How to Make a Knife-Holding Block
Kitchen knives go dull when they are improperly stored between use. By holding them onto a block with magnets, you can ensure that your knives sit on the broad side of their blades -- as opposed to the top or bottom of the blade. Traditional knife blocks hold knives with them sitting on their thinnest points. This can cause the blades to wear down when stored as the weight of the knife is making the blade press into the holder. Make your own magnetic knife-holding block to keep your knives in pristine condition.
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Things You'll Need
- Wood, 2-by-16-inches
- Clamps
- Electrical router
- Medium-grit sandpaper
- Small 1-inch thick magnets
- Strong craft glue
- 120-grit sandpaper
- 220-grit sandpaper
- Electric drill
- Wood stain
- Paintbrush
Instructions
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1
Clamp the wood down on your workspace. Set the depth of the electrical router to 1 15/16-inch -- which will leave 1/16-inch-thick wood at the bottom of the groove. Mark 1-inch in from the right and left short sides of the wood. Draw a line down the center of the wood between the two marks you just drew. This is where you are going to cut the groove.
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2
Use the electrical router to cut the groove into the wood. Sand down the interior walls of the groove with medium-grit sandpaper.
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3
Insert the magnets into the groove with alternating polarities facing towards you. This will ensure that the magnets create a strong enough pull to securely hold your kitchen knives. Run a bead of strong craft glue along the top and bottom edges of the groove. Wait overnight for the glue to dry and set.
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4
Set the block on your workspace, with the grooved magnet side or back of the holding block, facing down and the wood side facing up. Drill a hole through the block at the center line of the left and right sides of the top of the block with an electric drill. These are the knife block-mounting screws.
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5
Sand down the entire surface of the knife block with 120-grit sandpaper, then use a 220-grit sandpaper for a soft finish. Apply an even layer of stain to the wood with a paintbrush, brushing in long strokes with the grain of the wood. Overlap each brush stroke as you paint on the stain to make an even-colored finish. Wait overnight for the stain to set and dry before mounting the knife block on your kitchen wall.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear safety glasses when cutting and sanding wood.
Use the electric router with care.
