Your experience during food preparation and to some extent the quality of the food you depends greatly on the knives you use. This is why every kitchen needs a proper container for all its sharp tools.
This is where a knife block comes into play as it can store all your knives in one container and keep them ready for use at all times. Fortunately, you can have one built for yourself using a woodworking plan, some tools, and the right kind of materials.
1. Designing and Conceptualization
First and foremost, you have to design your knife block which requires you to understand what comprises a standard knife block. Typically, knife blocks are made out of two components:
A. Wooden Panels – These serve as the main structure of your block. The number of panels you will install determines the amount of knives you can store in the block.
B. Dividers – Measuring at least 0.25 inches in width, these dividers will be installed in between panels to seal off the sides of the block. They also determine what kind of knives can be stored in the block.
The woodworking plan you found online (or made yourself) should contain at least 4 wooden panels and 16 dividers. This should allow for at least 8 knives of varying sizes and blade widths to fit in each slot. Also, design your block to store knives at an 80-degree angle for easy drawing.
2. Preparation
Once you have your design, you should then look for your building materials. Knife blocks are expected to encounter a lot of moisture and cutting damage from the knives. For this reason, your block has to be made from a material that is resistant to both like walnut.
Once you have the panels, you can then start preparing them to meet the specifications of your design. You can do this yourself if you have the tools or have the local mill do it for you.
3. Assembly
Once you have all the necessary parts, all you have to do is to bind them together using wooden glue. When placing the dividers inside the panels, make sure to space them out evenly.
To do this, have the widths of the knives measured at the widest portion of the blade. Also, give clearance in the slots of at least 1/10th of an inch for each knife.
To make sure that the glue is binding all the components tightly, use a clamp to press the block inwards. If you don’t have a clamp, the easier option would be to lay the block at its side and placing something heavy on it.
4. Finishing
Once your knife block is fully assembled, you can start adding in the finishing touches. Soften the outer walls and edges with fine grit sandpaper or a hand plane. You can even soften the edges of the slot by wrapping sandpaper around a thin stick.
You must then apply a varnish or any other oil-based polyurethane coating on all sides of the block to give the block a polished, wooden appearance. At best, the finish should dry in a day or two and your knife block would be ready for use by then.
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