Make A Boot Jack

If you’ve been following along with my projects you would have noticed that I’ve been upgrading the tools in my shop periodically. Woodworking is a hobby for me that has two very valid sides of the coin. On one hand I will say that having quality tools does make the experience more enjoyable at times. And on the other had I will say that you don’t necessarily need a shop full of fancy tools to complete woodworking projects. Everyone’s journey is unique and I really don’t care which route you choose as long as you are having fun creating. That’s really all that matters. That being said, this project falls under the basic tools category. I honestly almost passed on making a video for this project but in the end I thought it would be a good reminder of how easily some projects can be accomplished. I made this project out of two feet of 1×6 material. Because you can’t typically buy just two feet of cheap pine I splurged and spent $4.50 on a two foot piece of poplar. The only power tools I used in this project were at jigsaw and a cordless drill. I also use a pair of quick hand clamps and some sandpaper.

boot-jack--(1)

I made a crappy prototype earlier this week to get a feel for the dimensions I was going for. I ended up making mine 18” long.

boot-jack--(2)

I’m not a big fan of using a jigsaw but boy are they versatile. A jigsaw is something I would definitely recommend for anyone wanting to do a little woodworking as you can do so much with it.

boot-jack--(3)

With the piece cut to length I made a slight taper along it’s long sides. The taper starts at one corner and ends up 3/4” into the work piece as it ends.

boot-jack--(4)

I traced a candle for the heel grab location. This was about 2” in diameter and the center of it was about 3-1/2” away from the end. Dimensions aren’t too important for this kind of project but for reference I have included a dimensioned diagram at the end of this article.

boot-jack--(5)

The lines connecting the end of the board to the circle start 3/4” in from the corners. The resulting cut will leave two fingers that will easily grab your shoe or boot.

boot-jack--(6)

To elevate the fork off of the ground I cut a 2” tall piece to go on the bottom. The shape is up to you. I glued and screwed this on from below. Make sure you don’t go through the work piece if you are using your dining table as I am!

boot-jack--(7)

I elected not to apply a finish to mine. I want it to get beat up and dirty first. That way I can clean it up a bit and apply some oil to give it a nice used, rustic charm. This is a quick and easy project that anyone can make with a few simple tools. For those who sell their work at craft shows I believe this would be a good seller for you. It uses very little wood and is incredibly fast and easy to make.

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Although this plan is free to you remember that it isn’t free to produce. If you would like to show your thanks please consider using the donate button at the bottom of this page. If you liked this project and found it useful please share it so others can do so as well. Thanks for stopping by folks and have a great day! UPDATE: Clement Germain from Belgium was kind enough to make a metric version of the diagram for everyone to use. Thank you Clement!

19 COMMENTS

  1. I can not describe the reaction of my wife if I did that on the dining room table. Besides, my woodworking is my chance to escape into the garage, put my music on and contimplate the meaning of life.

  2. I think this would be a great gift for a buddy or co-worker. Kind of a manly and useful project / gift.

  3. Jay, I loved how you showed that you don’t need a shop full of fancy machines to do your project. I think even the bigger message is that you need to learn to use what you have. Might have been better if you used a hand saw and a coping saw for the round bits, but hey you probably would have totally lost your younger viewer base. :-)

  4. Gee whizz Jay, I’m not sure if you’re incredibly brave, or completely off your trolley. If I went anywhere near Donna Margarita’s oak dining table with any kind of woodworking tool, she would dull the blade of my jigsaw. (probably by sawing through a house brick) And then proceed to hack off vital parts of my anatomy (very slowly) with the aforementioned jig saw. Nobody would hear my screams as she would probably have laid me out first with a mallet.
    Love the project though, cos I need one. I make this sort of oooff noise whenever I bend to take my boots off. Jay you’re my hero.
    Cheers,
    Don Roberto…

  5. I used screws that are too long to put the bottom piece on it. Now, each time I want to pull my boots off, I have to drag the dining room table outside …

  6. From a motor cop with a broken boot jack who needs to keep his boots like glass… thanks alot. I needed one quick… couldn’t get my boots off at home. I copied this and it worked out great. Added some felt to the heel of the jack to stop scuffing

  7. I got married, bought a new condo and nothing else. Bought a 12″ radial arm saw and a barrel jigsaw; parked it in the wall-to-wall carpeted living room. Started with the bedroom and furnished the entire place right there from the scrap lumber bin at the local hardwood lumber yard. Worked well with a very forgiving wife (with a question mark on her forehead). Favorite piece to this day is my 72 x 30 walnut desk for my original office.

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