Build idea
Cherry pencil holder block
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A solid cherry block with a few pencil holes drilled straight down into the top, a desk gift for a teacher, coworker or anyone who still writes things down. Lay the holes out in two rows with plenty of wood between them and around the edges, then drill them at the drill press with a Forstner bit and the depth stop set so none come out the bottom. Chamfer the top edges lightly, sand and oil it.
- Rough size
- About 4 x 3 x 3 in
- Wood
- One thick cherry block, or thinner cherry boards glued face to face, Walnut or maple also works
Tools you might use
- Drill pressOur picks
- Drill and bits
- Miter saw
- ClampsOur picks
- Sanding
- Hand plane
- Drill press with a depth stop
- Forstner bit sized to the pencils
- Miter saw or handsaw
- Combination square and awl
- Clamps or a hand screw
- Random orbital sander or sanding block
- Block plane or sanding block for the chamfers
- Wipe-on oil or clear finish
Our tool picks for this idea: Drill presses · Random orbital sanders · Miter saws · Measuring and marking tools
Right tool for the job: Which Forstner bits do you need?
Choosing a sander? Read our sander for cutting boards guide.
Need a block plane? See our block plane picks.