Most of what we write on Spices of Lust is about using sex toys. This one is about making them. Wooden toys have a devoted following, and specialist makers such as Wooden Dildo Co turn hardwood into toys by hand. Readers often ask us how it’s done - and whether a wooden toy can really be safe.

It can, but only if it’s made properly. A wooden dildo is a piece of fine woodworking that ends up inside a body, so every shortcut shows. Below is the whole process, from choosing a blank to the final quality check, plus the mistakes that come up most often.

The Short Version

If you only want the overview, here’s how a wooden dildo is made:

  1. Choose a dense, close-grained hardwood such as hard maple, cherry or walnut - kiln-dried and free of cracks, knots and rot.
  2. Design the shape - length, girth, curve, and a properly flared base if it’s ever going near a butt.
  3. Prepare the blank with the grain running along the length of the toy.
  4. Turn it on a lathe (or carve it), checking diameters with calipers as you go.
  5. Sand through progressively finer grits, raising the grain between grits, until the surface feels like glass.
  6. Seal it with a body-safe, film-forming finish in several coats, and let it cure fully - weeks, not hours.
  7. Inspect every millimetre before anyone uses it.

The rest of this guide explains each step and why it matters.

Are Wooden Dildos Actually Safe?

This is the first question everyone asks, and it’s a fair one. Raw wood is porous: it soaks up moisture and has tiny pores and fibres where bacteria can live. On its own, it is not a body-safe material.

What makes a wooden toy safe is the combination of three things:

  • The right wood - dense, stable hardwood with a tight grain, not soft, open-pored or known-irritant species.
  • A flawless surface - sanded so smooth there’s nothing to catch, splinter or trap dirt.
  • An intact, non-porous seal - a cured finish that turns the surface into something you can wash like glass or stainless steel.

When all three are right, a wooden dildo is smooth, rigid, easy to clean and lovely to use. When any one of them is wrong - an oiled-only finish, a hairline crack, a cheap varnish with no safety data - it isn’t. That’s why good makers spend most of their time on the finishing and inspection steps below.

Tools and Materials

You don’t need a factory, but you do need more than a pocket knife. For turned toys, this is the kit:

  • A wood lathe - a midi lathe is plenty for toy-sized work.
  • Turning tools - a spindle roughing gouge, a spindle gouge, a parting tool and, if you’re comfortable with it, a skew chisel.
  • Calipers and a ruler - to hit your diameters consistently.
  • A bandsaw or handsaw - to cut blanks and knock off corners.
  • Abrasives - sandpaper from around 120 up to at least 400 grit, plus finer polishing pads.
  • Rasps, files and a spokeshave - for curved designs that can’t be fully shaped on the lathe.
  • Your finish, brushes or lint-free cloths, and somewhere dust-free for it to cure.
  • Safety gear - a face shield for turning, and a proper respirator plus dust extraction for sanding.

Don’t skip that last point. Wood dust is classified as a human carcinogen, and fine sanding dust is the hardest to catch, so woodturners are advised to capture it at the source and wear a respirator that filters very fine particles (Dust and Toxic Timbers, National Association of Woodworkers NZ).

Step 1: Choose the Right Wood

Wood choice is where body safety starts. Look for:

  • Dense, close-grained hardwoods. Hard maple is the benchmark: pale, hard, smooth and tight-grained. Cherry and walnut are also popular - they’re beautiful, finish well and are dense enough for toys.
  • Kiln-dried stock. Wet or freshly cut wood shrinks and moves as it dries, which leads to cracks - sometimes weeks later. Buy properly dried blanks and let them acclimatise in your workshop.
  • Clean, straight grain. No knots, cracks, bark inclusions, worm holes or splits. Hold the blank up to the light and look at every face.

What to avoid:

  • Open-pored woods such as oak and ash. Their big pores are hard to seal completely, and a sealed surface is only as good as its weakest pore.
  • Soft woods such as pine. They dent, splinter and don’t hold a crisp, smooth surface.
  • Spalted, burled or punky wood. Spalting is fungal decay - beautiful on a bowl, not something you want inside your body. Burls are irregular and can hide voids.
  • Known irritants and sensitisers. Many exotics, including rosewoods and cocobolo, are notorious for causing skin and respiratory reactions. More than 100 species are reported to cause some kind of reaction, so if you’re not sure about a wood, look it up before you turn it (Wood Toxicity, American Association of Woodturners) - and if you already react to a species, don’t use it.
  • Laminated or glued-up blanks. Every glue line is a potential weak point. Insertable toys should be turned from one solid piece.

