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Pedestal Cake Stand[8/4 Wide · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 2 cake stands + a spare 11" blank
Shop Black Walnut 8/4 Wide · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths / 6-8"
How it goes together
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers. Food-safe species shown.
A solid hardwood cake stand with an 11" round top on a chunky octagon pedestal. One pack of 6–8" wide 8/4 lumber makes two stands, with a spare 11" square blank left for a matching serving board. The top unscrews from the pedestal, so it goes to the sink on its own.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top pieces | 4 | Boards 1–2, two each | 11" × 5½" × 1¾" |
| Base pieces | 4 | Boards 3–4, two each | 7" × 5½" × 1¾" |
| Pedestal pieces | 4 | Boards 3–4, two each | 4" × 5½" × 1¾" |
| Spare top pieces | 2 | Board 5 | 11" × 5½" × 1¾" |
| Threaded rod, ⅜"-16 | 2 | Hardware | 5¾" long |
Top and base: two pieces edge-glued, then cut round (11" top, 7" base).
Pedestal: two 4" pieces face-glued, ripped to 3½" square, corners chamfered. Grain runs up.
Pedestal to base: ⅜"-16 threaded rod, nut and washer in a counterbore at each end, plus two #10 × 2½" anti-turn screws. No glue — end grain to face grain.
Top: ⅜"-16 threaded insert in the underside; screws onto the rod and lifts off for cleaning.
Finished size: Top 11" diameter, base 7" diameter, pedestal 3½" square, about 7½" tall with 1¾" parts.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 Wide · 2ft (6–8" wide, S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- 1 length of ⅜"-16 threaded rod (12" makes both stands)
- 2 × ⅜"-16 threaded inserts for hardwood (3 if you make the spare top)
- 4 × ⅜" nuts and 4 × ⅜" flat washers
- 4 × #10 × 2½" flat-head screws
- Felt pads for the bases
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Food-safe finish: mineral oil or board oil
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square)
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide)
- Band saw or jigsaw (or a router with a circle jig)
- Drill press (or a drill with a guide block)
- 1" Forstner bit, ⅜" brad-point bit
- Router with ¼" roundover and chamfer bits (or a hand plane)
- 4 bar clamps, 12" or longer
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits
- 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 Crosscut the parts. Square one end of each board. Cut boards 1, 2 and 5 into two 11" pieces each. Cut boards 3 and 4 into two 7" pieces and two 4" pieces each.
- 3 Glue up the blanks. Edge-glue the 11" pieces in pairs into three 11" × 11" top blanks, and the 7" pieces into two 7" × 11" base blanks. Face-glue the 4" pieces in pairs into two pedestal blocks 3½" thick. Every joint is long grain to long grain. Leave overnight.
- 4 Flatten. Scrape off the glue and sand or plane the seams flat. Check the tops with a straightedge — a cake shows every rock.
- 5 Square the pedestals. Rip each pedestal block to 3½" wide so it is 3½" × 3½" in section and 4" tall. Check both ends are square to the sides. Rout or plane a ½" chamfer on the four long corners for an octagon look.
- 6 Cut the circles. Find the centre of each blank with corner-to-corner lines. Draw a 11" circle on the tops and a 7" circle on the bases with a trammel or compass. Saw just outside the line with a band saw or jigsaw, then sand to the line. A router on a circle jig gives the cleanest edge.
- 7 Drill the base and pedestal. In the underside of each base, bore a 1" counterbore ½" deep at the centre, then drill a ⅜" hole through. Drill a ⅜" hole down the centre of each pedestal, end to end — a drill press keeps it straight. On the top end of the pedestal, bore a 1" counterbore ½" deep.
- 8 Fit the threaded insert. Drill the hole size listed on the insert pack in the centre of each top's underside, no deeper than the insert. Drive the ⅜"-16 insert in with a bolt and jam nut so it goes in straight, flush or just below the surface.
- 9 Bolt the pedestal to the base. Cut the threaded rod to 5¾". Push it up through the base and pedestal. Add a washer and nut in each counterbore and tighten so the pedestal pulls down hard on the base. About ½" of rod should stick out the top. Drive two pre-drilled #10 × 2½" screws up through the base into the pedestal to stop it turning. No glue here — this is end grain on face grain.
- 10 Shape and sand. Round the top edges with a ¼" roundover bit or by hand. Sand all parts 120 → 180 → 220. Wipe with a damp cloth, let dry, and sand again at 220.
- 11 Finish and assemble. Flood every part with mineral oil or board oil, wait 20 minutes and wipe off. Repeat the next day. Spin each top onto its rod until it seats on the pedestal. Unscrew the top to wash it. Each stand is about 7½" tall.
Why bolt the pedestal instead of gluing it? The pedestal's end grain meets the face of the base. End grain soaks up glue and makes a weak joint that can crack as the base moves with the seasons. A threaded rod clamps the parts together and lets the base move.
Why a removable top? The top is the part that gets frosting and crumbs. Spin it off and wash it by hand while the base stays dry.
Why grain running up the pedestal? Long grain is the strong direction. Standing the grain up means the pedestal carries the load along its fibres and won't split.
Why pre-drill? Maple, oak and hickory split if you drive a screw without a pilot hole. Pre-drill every screw and countersink so the heads sit flush.
Make It Yours
- Dome-friendly: cut the top at 10½" so a standard 10" glass cake dome sits inside the edge.
- Raised rim: rout a shallow ⅛" groove 1" in from the edge to catch crumbs.
- Two-tone: walnut pedestal with a maple top and base.
- Third stand: make a third top from the spare blank and set it on a shorter 3" pedestal from offcuts.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Clamp the blank to the bench before cutting circles. Keep both hands clear of the jigsaw blade line.
- Rip the pedestal blocks with a push block, not your fingers — they are short parts.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
- 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, once finished with mineral oil or board oil. Walnut, maple, cherry, oak, sapele, padauk and purpleheart are all fine for serving food. Skip aromatic cedar for anything that touches food. Wear a dust mask when cutting exotics like padauk, purpleheart and sapele.
Unscrew the top and hand wash it in warm soapy water. Dry it on edge. Never soak it or put it in the dishwasher. Re-oil when it looks dry.
Yes. The top is 1¾" thick solid hardwood and the pedestal is short and stout. Keep the cake centred so the stand stays steady.
Planned offcuts only: about ¾" to 1" off the end of each board, plus the corners left when you cut the tops and bases round — cutting a square blank round turns about 21% of it into scraps; our yield counts the square blank. Board 5 is a spare 11" × 11" blank for a serving board or a third top.
Yes. A 4ft wide pack makes four stands and two spare blanks: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan twice.
