No Products in Your Cart
Raised Dog Bowl Stand[8/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 1 stand
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.
A solid hardwood feeder that lifts food and water bowls to a comfortable height for small and medium dogs. The top is two boards edge-glued with two holes for standard stainless bowls, set on two glued-up end panels and a back stretcher. It's about 9¾" tall, heavy enough not to slide, and easy to wipe clean.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top pieces | 2 | Boards 1–2 | 20" × 4" × 1¾" | 20" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| End panel pieces | 4 | Boards 3–4, two each | 8" × 4" × 1¾" | 8" × 3½" × 1¾" |
| Back stretcher | 1 | Board 5 | 16½" × 4" × 1¾" | 16½" × 3½" × 1¾" |
Top and end panels: pairs of boards edge-glued, long grain to long grain. End panel grain runs up and down.
Top to end panels: 3 × #10 × 3" pan-head screws per end through ⅝" counterbores, outer holes slotted front to back, plugged. No glue.
Stretcher to end panels: 2 × ⅜" dowels and 2 × #10 × 3" screws per end. No glue on the end grain.
Finished size: S4S 20" L × 8" D × 9¾" H · S2S 20" × 7" × 9¾". Two bowl holes, about 5¾" each, centres 9½" apart.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 8/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- 6 × #10 × 3" pan-head screws (top)
- 4 × #10 × 3" flat-head wood screws (stretcher)
- 4 × ⅜" × 2" fluted dowels
- 6 × ⅝" face-grain wood plugs
- 2 stainless steel bowls with a rim (buy them first and measure)
- Rubber or felt pads
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Water-resistant finish: hardwax oil or water-based poly
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Jigsaw (or router with a circle jig)
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits, ⅝" Forstner bit
- Dowel jig and ⅜" bit
- Flush-cut saw (for the plugs)
- 4 bar clamps, 12" or longer
- 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 boards. Boards 1–2 make the top, boards 3–4 the two end panels, and board 5 the back stretcher. Put your best faces on the top.
- 2 Crosscut. Square one end of each board. Cut boards 1–2 to 20". Clamp a stop block at 8" and cut two pieces from each of boards 3–4. Cut the stretcher from board 5 at 16½".
- 3 Glue three panels. Edge-glue the two top pieces into one 20" × 8" panel. Edge-glue the 8" pieces in pairs into two end panels, 8" tall × 8" wide, grain running up and down. All long grain to long grain. Clamp flat and leave overnight.
- 4 Flatten and sand. Scrape off the dried glue and sand the seams flush. Sand every part 120 → 180 and keep the edges crisp for now.
- 5 Cut the bowl holes. Measure your bowl just under the rim — the hole is that size, so the rim rests on the top. Most bowls with a 6¼" rim need about 5¾". Mark two centres on the middle line, 5¼" in from each end. Drill a ½" starter hole inside each circle, cut to the line with a jigsaw (or a router and circle jig), and sand the edge until the bowl drops in. On this 8" wide top, bowls up to about 7¾" across the rim fit.
- 6 Fit the stretcher. Stand the stretcher on edge between the end panels at the back, 1" up from the floor and flush with the back edges. Drill two ⅜" dowel holes into each end with a dowel jig and matching holes in the panels, and glue the dowels in. Then drive two pre-drilled, countersunk #10 × 3" screws through each panel into the stretcher. This is end grain, so the dowels and screws do the work — no glue on the joint faces.
- 7 Fix the top. Set the top on the end panels, flush at the ends and front. Over each panel, mark three holes ⅞" from the end: one in the middle and one 1" from the front and back edges. Drill a ⅝" counterbore ½" deep, then a ¼" clearance hole through. Rock the drill front to back on the outer holes to make short slots. Drill pilot holes into the panels and drive #10 × 3" pan-head screws. No glue — the top's grain crosses the panels.
- 8 Plug and ease. Glue a ⅝" wood plug into each counterbore, glue on the plug's sides only. Trim and sand flush. Round or chamfer every edge, then sand 180 → 220.
- 9 Seal everything. Water and dog slobber will hit this stand. Wipe on hardwax oil or water-based poly, three coats, on every face — including the hole edges and the bottoms of the panels. Add rubber or felt pads under the feet.
