Creating a custom cheese slicer with the Rockler Cheese Slicer Kit is an enjoyable woodworking project that combines functionality with creativity. This project is perfect for beginners and seasoned woodworkers alike and makes an excellent gift or addition to your kitchen. Follow this step-by-step guide to craft a unique cheese slicer that’s as beautiful as it is practical.

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Why Choose the Rockler Cheese Slicer Kit?

The Rockler Cheese Slicer Kit simplifies the process of crafting a cheese slicer by providing high-quality hardware, including the cutting wire and arm. This allows you to focus on designing and building a stunning wooden base that’s fully customized to your preferences.

Benefits of using the Rockler Cheese Slicer Kit:

• Easy to assemble
• Durable, professional-grade hardware
• Allows full creative control over the wooden base design

Materials Needed

Wood for the Base:

• Hardwood such as maple, cherry, walnut, or teak (dimensions: 8-11 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 3/4″ inch thick)

Hardware and Finishing:

• Rockler Cheese Slicer Kit
• Food-safe wood finish (e.g., mineral oil, beeswax, or food-grade cutting board finish)

Tools Needed

• Table saw or circular saw
• Drill and drill bits (as specified in the kit instructions)
• Router (optional, for edge detailing)
• Sandpaper (60-grit to 220-grit)
• Clamps
• Measuring tape
• Pencil

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Select, Cut, and Prepare the Wood

Choose a durable hardwood for the base to ensure longevity. Cut the wood to size (approximately 8 x 6 inches) and sand it thoroughly.

• Decide how many pieces (or possibly 1 single piece) and design for layout of board.  In my case I used strips of walnut, maple, and cherry.
• Rip strips of wood to length.  In my case 11″ long.
• Glue and clamp up the boards in the desired pattern.  I used an exterior rated glue, as I wanted to ensure it was water proof.
• I used 7 clamps with mine.  Increase or decrease based on size of your project.
• Lastly cut the board to a finish length.  In my case the final size was 7″ x 10″.

Step 2: Sanding

After Glueup you’ll want to sand your project.  I like to use a square power sander, but this project is small enough that sanding by hand is easy enough.

Tips for accuracy:

• Start with 60-grit sandpaper to smooth rough surfaces.
• Finish with 220-grit sandpaper for a silky-smooth finish.

Step 3: Drill Holes for the Slicer Hardware

Refer to the Rockler Cheese Slicer Kit instructions for hole placement. Carefully mark the spots with a pencil and use a drill to create precise holes.  The hole will need to be 3.75″ in depth using a .25″ drill bit.  I used a spade bit with my drill press.  The hole needs to be put 5.75″ from the bottom of the board per the kit instructions.

Tips for accuracy:

• Use a drill press if available.
• Ensure holes are perpendicular to the wood surface.

Step 4: Cut a Kerf

Cut a Kerf into the finish cut board that 3/8″ inches deep, and cut it 3″ from the end of the board per the kit instructions.  The width of the cut is the width of a saw blade (1/8″).

Step 5: Add Edge Details (Optional)

For a professional touch, use a router to round over or chamfer the edges of the base. This adds elegance and makes the slicer more comfortable to handle.  In my case I used a 1/4″ round over bit on the top of the board.  I like to route with my router table whenever possible, but that’s optional too.

Step 6: Apply a Food-Safe Finish

Protect the wood and enhance its natural beauty with a food-safe finish. Use a clean cloth to apply mineral oil, beeswax, or cutting board conditioner.

• Apply 2-3 coats for maximum protection.
• Let each coat soak in before buffing to a soft sheen.

Step 7: Assemble the Cheese Slicer

Attach the slicer arm and cutting wire to the base using the provided hardware. Follow the instructions included in the Rockler Cheese Slicer Kit to ensure proper tension and alignment.  This kit is VERY easy to assemble.  The wire slides into the kerf and attaches to the slicer arm.

