Create a Spice Rack with Nathan Best Woodworking

Master woodworker and Forest 2 Home community member, Nathan Best, crafted a beautiful spice rack from Forest 2 Home Cherry wood, specifically the 1 in x 4 in x 24 in Cherry kit. Nathan allowed for Forest 2 Home to share his incredible workshop project photos and write up so that other members of our woodworking and making community can have some wood shop project inspiration. Below is what Nathan shared from creating his DIY spice rack:

Commissioned Cherry wood spice rack

 "I had a friend reach out and ask about my building them a spice rack. This has been such a  fun project to work on. The joinery is fairly simple (through rabbet? Is that a thing?). The material is this beautiful Cherry with which I've enjoyed working (my first purchase from Forest 2 Home). One of the client's requests was that I 'have good thoughts' in my head while working on the piece. This really made me be more mindful of how and when I worked."

Vise and batten set up

"Sometimes your vise setup just doesn't work for what you need to clamp. In this instance, I needed to flush up where the back and front bars passed through the sides on this spice rack.

A batten with a holdfast and two parallel clamps across the bench helped me securely attach this to the point where I could smooth plane across it without it moving. It also helps to have a really sturdy bench."

Workshop project conclusion

"I'm fairly happy with how these spice racks came out. They are 21 inches long x 4 inches deep x 8 inches high and are designed to be mounted on the wall. When I was looking at the final pictures, I realized they looked like church pews, which was entirely unintentional! 

Overall, a fun project. I look forward to building more of these in the future."

Nathan's Forest 2 Home Review

"The quality of the boards and the way they were packaged were very impressive. Will definitely be purchasing from Forest 2 Home in the future!"

To see this project and others from Nathan, head to his website here.  

Meet the Maker

Nathan Best was born in Trinidad and is currently living and woodworking in Baltimore, Maryland. Nathan is passionate about woodworking, specifically traditional woodworking techniques, and has been involved with woodworking in one way or another for the last 15 years. From furniture to theater sets, Nathan has created some of the most beautiful handmade pieces that will last for generations to come. Nathan stands out because his goal is to note create a list of clients, but build a community. Here are a few more values Nathan Best Woodworking holds close to heart:

Sustainability

Nathan understands that "fast furniture" is not sustainable, which is why he promotes solid pieces, that will last and not end up in a landfill. He also thoroughly vets his lumber suppliers to ensure the wood he builds with comes from responsibly managed forests. 

Accessibility

Heirloom-quality pieces do come with a higher price tag, but Nathan works to keep his pieces as affordable as possible.

Support Small Businesses

"Whenever possible, we aim to support small businesses and individual makers. As a small business, we understand the balance needed to create affordable items while still being able to eat and provide for a family. While small businesses may not be able to compete with larger corporations, many provide a soul to the items they create and are also pivotal in the reinvestment in local communities. Whenever possible, we purchase our supplies from small businesses and individual makers. When it is not possible, we purchase as locally and as responsibly as we can."

Want to share your Forest 2 Home woodworking project or story on our blog? Email marketing@forest2home.com! We love seeing all your incredible DIY woodworking projects so be sure to use #BuiltWithF2H on all project photos shared on social media. If you post project photos on Instagram, tag us @shopf2h! Happy Woodworking!