In between laying bricks for my sidewalk, I made a clipboard out of alternating strips of maple, black walnut, and mahogony. The final thickness is about 3/8 – 5/16 of an inch.

The question, what’s the best way to attach the clip hardware?

It has two holes (normally riveted to the board).

I thought about t-nuts (on the back) but think they might split the hardwood. I thought about wood screws, but they would likely be too short to hold the clip (it’s a pretty strong spring so there is a fair amount of force required to open the clip up).

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Mark