Tips for Success

• Choose the Right Wood: Dense hardwoods like maple or walnut are durable and resist wear. Avoid softwoods that may dent easily.
• Double-Check Measurements: Accurate hole placement ensures smooth assembly. Measure twice, drill once!
• Keep It Food-Safe: Only use finishes labeled safe for food contact.

Why This Cheese Slicer Makes a Great Project

A custom cheese slicer is both functional and stylish, perfect for entertaining or gifting. By combining the Rockler Cheese Slicer Kit with your woodworking skills, you can craft a piece that reflects your personal style while providing a practical kitchen tool.

Final Thoughts

Making a custom cheese slicer with the Rockler Cheese Slicer Kit is a rewarding and straightforward woodworking project. Whether for yourself or as a gift, this project is sure to impress. With its professional-quality hardware and the ability to personalize the design, you’ll end up with a unique and highly functional piece.

So, grab your tools, select a beautiful piece of hardwood, and get started on your one-of-a-kind cheese slicer today!

Keywords: Rockler Cheese Slicer Kit, DIY cheese slicer, woodworking cheese slicer project, custom cheese slicer, food-safe woodworking, how to make a cheese slicer, woodworking gift ideas

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If you make one of these be sure to post a picture of it over on the WoodLogger Facebook Page.  I’d love to see how yours turns out.

Material List

(1) 1″ x 10″ x 2′ (I used oak for mine)

Cut List

(1) 1″ x 8″ x 8″

Milling & Assembly

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	To get started on making my paper towel holder.  I used an oak board and cut it into a square.  I cut mine to a length of 8″ on each side.  Then I cut a 1″ dowel rod to a length of 11 – 1/2″.  The 1/2″ will be inserted into the base.
	Next up I found the center point of my board by using a ruler.  I drew a diagonal line from both sides and found the center point.  I then used a compass and drew a circle that just touched the sides of the board.
	After marking things up, I then headed over to my band saw.  If you don’t have a band saw you could use a coping saw or a jigsaw.
	I used a drill press to drill a hole for my dowel rod.  My dowel rod was 1″ in diameter so I made sure to match my bit size to the dowel size I had.  I drilled a hole 1/2″ into the board where the dowel rod will be inserted.
	The last step for making my paper towel holder was to apply wood glue and secure the dowel rod in place.
	To protect the wood for my paper towel holder, I applied a couple of coats of shellac.

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If you make one of these be sure to post a picture of it over on the WoodLogger Facebook Page.  I’d love to see how yours turns out.

Material List

• (1) 1″ x 4′ x 4′ Oak Plywood
• (1) 1″ 8″ x 4′ Oak

Cut List

• (2)  Sides – 3/4  x  15-3/4″ (front to back length) x  14″ (top to bottom length)
• (4)  Stretchers – 3/4  x  2  x  14″
• (1)  Top Step – 3/4  x  9-1/4  x  17″
• (1)  Bottom Step – 3/4  x  7-1/2  x  17″

Milling & Assembly

	To get started making my step stool; I cut the sides and stretchers out of plywood.  The top and bottom step were made from 3/4″ thick oak.
	This step stool is really basic.  Only eight boards are required. (2) Sides (A notch is cut into the sides 7″ deep and 7″ from the top, I used my scroll saw to do this) (2) Steps (4) Stretchers
	To get started I drilled pocket holes into the sides for the steps to be attached.  I also drilled pocket holes into the ends of the stretchers.
	After I had my pocket holes drilled; I used Oak edge banding on all the exposed plywood sides.  Edge banding comes veneered in many wood types.  They have glue on one side that is activated by applying heat to one side.  Edge veneer is easy to apply and any excess can be trimmed off.  Edge veneer can be stained and improves the look of any exposed plywood sides.
	For the assembly I used 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.  The entire can be assembled in just minutes using pocket holes.
	Here is a view of the step stool from the side and front.  Assembly is made much easier using pocket holes, but it could easily be assembled by simply drilling screws into the sides and into the stretchers.
	For the steps I used 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws to secure the steps.
	I sanded the project by hand using various grits till I got to a 180 grit sand paper.
	For the finish I applied 2 coats of a boiled linseed oil for the steps.  Use more coats to make the color richer and darker.
	For the sides I used a red mahogany stain, and then applied a coats of a poly urethane to protect it.
	The end product turned out great.  This was an easy and fun project to make and can be made in a just a few hours.