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 boards. Boards 1–2 make the top, boards 3–4 the two end panels, and board 5 the back stretcher. Put your best faces on the top.
- 3 Crosscut. Square one end of each board. Cut boards 1–2 to 20". Clamp a stop block at 8" and cut two pieces from each of boards 3–4. Cut the stretcher from board 5 at 16½".
- 4 Glue three panels. Edge-glue the two top pieces into one 20" × 7" panel. Edge-glue the 8" pieces in pairs into two end panels, 8" tall × 7" wide, grain running up and down. All long grain to long grain. Clamp flat and leave overnight.
- 5 Flatten and sand. Scrape off the dried glue and sand the seams flush. Sand every part 120 → 180 and keep the edges crisp for now.
- 6 Cut the bowl holes. Measure your bowl just under the rim — the hole is that size, so the rim rests on the top. Most bowls with a 6¼" rim need about 5¾". Mark two centres on the middle line, 5¼" in from each end. Drill a ½" starter hole inside each circle, cut to the line with a jigsaw (or a router and circle jig), and sand the edge until the bowl drops in. On this 7" wide top, bowls up to about 6¾" across the rim fit.
- 7 Fit the stretcher. Stand the stretcher on edge between the end panels at the back, 1" up from the floor and flush with the back edges. Drill two ⅜" dowel holes into each end with a dowel jig and matching holes in the panels, and glue the dowels in. Then drive two pre-drilled, countersunk #10 × 3" screws through each panel into the stretcher. This is end grain, so the dowels and screws do the work — no glue on the joint faces.
- 8 Fix the top. Set the top on the end panels, flush at the ends and front. Over each panel, mark three holes ⅞" from the end: one in the middle and one 1" from the front and back edges. Drill a ⅝" counterbore ½" deep, then a ¼" clearance hole through. Rock the drill front to back on the outer holes to make short slots. Drill pilot holes into the panels and drive #10 × 3" pan-head screws. No glue — the top's grain crosses the panels.
- 9 Plug and ease. Glue a ⅝" wood plug into each counterbore, glue on the plug's sides only. Trim and sand flush. Round or chamfer every edge, then sand 180 → 220.
- 10 Seal everything. Water and dog slobber will hit this stand. Wipe on hardwax oil or water-based poly, three coats, on every face — including the hole edges and the bottoms of the panels. Add rubber or felt pads under the feet.
Why raise the bowls? Small and medium dogs eat and drink without stooping, and the bowls stop sliding across the floor. Ask your vet if your dog has a reason to eat from the floor instead.
Why screws and no glue on the top? The top's grain runs along its length and the end panels' grain runs up and down. The panel tops are end grain, which glue can't hold, and glue there would fight the wood as it swells and shrinks. Screws with slotted outer holes hold it tight and let it move.
Why seal every face? Spilled water soaks into bare end grain and can swell or stain the wood. A finish on every face, including the hole edges, keeps the stand looking good.
Make It Yours
- Taller dog: make the end panels from longer pieces — boards 3–4 have room for two 10" pieces, which raises the top 2".
- Name plate: burn or carve your dog's name into the front edge of the top.
- Two-tone: a walnut top on maple end panels.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Clamp the top to the bench before cutting the holes. Let the jigsaw blade stop before lifting it out of the cut.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
- Check the stand sits flat and doesn't rock. Keep it on the floor, away from stairs.
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.
Buy the bowls first. Measure just under the rim and cut the hole to that size, so the rim sits on the top. Most stainless bowls with a 6¼" rim need a hole of about 5¾". On the S2S top (7" wide), pick bowls with a rim no wider than about 6¾".
A good rule is a top about 5"–6" below your dog's shoulder. At 9¾" this stand suits small and medium dogs, roughly 15"–20" at the shoulder. For a taller dog, lengthen the end panels.
Any species in the pack works. Oak and maple are hard and shrug off scratches from bowls and claws. Walnut and cherry look great but show dents sooner.
Planned offcuts only: about 3" off the end of boards 1–2, about 7" of boards 3–4 and about 6½" of board 5, plus the two circles from the bowl holes — those make coasters or a trivet. All 5 boards go into the stand.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes two stands: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan twice. Or use the extra length for a longer top with three bowls.
