Because these tongs touch food, the wood matters. Open-grained wood is best avoided for kitchen utensils, and the plans behind this guide use maple and walnut; other hardwoods suit only if they are not open-grained. The arms need to flex, which means thin stock with the grain running the long way of the strip. A range of 1/8 to 3/16 inch thick works well for one plan, and hobby suppliers sell wood already milled to that thickness, which saves a lot of cutting and sanding.
Beginner
How to Make Toaster Tongs
How to make toaster tongs from thin hardwood: choose the wood, cut and sand the arms, glue the center piece, and oil the finished pair.
Homemade toaster tongs are really a flexible wooden strip pinched together at one end by a small block. That simple spring action is what lets a pair reach into a slot and lift an English muffin or a short slice that never pops up far enough. The work is mostly careful sanding, and the glue needs at least 4 hours or overnight to set.
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Start with close-grained hardwood and a short supply list
- Hardwood strip for the arms, grain running lengthwise
- Small hardwood block for the center piece that joins the arms
- Wood glue and clamps
- Sandpaper in three grits: 120, 220 and 320
- Saw or band saw, plus a push stick to keep fingers clear
- Paper towels and a wood oil made for butcher blocks or salad bowls
Eight steps from strip to finished pair
The order below keeps the thin arms flat and the glue joint tight, the way toaster tongs keep fingers clear of a hot slice. One plan cuts arms 1 inch wide and 9 inches long, with a center wedge cut at 5 degrees that works out to 2-1/2 degrees per side and an opening of 1-1/2 inches at the tips. Another plan uses arms just under 1/2 inch wide and a 1/2 inch thick center block, so the pieces only need to match each other.
- Square up the hardwood so the grain runs the length of the piece, then slice a thin layer for the arms.
- Sand both faces of that layer, starting with 120 grit until the saw marks are gone, then 220, then 320 for a smooth finish.
- Cut two arms of equal width from the sanded sheet, clean their edges, then tape them together and sand the ends level.
- Cut the center block, then sand it down to the same thickness as an arm standing on its edge and taper it into its final shape.
- Test the fit of all three pieces, then lightly sand the two inside faces of the block, since they are hard to reach after gluing.
- Spread a thin layer of wood glue on the arm ends, clamp the set flat on the work surface, and leave it for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Unclamp and re-square the ends, then bevel the outer tips so they slip into a toaster slot, using a rasp, coarse paper on a sanding block or a disc sander, and sand out the marks and soften every edge to remove splinters.
- Rub on a generous coat of oil, let it sit for five minutes, then wipe off what has not soaked in and buff.
Longer tongs open wider, so size them to the job
Length and opening move together. A longer pair spreads wider at the tips, so assemble the parts dry before gluing and check that the gap suits toast or muffins. If it is too wide, cut the angle on the center block shallower. Pairs of 12 inches suit salad or a skillet, and 18 to 20 inches with a center block of 2-1/2 to 3 inches suit the grill; longer pairs can go wider and thicker, but the arms must still bend easily.
For ready-made options, the best toaster tongs compares length and magnetic storage across bamboo pairs.