Magnetic Knife Rack | Personal project, 2025

Birch, neodymium magnets, epoxy, linseed oil

In my current rental flat, the kitchen boiler greedily takes half of the limited counter space. This simple-looking project is actually a carefully considered storage solution.

Without being able to use traditional hardware, it was key to use sufficiently strong magnets to keep the rack safely attached to the boiler while also being able to remove it without damage.

It was also important to consider the thickness of wood left between the magnets and the face of the rack, as the force exerted by magnets decreases exponentially with distance away. Too thick a layer and the knives would not be held securely; too thin and the wood would not have enough structural integrity. I settled on a thickness of 1.5mm, which has worked well for me.

The piece was modelled in Fusion 360, then moved into VCarve to generate toolpaths for manufacturing using a 3-axis CNC router. I cleaned up the piece using a router table with a roundover bit before sanding and applying finish.