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Shaker Peg Rail[4/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 5 peg rails
Build This Project
Pack
4/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack
Uses
1 pack, all 5 boardsOne pack + hardware
Also buy
20 hardwood Shaker pegs with ½" tenons (not included)
Shown in
Black WalnutON SALE
Also in
Hard Maple, Cherry, White Oak (QS), Red Oak, Ash, Hickory, Ambrosia Maple, Sapele, Padauk, Purpleheart
Shipping
Free shipping
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak (QS)
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
The simplest build in our catalogue, and one of the most useful. Each board becomes one Shaker-style peg rail with four pegs — for coats by the door, towels in the bathroom, bags in a bedroom, aprons in the kitchen. No ripping, no glue-ups: square the ends, drill, glue in the pegs. One 2ft pack makes five, one for every room or a stack of gifts.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rails | 5 | Boards 1–5, one each | 22" × 4" × ¾" | 22" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Shaker pegs, ½" tenon (buy) | 20 | 4 per rail | about 3½" long | about 3½" long |
| Wood plugs, ⅜" (buy or cut) | 10 | 2 per rail | ⅜" Ø | ⅜" Ø |
Pegs: Shaker pegs with ½" tenons glued into ½" through-holes, 5½" on centre starting 2¾" from the end; tenons trimmed flush at the back.
Mount: 2 × #10 × 2½" screws, 3" from each end (16" apart), counterbored ⅜" and plugged.
Finished size: S4S 22" L × 4" H × ¾" thick · S2S 22" × 3½" × ⅞". Pegs stand out about 3".
Get a free woodworking plan every Tuesday
The Tuesday 3-2-1 Build and the Friday Five, plus 10% off your first order of any non-sale species. Walnut is already on sale.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 4/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- 20 hardwood Shaker pegs with ½" tenons (about 3½" long)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- 10 × #10 × 2½" screws
- 10 × ⅜" wood plugs (same species, or a contrast)
- 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)
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits
- ½" brad-point bit, ⅜" counterbore bit
- Drill press or drilling guide (helps)
- Router with chamfer bit, or a block plane
- Stud finder and level
- 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, and finish ⅞" thick instead of ¾". No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 23½"/47½" long with ¼" to square an end, 4" wide, ¾" thick · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean), ⅞" 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 Square the ends. No ripping on this one. Square one end of each board, then cut all five to 22". That's your five rails.
- 2 Shape the edges. Chamfer or round the four front edges and the ends with a router, block plane or sandpaper. A ¼" chamfer looks classic Shaker.
- 3 Lay out the pegs. Draw a line along the middle of the front face, 2" up. Mark peg centres at 2¾", 8¼", 13¾", 19¼" from the left end — 5½" apart.
- 4 Drill the peg holes. Drill ½" holes straight through the rail at each mark, square to the face. Clamp a scrap under the rail so the back doesn't tear out. A drill press or a drilling guide keeps them straight. The rail is only ¾" thick, so through-holes give the tenon the most glue surface.
- 5 Drill the mounting holes. Mark two holes 3" in from each end (16" apart, the stud spacing) and 3" up from the bottom, clear of the pegs. Counterbore each ⅜" wide × ⅜" deep for a plug, then drill a clearance hole for a #10 screw the rest of the way through.
- 6 Sand. 120 → 180 → 220 grit. Sand the faces before the pegs go in — it's much easier.
- 7 Glue in the pegs. Put glue in each hole and tap the pegs in with a mallet, all turned the same way. Once dry, saw or sand any tenon that pokes out the back flush, so the rail sits flat on the wall.
- 8 Finish. Wipe-on oil or hardwax oil, 2–3 coats.
- 9 Hang it. Find two studs and centre the rail on the bay between them. Level it, pre-drill into the studs, and drive #10 × 2½" screws. Glue the plugs into the counterbores, trim flush and touch up the finish.
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 ⅞" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Square the ends. No ripping on this one. Square one end of each board, then cut all five to 22". That's your five rails.
- 3 Shape the edges. Chamfer or round the four front edges and the ends with a router, block plane or sandpaper. A ¼" chamfer looks classic Shaker.
- 4 Lay out the pegs. Draw a line along the middle of the front face, 1¾" up. Mark peg centres at 2¾", 8¼", 13¾", 19¼" from the left end — 5½" apart.
- 5 Drill the peg holes. Drill ½" holes straight through the rail at each mark, square to the face. Clamp a scrap under the rail so the back doesn't tear out. A drill press or a drilling guide keeps them straight. The rail is only ⅞" thick, so through-holes give the tenon the most glue surface.
- 6 Drill the mounting holes. Mark two holes 3" in from each end (16" apart, the stud spacing) and 2½" up from the bottom, clear of the pegs. Counterbore each ⅜" wide × ⅜" deep for a plug, then drill a clearance hole for a #10 screw the rest of the way through.
- 7 Sand. 120 → 180 → 220 grit. Sand the faces before the pegs go in — it's much easier.
- 8 Glue in the pegs. Put glue in each hole and tap the pegs in with a mallet, all turned the same way. Once dry, saw or sand any tenon that pokes out the back flush, so the rail sits flat on the wall.
- 9 Finish. Wipe-on oil or hardwax oil, 2–3 coats.
- 10 Hang it. Find two studs and centre the rail on the bay between them. Level it, pre-drill into the studs, and drive #10 × 2½" screws. Glue the plugs into the counterbores, trim flush and touch up the finish.
Why drill through? A Shaker peg's tenon is usually longer than the rail is thick. Drilling through gives the full tenon a grip, and you trim the end flush at the back.
Why 3" from each end for the screws? Wall studs are 16" apart on centre. Screws 3" in from each end of a 22" rail are exactly 16" apart, so they land in two studs when you centre the rail on a stud bay.
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
- Dowel pegs: no Shaker pegs? Use ¾" hardwood dowel cut to 3½", glued into ¾" holes, ends rounded.
- Mixed set: one pack of mixed species makes five different rails.
- Shelf on top: add a narrow shelf on brackets above the rail for hats and baskets.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Clamp the rail before drilling — never hold it by hand under a drill press.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
- Mount into wall studs (or rated anchors sized for the load). Check for wires and pipes before drilling.
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.
Screwed into two studs, a rail holds coats, bags and towels easily, about 10 lb per peg. Don't hang from it or let kids climb it.
Older homes and some walls use 24" spacing. Find the studs first, then drill the mounting holes to match, or use rated anchors and keep the load light.
No. Every rail is a full-width board, so you only cut the ends square. A mitre saw or a circular saw with a speed square is enough.
Planned offcuts only: about 1" off the end of each board. Every board becomes a rail.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes five long 46" rails with 8 pegs each, 5½" apart and 3¾" in from each end. A 46" rail reaches three studs.
Get a free woodworking plan every Tuesday
The Tuesday 3-2-1 Build and the Friday Five, plus 10% off your first order of any non-sale species. Walnut is already on sale.
Next build with this pack
More free plans for the 4/4 · 2ft pack.
