DIY Vertical Chopping Board Holder
How do you make a vertical chopping board holder?
Take some space back in your kitchen cupboards with a DIY vertical chopping board holder. It is a simple piece of joinery — a timber base with dowels standing up out of it, forming slots that hold boards on edge instead of stacked flat. It is not just for chopping boards either; baking tins, pan lids and baking trays all store well the same way.
The build is a set of drilled holes and glued dowels, which makes it a good first woodworking project. The measuring is where the job is won — get the dowel spacing and height right for what you actually own, and it works; guess, and you end up with slots that are too tight for a thick board or too short to stop a tall tray toppling.
What you need
- Timber of your choice, one piece for the length
- Selleys Aquadhere Interior
- 2 × 1.2m dowel
- A drill and a drill bit matching your dowel diameter
- A mitre or hand saw
- Sandpaper or a sander
- A ruler and pencil, and a damp cloth
- Water-based varnish or paint
How to make the holder
- Measure the area you are working with.
- Cut the timber to size and sand it.
- Measure your dowel lengths. Make sure they are high enough that the trays or boards will not topple over.
- Measure approximately 4 to 5cm in from both sides and mark with a ruler.
- Measure approximately 4 to 6cm all the way down your line and mark with a cross. This is where the dowels will go. The spacing will vary depending on the items you are going to store.
- Apply Selleys Aquadhere Interior to both the holes in the base and to the dowel, and place the dowel into the base. Wipe away any excess with a damp cloth.
- Allow to dry for a minimum of 12 hours to achieve maximum strength. This could be longer in cold, damp conditions.
- Paint or varnish as you choose.
Getting the measurements right
Start from the cupboard, then from the boards
Two sets of dimensions constrain this project. The cupboard or bench space sets the overall length and depth of the base. Your boards and trays set the dowel height and the spacing between pairs of dowels.
Measure the tallest thing you want to store and make the dowels tall enough that it cannot tip out — the guide is explicit that they must be high enough for the trays or boards not to topple. Then measure the thickest board and make sure the gap between each pair of dowels clears it with room to lift it in and out one-handed.
Why 4–5cm in from the sides
The two rows of dowels sit in from each edge so that a board slotted between them is held upright with a little play, not gripped. That inset also leaves timber either side of each hole, which matters structurally — a hole drilled too close to the edge of a board will split it, either while drilling or later when a dowel is knocked sideways.
Why 4–6cm along the line
That is the slot pitch, and the guide says plainly that it varies with what you are storing. Thin boards and tray lids can go closer together; thick end-grain boards need more. Lay your actual boards on the timber and mark the positions from them rather than working purely from a measurement.
Drilling
Match the drill bit to the dowel diameter — a hole that is too large leaves the dowel loose and relying entirely on the glue to fill the gap, which PVA is not good at. Drill to a consistent depth so all the dowels stand at the same height; a piece of tape wrapped around the bit as a depth stop is enough. Drill square to the surface, because a dowel that leans throws the whole rack out of alignment.
The glue joint, and the 12 hours
Selleys Aquadhere Interior is a PVA wood adhesive for interior work. Glue goes into both the hole and onto the dowel — this matters in a blind hole, because glue applied only to the dowel gets scraped off on the way in and ends up pooled at the bottom rather than spread up the sides of the joint.
Do not overfill the hole either. A hole packed with glue is a hydraulic ram: the dowel cannot push the excess out past itself and can split the timber. A coating on the walls of the hole and on the dowel is the right amount.
Wipe the squeeze-out with a damp cloth straight away. Dried PVA on bare timber seals the grain, and stain or varnish will not take over it — the patch shows up as a pale halo around every dowel. This is the single most common way this project ends up looking homemade.
Then leave it a minimum of 12 hours to reach maximum strength, and longer in cold, damp conditions. Standing the piece dowels-up while it cures keeps each dowel seated by its own weight.
Limitations — an indoor rack, not a wet-area one
Aquadhere Interior is a PVA-based interior wood adhesive, and its published limitations shape what this rack can do:
- It is not waterproof. A chopping board holder lives in a kitchen, so keep it out of the sink area, do not put wet boards straight into it, and never wash the rack itself. Dry the boards first.