Items Used to Finish this

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I’ve seen a lot of these wine bottle stands, on some other sites.  I’ve never made one till now because, well..  I don’t really drink wine.  My thought on that changed though recently when some friends of ours who drink wine recently bought a new house and I thought it might make a cool house-warming gift.  Also, I wanted to see if it would work with 2 liter bottles.  I used some scrap oak boards and decided to give it a shot.  What a fun and simple little project this turned out to be.  The cool thing about these is you can be as creative as you want, or do as I did and just go for simply elegant.  Either way you’ll enjoy the outcome of these.  There extremely easy to make and make great gifts.

I have included a simple project plan of the one I made.  You will probably have to play around with the location of the hole for different bottle sizes.  I also experimented with laying a larger hole inset to the smaller one.  I made a few test boards to get the results I wanted.  Oh and be sure to take a look at my list of other free project plan sites.

Also check out “my attempt” at putting a video together on how to make this below.

Materials

Not a lot for this one.  I used a single board that I was able to pickup at Lowe’s.

• (1)  1″ x 4″ x 4′ – I used Oak.  You can make 4 of these with this size board.

Milling & Assembly

When it came to cutting these.  I used my miter saw and cut them at a 45° angle.

You may want to experiment a bit with the lengths and hole placement.  For mine Check out my free wine bottle stand plan.  I used a 1-1/4″ Forstner bit to cut the holes in these.

Finishing

To finish this, I sanded the whole piece using medium and then a fine grit sandpaper.  I stained my board with min-wax golden oak finish, and then used a glossy finish.

The post Wine Bottle Stand appeared first on WoodLogger.

For this project I have a free project plan (PDF) that you can check out.  Also, be sure to check out my list of free project plan web sites too.

Also check out “my attempt” at putting a video together on how to make this below.  Oh, and as always I’ll include some links to items I used to build this at the bottom.

Materials

Not a lot for this one.  I used a single board that I was able to pickup at Lowe’s.

• (1)  1/2″ x 6″ x 4′ – Oak Board (I used Oak, but any hardwood should do)

Milling & Assembly

	I was able to cut all of the boards used in my project with a table saw.  There are only four sides to this box, and nothing complex about this.
	For cutting the rounded sides I first taped my side boards together using painters tape.  I used the Quick Corners Set marking tool to help with that.  After that I flipped over the boards and marked out my slot cuts for the knife to pass through.  I inset it in 1″ and then cut a total of 6 slots every 1/2″.
	To cut off the rounded areas I used a band saw.  I also used my band saw to cut the slots into the boards.  I had to make two passes for each slot to get the desired width needed for the knife to pass through.
	For Assembly I glued up all of my sides using a waterproof glue.  I then clamped it  up and finished it off with a few brads for extra support.

Finishing

To finish this, I sanded all of my boards using a medium and then fine grit sandpaper.  To seal the boards I used a food safe finish called Salad Bowl Finish.  I applied five coats to mine to ensure it will be protected for years to come.

Items used to complete this project

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As always I will put links to some of the things I used at the end of post.

Materials

For the lumber on this one I was able to pick up pine boards from our local Menard’s.  The lumber we chose had a lot of character.  I tried to pick the straightest boards there and I was able to get away without any planing.

• (7)  1″ x 6″ x 6′ Pine Board

Milling & Assembly

	For the rough cuts on this project I did standard cross cuts on the table saw.  I got lucky with my boards all being straight enough that I didn’t need to plain any of the boards.  For my table I cut the boards to a rough cut length of 62″.
	For the joinery on the table I decided to use pocket holes to edge join the boards together.  I used my Kreg Pocket Hole Jig to drill pocket holes about every 8″ on my boards.  If you haven’t ever used one of these it really is one of my favorite tools.  Click this link to see more about it.
	After I had all of my pocket holes drilled in my boards, I joined them using 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws.  I didn’t use any glue for this project.
	After all of the boards were edge joined I went back and finish cut the table to its final length.  For the cut I used a circular saw with a very fine blade installed in it.  To keep the cut straight I used a simple edge guard that was held down with clamps(not pictured).  I was really surprised how well this worked.
	After the table was cut to its final length I simply used L brackets to hold the table to the existing frame of the old table.