Step 2: Design the Toy

Before any wood gets cut, draw the toy at full size. Wood is rigid and unforgiving - unlike silicone, it doesn’t flex to fit - so the shape matters more than with any other material.

Things to decide at this stage:

  • Insertable length and girth. Wooden toys feel bigger than silicone toys of the same size because they don’t compress. If you’re designing for yourself, measure a toy you already love and start there. Our guide to choosing a dildo covers sizing in more detail.
  • The tip. Always rounded and tapered, never blunt or pointed.
  • Curves. A gentle curve aims at the G-spot or prostate. Keep curves smooth and gradual - rigid materials and sharp bends don’t mix.
  • Transitions. Every change in diameter should flow. Ridges and bulbs are fine, as long as there are no edges, steps or undercuts that could pinch or trap dirt.
  • The base. Any toy that might be used anally needs a flared base that’s clearly wider than the shaft, so it can’t slip all the way in. A narrow-necked handle is not a flared base. Read our guide on preparing for anal sex for why this matters.

Once you’re happy with the drawing, make a template or note the key diameters at set points along the length. That turns “roughly this shape” into numbers you can check with calipers.

Step 3: Prepare the Blank

  1. Cut a square blank a little longer and a little thicker than the finished toy. You need spare length at each end for the lathe to grip.
  2. Check the grain direction. The grain must run along the length of the toy, like the fibres in a celery stick. Grain running across the shaft creates short fibres that can snap.
  3. Mark the centres on both ends by drawing diagonals corner to corner.
  4. Take the corners off on the bandsaw to make an octagon. It’s safer to turn and saves time.

Step 4: Turn the Shape on the Lathe

This is the most satisfying part - watching a square block become a toy.

  1. Mount the blank between centres and spin it by hand to make sure nothing catches.
  2. Rough it to a cylinder with the roughing gouge at a moderate speed. Increase the speed once it’s round and running smoothly.
  3. Mark your key points along the cylinder in pencil, then use the parting tool and calipers to cut down to each target diameter.
  4. Shape between the marks with the spindle gouge - tip first, then the shaft, then the base. Work in gentle, overlapping cuts.
  5. Leave a little extra at both ends where the lathe holds the wood. You’ll part off and shape these by hand at the end.

Not every design can be finished on the lathe. Curved toys are usually turned straight first, and the curve is then carved in by hand with rasps, files and a spokeshave once the toy comes off the lathe. Take your time: a rasp removes wood fast, and you can’t put it back.

Whichever method you use, keep stopping to check the toy with your hands, not just your eyes. Run your fingers along it and feel for flat spots, lumps and uneven transitions. Your fingertips will find things you can’t see.

Step 5: Sand Like Your Partner’s Comfort Depends on It

Because it does. A surface that feels “smooth enough” on a table leg is nowhere near smooth enough for a toy.

  1. Start at around 120 grit to remove tool marks, then work through 180, 240, 320 and 400. Don’t skip grits - each one removes the scratches left by the last.
  2. Sand with the lathe running, then stop the lathe and sand along the length of the toy at each grit. This removes the fine circular scratches lathe sanding leaves behind.
  3. Raise the grain between grits. Wipe the toy with a damp cloth, let it dry, and you’ll feel tiny fibres standing up. Sand them off. Repeat until the surface stays smooth after wetting. If you skip this, the grain will rise the first time the toy meets water or lube.
  4. Finish with even finer grits or polishing pads until the surface feels like glass.
  5. Shape the ends by hand once you’ve parted the toy off the lathe, and sand them to the same standard.

Wear your respirator and run your dust extraction for all of this. Sanding produces the finest, most harmful dust in the whole process.

Step 6: Seal It - the Step That Makes or Breaks Safety

Sealing is what turns a beautiful object into a body-safe toy, and it’s the step to be most careful about.

There are two broad families of wood finish:

  • Penetrating finishes - oils and waxes that soak into the wood. They look lovely and feel natural, but they don’t create a continuous barrier. The wood stays porous. Oil or wax alone is not enough for an insertable toy.
  • Film-forming finishes - finishes that build a hard, continuous coating on the surface. This is what an insertable toy needs.

