Replies

1. 
   HeavyD | Jul 12, 2004 06:47pm | #1

   Jerry,

   Hre are some questions to think about.  Do you want it to sit on the counter and take up space?  Can you hang it on the wall? Could you put it under the cupboard, horizontally on a lazy susan?  This allows the rack to swivel out so you can grab whichever knife you want.  I have one and it works well. Could you plunge cut the countertop or block where you are putting them?  Another super slick place is between the stove and the counter, usually there is a gap there just about knife wide. I spent 8 yrs in the cooking business and I cater now and again and I wouldn't have them on the counter in a "typical" knife block. They take up space on the counter and I find the angle that the handle protrudes a pain.  On top of that I end up having to pull out more than one to find the right knife, my handles are all the same.  Another really slick place to put them is inside a cuttingboard. Essentially you build a slim drawer on the bottem of a very large cuttingboard with routed out indentations.  I might do it so the drawer could pull either way and then you could arrange the knives so that all of them will fit. Long knives can go all the way through and short ones go only halfway, thus two short ones can meet in the middle, one from each side.  I would check out either http://www.wusthof.com/main.htm  or http://www.metrokitchen.com/store/d-mart.asp?command=list&search=hblck  for some ideas.  I know that I like my knives where I can get at them quick. I hate digging around or fumbling.  Good Luck

   dave

1. 
   scooter1 | Jul 13, 2004 01:27am | #2

   Plans will be problematic, because they won't fit your knifes.

   I have made several, and they make great gifts. I start out with a single level or row of knives. Each "row" will be sandwitched by two half or three quarter inch slabs of hardwood. You will have 4-5 rows.

   Lets take steak knives at the bottom. Lets assume 8 steak knives. Lay them out on one of the slabs, and run a dado or router about an eigth deep, and three quarters wide. Do that 8 times. Now glue up the sandwitch. You now have a single row knife block.

   Repeat this layout, milling and glue up for a slightly larger knives in the row above the steak knives. They might have thicker handles, so you might have to adjust the size of the slab.

   When you get to the steel or scissors, you'll have to lay that out carefully and mill it out even more carefully, depending on the size of the steel and scissors. Those two items might even take up 2 rows.

   Once the glue up is done, laminate some solid stock and miter the side (on a bandsaw), so it sits flat but whatever sits on it, sits at a comfortable angle to the user. Screw that piece onto your knife block. Cover the bottom of the piece with some felt.

   This is a neat project that takes about 2 weekends. One to mill and glue and one to finish. You'll have to borrow the knives for the layout portion, and testing the fit.

   Good Luck!

   Regards,

   Boris

   "Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934

2. 
   Steinmetz | Jul 14, 2004 07:37am | #3

   Jerr, Hows this for a knife rack?

   After noticing a small gap running along the wall and between the kitchen counter's backsplash, I had a novel idea.

   This area was exactly along and centered at the back of the kitchen sink. 

    I cut out a sheet of clear 1/8" lucite approximatly 12"x 36"

   To each end, I added a 5" horizontal length of 3/4"x3/4" square aluminum tubing at about 3-1/2" above the bottom edge and screwed to the front of the plexi

   (With small flat head screws(Countersunk) attached through the back)

   This configuration allowed the unit to slip down into the gap with the bars resting on the lip of the backsplash 

   The remaing 26"space now holds a large meat cleaver , a small cleaver and four or five carving, boning and paring  knives and while, providing easy access to the knives, it prevents marring the wallpaper that peeks through .

   Steinmetz

   
   

   ---

   Edited 7/14/2004 12:49 am ET by steinmetz
   

   ---

   Edited 7/14/2004 1:01 am ET by steinmetz

   
   

   ---

   Edited 7/18/2004 11:08 pm ET by steinmetz