How to Build an Under Cabinet Knife Storage Unit

A knife block hanging under your upper cabinet is a convenient, innovative and stylish place to store your knives. An under-cabinet knife block will keep them off the counter and close at hand. With a magnet holding your knives in the block, you'll never have to worry about them falling out, and with a swivel mount you can swing the block under your cabinets and out of the way when it's not in use.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Pencil or pen
• 3 wood planks, ¼ inch thick
• 1 wood plank, ½ inch thick
• 2 wood planks, ¾ inch thick
• Table saw
• Router
• ½ inch straight router bit
• 2 Magnetic bars or strips
• Wax paper
• Waterproof wood glue
• Small glue or paint brush (½ inch wide or smaller)
• 4 clamps
• Wood filler
• Sandpaper or a random-orbit sander
• Tack cloth
• Butcher's block oil
• Lazy Susan hardware kit

Instructions

Building Your Block.

1. Measure your knives' blades width, length and clearance around the handle; add one inch to the longest blade's total length to ensure it is fully enclosed by the knife block. Measure your cabinets to make sure the block will fit in the desired area.

2. Purchase enough ¼ inch, ½ inch and ¾ inch wood to complete the knife block. Look for flat, straight grained, knot free material. If you want, mix species and colors of wood to create a more interesting block.

3. Layout your knife block starting with a ¾ inch plank on the bottom, place a ¼ inch plank on top of that and mark where your knives will go, place the ½ inch plank and the other ¼ inch plank on top of that, mark the placement of the knives on the final ¼ inch plank.
   On the remaining ¼ inch plank mark the width of your knives. When rip sawed, these strips will serve as spacers to ensure an even slot for your knife.

4. Rip your material to the proper widths on a table saw. Rip the spacers for each layer of the knife block and set aside.

   Using your cutoff saw, cut the material to the proper length, using a clamped stop to keep cuts a consistent size. Cut the spacers one to two inches longer than you need.

5. Using your router and a ½ inch straight bit, route dadoes for the magnetic strips in the two ¾ inch planks. Position the dadoes on the inside two inches from the front edge to guarantee that the knives will reach the magnet. Adjust the depth of the router's cut to match the thickness of the magnetic strip. You want the magnet to be flush or under the surface of the ¾ inch material, not protruding above it. Install the magnetic strip as dictated in the instructions.

6. Wrap the spacers in wax paper and recheck your layout. Make any adjustments needed at the table saw, cutoff saw or with the router. Once any adjustments are made, begin the assembly of the block.

   Apply waterproof wood glue to the ¼ inch rips, placing them on top of the bottom ¾ inch plank. Place wax-paper-wrapped spacers where the knives will go (the wax paper will prevent the glue from sticking to the spacer). When the bottom layer of ¼ inch rips and spacers is finished, place the ½ inch plank in place, being sure to align the edges properly, and begin with the second group of ¼ inch rips and spacers, ending with the top ¾ inch plank. Clamp securely at the four corners of the block, wipe away excess glue and apply a thin layer of wood filler to hide the seams. Set aside to dry overnight.

7. Remove the clamps and spacers and sand the wood filler away, using either sandpaper or a palm-size random orbit sander. Wipe sanding dust away with a tack cloth. Apply butcher's block oil as directed on the label.

8. Install the Lazy Susan swivel mechanism for your knife block as directed in the instructions included in the packaging. Different sizes are available, but a 3-inch square model should suffice; most of these are rated to hold 150 lbs. or above, so they will provide more than enough strength to hold your knife block steady.

Tips & Warnings

• If your router does not have an edge guide, securely clamp a long strip of wood to the ¾ inch plank and bank the router off this strip.

• Salad bowl oil or tongue oil can be used if butcher's block oil is unavailable.

• You can round the edges over on the knife block for a more contemporary look. To do this, sand the edges by hand or use a low-profile round over bit in your router.

• Always wear the proper safety equipment (eye protection and hearing protection) when operating power tools.

References

• Woodworking Supplies
• Benefits of an Under-Counter Knife Block

Resources

• Where to Order the Lazy Susan Hardware