top.
- 7 Shape the logs. Ease every edge with sandpaper, or rout a ⅛" roundover. For a rustic look, knock off the long edges with a ½" chamfer or rasp them uneven.
- 8 Sand. Sand 120 → 180 → 220. Clean every bit of dust and loose fibre out of the holes with a brush and vacuum.
- 9 Finish. Wipe on oil or hardwax oil, two thin coats. Let it cure fully (check the can — often a week) before you light a candle. Don't finish inside the holes.
- 10 Add pads. Stick felt or cork pads under each block so they don't scratch the table.
Why a 1⅝" hole? A standard tealight cup is about 1½" across. A 1⅝" hole lets the cup drop in and lift out easily without a loose wobble.
Why only ⅝" deep? The cup sits just below the surface, so the flame stays above the wood and you can still lift the candle out by its rim.
Why let the finish cure? Oil finishes give off fumes and stay flammable until they cure. Wait the full cure time on the can before you light the first candle.
Make It Yours
- Live-edge look: leave one long edge rough-sawn or rasp it uneven for a split-log feel.
- Mixed set: trade blocks between boards for a walnut, maple and cherry trio.
- Brass inserts: fit metal tealight cup inserts in the holes for an extra layer between flame and wood.
Safety and Care
- Fire safety: use tealights in their metal cups only, or LED tealights. Never put a bare candle or wax straight into the wood.
- Never leave a lit candle unattended. Keep the blocks away from curtains, shelves above, and anything that can catch fire.
- Keep the holes clean of wax, dust and wood fibre. If the wood around a hole darkens, stop using that hole.
- Only light candles once the oil finish has fully cured. Dispose of oily rags flat to dry outdoors — they can self-ignite.
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Clamp every block before you drill — a Forstner bit can grab and spin a loose block.
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, with tealights in their metal cups. The cup holds the wax and the flame stays above the wood. Never burn a candle down past its cup, never leave it unattended, and use LED tealights if kids or pets are around.
Yes. Clamp a scrap block with a 1⅝" hole on top of the candle block as a guide and use a hand drill. Wrap tape on the bit to mark the depth.
Any species in the pack. Walnut and cherry look warm by candlelight; maple and ash show off the flame's glow.
Planned offcuts only: the end trim and about 2" (S4S) or 1¾" (S2S) at the end of each board — just right for a test hole. All 5 boards go into the candle blocks.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes 10 sets of 3: cut six blocks from each board instead of three.