Finishing

To finish the table, I tried several different sanding techniques.  All of them had a way of dulling the color and the character of the boards.  My wife insisted NO sanding.  So instead of doing typical low grit to high grit sanding, I very lightly sanded by hand with a high grit sandpaper.  The finish I applied to this, was a product called Salad Bowl Finish.  I’ve used this product in the past with success, but was a little apprehensive about using in on a kitchen table that will take a lot of abuse.  I applied 6 coats to it and it seems to be holding up pretty well.  Here is my disclaimer on this one though.  This whole approach to finishing was a new one for me folks, my attitude on this is we’ll see how it looks in 6 months.  Worst case I wasted a couple of hours of time and $35.

Items used to complete this project

  

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If you’re looking for a fun and easy weekend project, a pizza peel (also known as a baker’s peel) is an excellent choice. A pizza peel is an essential tool for sliding pizzas in and out of the oven, especially when working with a hot stone or brick oven. My wife asked me to make one a while back, and it turned out to be a great little project.

In my research, I quickly discovered that pizza peels come in a wide range of styles and materials, from traditional wooden versions to more modern metal peels. The basic design of a peel features a large, flat surface with a tapered edge to easily scoop up pizzas and a long handle to keep your hands safe from the heat. For this project, I decided to go with a classic wooden peel, using maple for its durability and smooth grain.

To create the peel, I edge-joined three maple boards. Since I wanted a thickness of 3/8″, but didn’t have a thickness planer, I used my joiner planer to get the boards to size. While this method can be a bit tedious, it worked well for a project of this size. The two outer boards were cut to 5-1/2″ x 14″, and the center board to 2″ x 20″, allowing me to form the tapered peel surface. For the handle, I cut a 2″ x 6″ piece and shaped it to ensure a comfortable grip.

This project not only gave me a chance to practice my woodworking skills, but it also added a personal touch to our kitchen. Plus, there’s something satisfying about using a handmade tool to craft homemade pizzas!

Materials

Not a lot for this one.  I was able to pickup both of the boards I used for this at a local hardware store.  You could easily make two or even three of these at the same time for just a slightly longer maple board.

• (1)  3/4″ x 6″ x 6′ Maple Board
• (1)  3/4″ x 2″‘ x 4’ Walnut Board(I only used about a 6″ length for the handle)

Milling & Assembly

	I started by planing the maple stock down to 3/8″.  A thickness planer is the way to go if you have one, but you can still get it done with a planer joiner.
	Next up was rough cutting the lumber.  The pizza peel consists of 3 boards edge joined.  The outside boards are cut to a length of 5-1/2″ x 14″ and the inside board was cut to a size of 2″ x 20″.
	After cutting the maple boards to length, next up was the walnut handle.  For the handle I cut one end at a 45 degree angle.  The size of the handle is 2″ x 6″.
	I taped a piece of wax paper to my bench to help with glue up.  This will help the project from being a mess.
	For glue up I used a water proof glue.  Clamping things up was pretty easy.  I used a scrap piece of wood to protect the sides.
	For the handle I used the same water proof glue and clamped it up as shown.
	For the corners of the peel I used a quick corner jig.
	I used the same jig for the handle to get a rounded look.
	Next up was cutting the rounded ends off the peel and the handle.  I used my bandsaw for that.
	I also drilled a hole into the handle.  I think was more for form than function, as I don’t see hanging this up, but it does add to the character of the piece.
	To get the beveled end of the peel I used a power sander.  I really thought this was going to be the hardest part of this project, but it really was a snap.  I was able to get a pretty sharp point and it was balanced on both sides pretty well.