- It is not suitable for structural use. Dowels in a rack are fine; do not extend the technique to anything load-bearing.
If you want a rack that will take the occasional splash, Aquadhere Exterior is the weatherproof grade — an industrial cross-linking PVA that bonds stronger than most woods, with clamp times of 30 minutes for softwoods and 1 hour for hardwoods and 24 hours before the joint is stressed. It is still not for continuous submersion, and keep steel away from the wet glue line because contact with rust causes brown or black staining.
Finish with a water-based varnish or paint once the glue has cured, and give the rack a coat on the underside as well — an unsealed base sitting on a damp benchtop is where a timber rack starts to go.
Common questions about a vertical chopping board holder
What glue should I use for dowels?
Selleys Aquadhere Interior, a PVA wood adhesive, applied to both the hole and the dowel.
How long does it take to dry?
A minimum of 12 hours to achieve maximum strength, and longer in cold, damp conditions.
How far apart should the dowels be?
Roughly 4 to 6cm along the line, but it depends entirely on what you are storing. Lay your own boards out and mark from them.
How far in from the edge?
About 4 to 5cm from each side, which holds a board upright with a little play and leaves enough timber around the hole that it will not split.
How tall should the dowels be?
High enough that your tallest tray or board cannot topple out. Measure the tallest item first.
Do I glue the hole or the dowel?
Both. Glue applied only to the dowel gets scraped off going into a blind hole.
Should I fill the hole with glue?
No. A packed hole cannot vent and can split the timber as the dowel goes in. Coat the walls and the dowel.
How do I clean up the squeeze-out?
Wipe it away with a damp cloth immediately. Dried PVA seals the grain and stops stain or varnish taking, leaving a pale ring around each dowel.
Can I store wet boards in it?
Dry them first. Aquadhere Interior is not waterproof.
Can I make one for outdoors?
Use Aquadhere Exterior instead, which is weatherproof — though it is still not suitable for continuous submersion.
Will it hold baking trays and pan lids too?
Yes, that is part of the point — adjust the dowel spacing to suit the thickest item you want to store.
What size drill bit do I need?
One that matches your dowel diameter. A loose hole leaves the joint relying on glue to bridge a gap, which PVA does not do well.
What else can I build like this?
See DIY lazy Susan, how to create a chopping board and how to make a wooden shelf riser.
What is the DIY Vertical Chopping Board Holder page about?
The page, published by Selleys, is a guide about organizing a kitchen with a vertical chopping board holder, showing how to make a custom holder suited for a kitchen.
What adhesive is recommended for building a DIY vertical chopping board holder?
Selleys Aquadhere Exterior is recommended, an industrial-grade wood glue ideal for cabinet and furniture making, including chopping board holder construction.
Why is Selleys Aquadhere Exterior suitable for this woodworking project?
It provides superior bonding strength on softwoods, hardwoods, particleboard, chipboard, plywood, and MDF, produces bonds stronger than most woods, is weather-resistant for interior and exterior kitchen use, allows finishing techniques like chiselling and turning after assembly, and cleans up easily with water.
What is the recommended process for applying Aquadhere Exterior when assembling the holder?
Ensure wood surfaces are close-fitting, dry, and clean; apply the adhesive liberally to one surface only; clamp for 30 minutes for softwoods or 1 hour for hardwoods; avoid stressing the joint for 24 hours; wipe off excess adhesive with a damp cloth while still wet; maximum strength is reached in 24 hours, though cold or damp conditions may require longer.
What product is suggested for mounting the finished chopping board holder on a wall?
Hold Up™ is suggested for mounting the finished holder vertically, as it is designed to hold objects on walls without screws, nails, or clamps, and works for indoor and outdoor use on most materials including timber.
Who publishes the DIY Vertical Chopping Board Holder guide?
The guide is published by Selleys, an Australian adhesives, sealants and fillers brand founded by Martin Selley in 1939 in Sydney, Australia, and a division of DuluxGroup (Australia) Pty Ltd.