When choosing a finish, look for:

  • Documented safety. You want a manufacturer’s data sheet showing the cured finish is safe for food contact or skin contact - and ideally for body contact. “Non-toxic” printed on a tin with nothing behind it doesn’t count.
  • A hard, waterproof film that can be washed repeatedly without softening, clouding or peeling.
  • Compatibility with lube. The finish shouldn’t go tacky or soft with water- or silicone-based lubricants.

How to apply it:

  1. Make sure the surface is dust-free. Use a clean, lint-free cloth.
  2. Apply thin, even coats and follow the drying time on the data sheet.
  3. Lightly sand between coats with very fine abrasive to remove any dust nibs, then wipe clean.
  4. Build enough coats for a continuous, glassy film with no dry or dull patches. Pay extra attention to the tip and base, where the end grain soaks up finish.
  5. Let it cure fully. Dry and cured are not the same thing. A finish can feel dry within hours but take days or weeks to fully harden and stop releasing solvents. Check the cure time on the data sheet and respect it. A toy that still smells of finish isn’t ready.

If you can’t find a finish with proper safety documentation, don’t use the toy internally. That’s the honest answer.

Step 7: Inspect Everything

Before anyone uses the toy, give it a final check:

  • Under a bright light, from every angle, looking for dull spots, pinholes, bubbles, drips or thin patches in the finish.
  • With bare fingertips and fingernails, feeling for any roughness, raised grain or edge - especially at the tip, base and every transition.
  • For cracks or checks, including fine hairlines around the ends.
  • For the base, to confirm it’s wide and stable enough.
  • For smell - a fully cured finish shouldn’t smell of anything.

If anything fails, it goes back to sanding and sealing. No exceptions. A flaw you shrug off in the workshop becomes a splinter, or a crack where bacteria can hide.

How to Care for a Wooden Dildo

A well-made wooden toy lasts for years if it’s treated right:

  • Wash it after every use with warm water and mild, unscented soap, then dry it straight away with a clean towel. Our guide on how to clean sex toys has more detail.
  • Never soak, boil or dishwash it. Long soaking and heat can damage the finish and swell the wood underneath.
  • Use water-based lube by default. It’s compatible with almost every finish. Silicone lube usually works on sealed wood too, but check with the maker first. See our guide to the best lubes.
  • Store it dry and away from radiators, direct sun and damp bathrooms.
  • Use a condom if you’re sharing the toy or moving from anal to vaginal use.
  • Inspect it regularly. If the finish chips, cracks, peels or turns sticky, or the wood itself cracks, retire the toy. Don’t use it internally again.

Should You Make Your Own or Buy One?

It’s great that people want to make their own toys. But to be honest: making a wooden toy that’s safe to use internally takes a lathe, proper dust protection, a finish with real safety documentation, and the patience to sand and inspect for hours.

If you’re a woodworker, have the right setup and enjoy the process, go for it, and take every step above seriously. If you just want a beautiful toy without the dust and the learning curve, a handmade wooden dildo from a specialist maker who seals and checks every piece is the easier and safer route. And if you’re curious about DIY toys more generally, our article on homemade dildos covers what is and isn’t safe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are wooden dildos porous?

Raw wood is porous. A wooden dildo that’s been properly sealed with a cured, film-forming finish is not. The surface you touch is the finish, not the wood. That’s why the finish has to stay intact - once it chips or cracks, the wood underneath is exposed.

Can you use a wooden dildo for anal play?

Yes, as long as it has a properly flared base, a smooth rounded tip and an intact finish. Use plenty of lube, go slowly, and never use a toy without a flared base anally.

What’s the best wood for a dildo?

Dense, close-grained hardwoods such as hard maple, cherry and walnut. Avoid open-pored woods like oak, soft woods like pine, spalted or burled wood, and exotics known to cause allergic reactions.

How long does it take to make a wooden dildo?

The turning itself can take an hour or two. Sanding, sealing and curing take much longer - several coats with drying time in between, then days or weeks for the finish to fully cure. Most of a wooden toy’s “making time” is waiting.

How does a wooden dildo feel?

Firm, smooth and surprisingly warm. Wood is a natural insulator, so it doesn’t feel cold the way glass or steel can, and it warms to body temperature quickly. Being completely rigid, it gives very precise pressure, which many people love for G-spot and prostate play.

Can you boil a wooden dildo to sterilise it?

No. Boiling can damage the finish and swell the wood. Wash it with warm water and mild soap instead, and dry it straight away.