Finishing

To finish the peel, I sanded it using a standard low grit, and moved my way up to a 220 grit.  I also broke the edges of the peel with sandpaper and gave it a round over look.  To finish it I used a product called salad bowl finish.  It’s supposed to be safe for wood that comes into contact with food.  I applied five coats to the peel.

Finishing the Pizza Peel, I used five coats of salad bowl finish.

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Making a spaghetti measure is a quick and enjoyable woodworking project that’s perfect for woodworkers at any skill level. This handy kitchen tool helps solve the age-old problem of how much spaghetti to cook, by giving you perfectly portioned servings every time. Traditionally, spaghetti measures have holes of different sizes that correspond to one, two, three, or four servings, making it a simple but effective tool for avoiding waste or overcooking.

You can craft one of these in about an hour, and they make thoughtful, unique gifts for friends or family who love to cook. Plus, a handmade spaghetti measure adds a personal, rustic touch to any kitchen.

For those interested in tackling this project, check out the Spaghetti Measure Project Plan I’ve included.

If you make one of these, be sure to share a picture over on the WoodLogger Facebook Page—I’d love to see how yours turns out!

Material List

• (1) 1″ x 4″ x 2′ – oak (or any hardwood)

Milling & Assembly

	I made my spaghetti measure 15″ long and 3″ wide.  You can use any wood you want.  Although, a hardwood would probably be best.  I chose to make mine out of 1/2″ oak.  Although in hindsight I think Walnut would have been pretty nice too.
	The board I had was 36″ long and the measure I’m making is only 15″ long.  So I was reminded of an old saying, “the only thing better than making a spaghetti measure, is making two spaghetti measures”.  (seriously though you can always find a family member who wants one of your projects) I cut my boards to length and taped the two together with masking tape.  I then traced out a very simple design to make my measure.  It’s a little hard to see in the pic, but I outlined something that looks like a paddle.
	In order to get my corners on the measure I used one of my favorite marking tools.  The quick corner set comes with 4 different marking templates.  Each template makes it easy for you to put your board on the template.  It’ll give you a perfect every time.  I went with a 1/2″ corner for my measure.
	After I completed tracing out a pattern, I used the band-saw to cut the pattern of my measure.  I could have used a scroll saw as well.  For the holes I drilled out four holes using various sized bits.  Check out the project plan for more details.
	I used a 1/4″ round over bit on the entire measure.  I wasn’t sure how doing a round over on the inside of the serving size holes would turn out, but it was actually really easy.  Just hold on to your measure and don’t let it get away from you.
	I cleaned up my spaghetti measure using my WEN Oscillating Spindle Sander.  A spindle sander is great for this.  If you don’t have one no problem just take a little extra time starting with a heavy grit sand paper and work your way through the grits till you’re ready to finish it.

The spaghetti measure is nearly complete, but I wanted to give it a proper finish that’s safe for food contact. This was my first time creating an item meant for use with food, so I did some research on food-safe finishes. I settled on Salad Bowl Finish by General Finishes, which is specifically designed for items that come into contact with food. The manufacturer claims that it’s safe to use after drying for 72 hours, and they recommend applying at least three coats for optimal protection.

To be extra cautious, I decided to apply five coats, ensuring a durable and protective layer. Here are a few tips for achieving the best results with food-safe finishes:

1. Surface Preparation: Sand the surface thoroughly before applying the finish. Start with a coarse grit and progress to a fine grit for a smooth finish. This helps the finish adhere better.
2. Application Technique: Use a clean brush or a lint-free cloth to apply the finish. Work in thin, even coats, and allow each coat to dry completely before applying the next.
3. Curing Time: Although the finish may be safe for food after 72 hours, consider letting it cure for a week to ensure it’s fully hardened and to enhance its durability.
4. Maintenance: After use, wash the item with warm, soapy water and dry it immediately. Avoid soaking it in water or placing it in the dishwasher to extend its lifespan.
5. Reapplication: Over time, the finish may wear off, so periodically reapply a coat to maintain its protective qualities.

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