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Whiskey and Beer Flight Boards[8/4 Wide · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 5 flight boards
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 Wide · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths / 6-8"
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.
Five thick tasting-flight boards for beer, whiskey or wine, one from each board in the pack. Each board holds four tasting glasses in drilled recesses and has a short handle with a hang hole. Make a set for your own bar, or wrap them up for groomsmen, a brewery-loving friend or a dad who likes his whiskey.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight board blanks | 5 | One per board | 18" × 5½" × 1¾" |
| Handle (shaped) | 5 | Last 3" of each blank | 3" long, narrows to 2½" wide |
| Glass recesses | 20 | 4 per board | 2¾" dia. × ⅜" deep |
No joinery: each 5½" board is one flight board, 18" long.
Glass recesses: four 2¾" Forstner holes ⅜" deep on the centreline, centres 2¼", 5¾", 9¼" and 12¾" from the square end.
Handle: last 3" narrows to 2½" wide, ⅞" hang hole 1" from the end. Round the edges, oil and wax.
Finished size: Each board 18" L × 5½" W × 1¾" (wider boards make wider boards). Holds four tasting glasses with bases up to about 2⅝".
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 Wide · 2ft (6–8" wide, S2S)
- Card for a handle template
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Food-safe finish: mineral oil or board oil
- Board wax (beeswax and mineral oil)
- 20 tasting glasses, about 5 oz (4 per board)
- Leather cord for hanging loops (optional)
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square)
- Drill press (recommended) with a fence and hold-down clamp
- 2¾" Forstner bit (match your glass base) and ⅞" bit
- Bandsaw or jigsaw
- Spindle sander, drum sander bit or sanding block
- Router with ¼" roundover bit (or sand by hand)
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
Why S2S only? The 6–8" wide 8/4 boards come S2S: both faces planed, edges rough. Plan on losing about ¼" per edge when you straighten them.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · 6–8" wide 8/4 S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (5½" clean at the narrowest), planned 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
S2S Lumber Pack (6–8" wide)
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).
- 2 Measure your glasses. Measure the base of the tasting glasses you will use. A typical 5 oz taster has a base about 2½" across, so a 2¾" recess gives a little play. Bigger glasses need a bigger bit — check the spacing still fits before you drill.
- 3 Cut the blanks. Square one end of each board, then crosscut it at 18". You now have five blanks, 5½" wide. Pick the best face of each for the top.
- 4 Mark the recesses. Draw a centreline down the length of each blank. Mark the recess centres at 2¼", 5¾", 9¼", 12¾" from the square end. The last recess ends at 14⅛", short of the handle at 15".
- 5 Drill the recesses. Chuck a 2¾" Forstner bit in the drill press and set the depth stop at ⅜". Clamp a fence so every hole lands on the centreline. Run the press slow (about 300–500 rpm) and clamp the blank down — a big Forstner bit grabs.
- 6 Mark the handle. Make a template from card for the last 3": the board curves in at the shoulders and narrows to 2½" wide at the end, centred, with rounded corners. Trace it onto every blank so the set matches.
- 7 Cut the handle. Saw the outline with a bandsaw or jigsaw, staying about 1/16" outside the line. Sand to the line with a spindle sander, a drum in the drill press, or a sanding block.
- 8 Drill the hang hole. Mark it 1" from the handle end, centred. Drill a ⅞" hole straight through with scrap underneath so the back doesn't blow out.
- 9 Round and sand. Round over the outside edges with a ¼" roundover bit, or sand them soft. Sand 120 → 180 → 220, including the recess walls (wrap sandpaper around a can).
- 10 Finish. Wipe on mineral oil or board oil, let it soak, and wipe off the excess. Repeat the next day, then buff on board wax so drips wipe straight off.
Why a drill press? A 2¾" Forstner bit is big and grabby. A drill press holds it square, stops every recess at the same depth, and keeps your hands clear. With a hand drill, use a drill guide and clamp the board down hard.
Why one board per flight? No glue joints means nothing to fail when beer spills on it. The wide boards are already a good width for a row of glasses.
Why recesses and not holes through? A ⅜" deep recess holds the glass steady and catches drips. A through-hole would let the glass drop and leave sharp end grain on the bottom.
Make It Yours
- Chalkboard labels: mask off a ¾" strip in front of each glass and brush on chalkboard paint so you can write the name of each pour.
- Engraved labels: wood-burn or laser-engrave 1–4 or the drink names under each recess.
- Mixed set: make each board from a different species for a gift set that looks great on the wall.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Clamp the blank to the drill-press table before drilling the recesses. Never hold it by hand with a big Forstner bit.
- Clamp the blank to the bench when jigsawing the handle and keep both hands clear of the blade line.
- Wear a dust mask when cutting and sanding, especially exotics (padauk, purpleheart, sapele).
Frequently Asked Questions
The 6–8" wide 8/4 pack comes S2S (faces planed, edges rough). Straighten the edges with a jointer, a table saw and a straight-line jig, a track saw, or a hand plane.
Yes, with a mineral oil or board oil finish. Walnut, maple, cherry, oak, sapele, padauk and purpleheart are all fine for serving. Skip aromatic cedar for anything that touches food. Wear a dust mask when cutting exotics like padauk, purpleheart and sapele — the dust irritates.
Measure the base and choose a Forstner bit about ⅛"–¼" larger. For bases over 3", drop to three glasses per board and space the centres 4½" apart.
Wipe spills right away and dry the board. Hand wash with warm soapy water if needed — never soak them or use the dishwasher. Re-oil when they look dry.
Planned offcuts: about 4¾" off the end of each board, plus the small waste beside each handle. Those end pieces make five matching coasters. All 5 boards go into the flight boards.
Yes. A 4ft wide pack makes ten flight boards: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan. Or make five 30" boards that hold six or seven glasses.
