Dog Bone Grip Charcuterie Board Handle Router Template (Clear Acrylic)

Dog Bone Grip Charcuterie Board Handle Router Template - Clear Acrylic

The Dog Bone Grip Charcuterie Board Handle Router Template is a reusable clear acrylic woodworking template designed to help you add a fun, distinctive grip detail to charcuterie boards, serving boards, cheese boards, cutting boards, and live edge boards. The dog bone-inspired shape gives your board a more playful handle opening while still keeping the finished piece practical for carrying, serving, and display.

This template is a great choice when you want to make a board that feels more custom, giftable, or themed. The dog bone grip works well for pet lovers, dog-themed gifts, market products, cottage boards, epoxy and wood boards, and serving boards where the handle adds personality without taking over the entire design.

What You Can Make With This Template

Use this dog bone grip handle template to add a playful handle opening to a variety of woodworking projects, including:

• Charcuterie boards
• Serving boards
• Cheese boards
• Live edge boards
• Square edge serving boards
• Cutting boards
• Epoxy and wood serving boards
• Dog-themed gift boards, market products, and small batch production pieces

The dog bone grip detail is a strong fit for boards where you want the finished piece to feel more personal, memorable, and easy to gift. It can work especially well with contrasting wood species, epoxy accents, live edge boards, and boards made for pet owners, dog lovers, groomers, trainers, or pet-related gift shops.

Why Use a Clear Acrylic Handle Template?

A clear acrylic handle template makes it easier to position your handle before routing or tracing. Because the template is transparent, you can see the wood grain, knots, live edge movement, epoxy details, colour variation, and other features underneath before deciding exactly where the dog bone grip should go.

This is especially helpful with a themed handle shape because placement affects how balanced and intentional the finished board feels. You can centre the dog bone grip, line it up with the board edge, avoid important grain features, and make sure the handle has enough material around it before making the cut.

The template is reusable, making it a practical option for hobby woodworkers, small shops, and makers who want consistent handle shapes across multiple charcuterie boards, serving boards, and cutting boards.

Recommended Products to Use With This Template

For best results, pair this handle template with the right accessories, wood, and finish for your project:

• Template Tape - Use this to secure the acrylic template to your board while routing or tracing.
• Flush Trim Plunge Bit - Used for cutting the first profile pass when routing the handle shape.
• UltraTrim Spiral Flush Trim Bit - Great for cleaning up the outside profile and following the template cleanly.
• Dimensional Wood - A great option for making square edge serving boards, cheese boards, and charcuterie boards.
• Live Edge Wood - Ideal for natural edge charcuterie boards and serving boards with character.
• Cutting Board Strips - A simple way to build your own cutting board, serving board, or charcuterie board blank from ready-to-use hardwood strips.
• Cutting Board Accents - Great for adding colour, contrast, and detail to mixed-species cutting boards, serving boards, and charcuterie boards.
• Walrus Oil Cutting Board Oil - Best for projects that will be used as actual cutting boards.
• Grand Finishing Hardwax Oil - A great finish choice for charcuterie boards and serving boards that will not be cut on.

If the board will be used for cutting, choose a cutting board oil. If the board will be used mainly for serving, charcuterie, display, or entertaining, a hardwax oil finish such as Grand Finishing Hardwax Oil or Rubio Monocoat can be a great option.

How to Use This Handle Template

1. Choose your board blank. Start with your chosen hardwood, live edge board, cutting board blank, or epoxy and wood board.
2. Position the template. Place the clear acrylic template on the board and use the transparency to line up the dog bone grip with the grain, board edge, live edge movement, epoxy details, or visual centre of the piece.
3. Check the layout. Before routing or tracing, make sure the dog bone grip feels balanced with the overall board size and has enough material around the handle for a clean finished result.
4. Secure the template. Apply Template Tape to hold the acrylic template firmly in place while routing or tracing.
5. Route or trace the handle. Use an appropriate router bit to follow the template, or trace the dog bone grip shape first if you prefer to rough cut before routing.
6. Remove the template. Carefully lift the template from the board once the handle opening has been routed or marked.
7. Sand the handle opening. Smooth the inside edges of the handle so the finished board feels comfortable to pick up, carry, and use.
8. Apply your finish. Use a cutting board oil for boards that will be cut on, or choose a hardwax oil finish for charcuterie boards and serving boards used mainly for presentation.

Watch: How to Use Acrylic Router Templates

New to acrylic router templates? Watch this video for a helpful overview of how template routing works and how to get cleaner, more repeatable results in your woodworking projects.

Template Details

• Product: Dog Bone Grip Charcuterie Board Handle Router Template
• Material: Clear acrylic
• Thickness: 1/4"
• Template size: 10.5" wide x 3.875" tall
• Use: Routing or tracing dog bone grip handle details for charcuterie boards, serving boards, cheese boards, cutting boards, and live edge boards
• Reusable: Yes
• SKU: 01-060

Helpful Router Template Guides

Want to learn more about choosing and using acrylic woodworking templates? These guides can help:

• Template Guides
• Best Templates For Charcuterie Boards
• Handle Template Guide
• Router Template Guide
• What Router Bit Do I Need?
• Template Routing for Beginners

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this dog bone grip handle template used for?
This template is used to create dog bone-style grip handle openings in charcuterie boards, serving boards, cheese boards, cutting boards, live edge boards, and epoxy and wood boards.

What style of board does this handle work best on?
The dog bone grip works well on pet-themed gift boards, serving boards, charcuterie boards, square edge boards, live edge boards, and market products where you want a playful decorative handle detail.

Can I use this template on live edge boards?
Yes. The clear acrylic helps you position the dog bone grip around live edge movement, knots, grain direction, epoxy details, and other natural features in the board.

Can this template be used on square edge boards?
Yes. This template can be used on square edge boards when you want to add a dog bone-inspired handle detail to a clean board shape.

Can I trace this template instead of routing it?
Yes. This acrylic template can be used for routing or tracing. Some woodworkers trace the shape first, rough cut the opening, and then clean it up with a router and flush trim bit.

How do I hold the template in place?
We recommend using Template Tape to secure the acrylic template to your board while routing or tracing. This helps keep the template stable without permanently attaching it to the project.

What finish should I use after making my board?
If the board will be used as a cutting board, use a cutting board oil such as Walrus Oil Cutting Board Oil. For charcuterie boards, serving boards, and display pieces that will not be cut on, Grand Finishing Hardwax Oil or Rubio Monocoat can be a great option.

Is this template reusable?
Yes. This clear acrylic handle template is reusable and designed for repeat use, making it useful for one-off projects, gifts, market inventory, and small production runs.

A dog bone grip handle is a simple way to make a handmade board feel more playful, more personal, and more giftable. Whether you are making a pet lover gift, a live edge charcuterie board, a square edge serving board, or an epoxy and wood piece, this Dog Bone Grip Handle Router Template helps you create a consistent themed handle detail with a polished finished look.