If you’re really passionate about cornhole, you should design your own cornhole board.
By building your cornhole board, you can design it whichever way you like, and measure it to meet regulation standards.
When planning how to build your own cornhole set, you’re probably wondering: ‘what’s the best wood for cornhole boards?’
If you want to abide by the American Cornhole Organisation (ACO)’s recommendations, then you should build your boards using hard plywood.
However, there are several other suitable plywood types you could use to create the playing board.
This article will highlight all the best ones!
The Best Wood for Cornhole Playing Surfaces
Hard plywood may be what the ACO recommends, but it doesn’t have to be what you choose.
Experienced players, who have built their own cornhole boards, may have determined personal preferences in terms of materials used.
Each wood type adds its own unique edge to the gameplay. Whether it provides room for more sliding or offers the most minimal bounce rate, each plywood type shines in its own way.
Here are some common plywood options that experienced players like to build with:
Oak plywood
If you’re looking to create a cornhole board with a natural finish, oak is a great option.
Oak creates the best-looking boards, especially when you leave the surface free of decals and paint.
If cut to optimum thickness, oak also works exceptionally well for cornhole.
The only major drawback of opting for oak is the expense associated.
You understandably have to pay more for building material that looks as good as oak.
Birch plywood – The most popular choice
Birch plywood is the favorite of many professional cornhole players.
This is mainly down to the minimal bounce rate offered by the wood type.
It is also highly durable as a cornhole playing board.
Besides this, there are many reasons why birch is the most popular choice for cornhole sets.
Firstly, it’s super easy to work with. If you’re not too proficient in DIY.
Although standard boards feature a lot of straight edges, getting the circle right can sometimes be difficult for the inexperienced.
Birch is a great material to work with and makes the building process easy.
Secondly, this birch is really lightweight.
If you’re planning on transporting your boards between several locations, plywood would be your best option.
Thirdly, despite its high durability, birch is very cheap!
Lastly, it’s easy to paint on and add decals to, which is why it is preferred by creative cornhole players.
Pine
Pine is an uncommon choice but still works as a cornhole playing board.
If you’ve got pine lumber available, you could definitely use it to make a cornhole set.
However, don’t go out of your way to buy it, as the other materials listed in this article are definitely better.
Besides the main board, pine can be used for the legs and frame of the boards (more on this later).
Maple
Another firm favorite, maple is a great choice if you’re looking to make a sturdier choice.
While the ACO recommend a minimum weight for cornhole playing boards, they don’t state anything about a maximum weight, so you can make your board as heavy as you like!
So, if you’re planning on setting your boards in one place and leaving them there for the duration of the summer, consider using maple as your primary building material.
Maple is also easy to work with and, like other woods, can be used to create frames.
Maple can be quite expensive, but apart from that, there are no real downsides to using this material.
How Thick Should A Cornhole Board Be?
If you’re buying your wood supply from a hardware store, ensure that the thickness is a 1/2 inch at a minimum.
Most people opt for wood that is 3/4 inches thick.
This provides the best level of sturdiness and will ensure that your board outlasts a few summers’ worth of cornhole play.
If you use wood that is thinner than 3/4, you’ll have to add a support bar.
This bar runs underneath the board to strengthen the build.
The Best Wood for Cornhole Frames
The frame runs around the playing surface and provides sturdiness to the board as well as the angled incline.
While birch may be the favored material to use for the surface, it is not a top choice when it comes to building the frame (although some people still use it for this purpose).
Although it is a durable material, it is too light to provide optimum structural strength.
The best wood for the frame, in our opinion, is maple, as it provides a sturdy base for your board.
However, if you wish to make your cornhole set more portable, you can opt instead for the likes of oak or pine.
We’d also recommend using maple for the legs if you want to build a cornhole game set that lasts several years.
Final Thoughts
Designing your own cornhole set, although hard work, is much more rewarding than buying one from a store.
If you’re not strictly abiding by ACO guidance, you can get creative with your board.
You can add as many rounded corners and decals as you like!
The best wood for building a cornhole set is birch.
It’s lightweight, durable, and, with the right tools, very easy to work with.