I've always been a fan of the tiered pedalboards that make additional rows more accessible, so I pulled out a handful of small, medium, and large pedals to get a feel for possible size and layout. From front to back, there's room for about 4 standard sized pedals, and about 6-8 from left to right including patch cables and power.
I thought the plain pine was a little boring looking, so I dug out some "dark walnut" oil-based stain. I prefer oil based because, to me, it's easier to work with (not to be confused with easier to clean up!) I'd recommend staining the wood before assembly just to get all the nooks and crannies more easily, but I managed alright.
The next step is to get some velcro fabric and run a strip down the center of each slat. I'm a little iffy on using the adhesive velcro on my pedals, so what I might do is cut out little patches and poke holes in them for the screws on all my pedals. If they're stuck down at the corners, they ought to hold just fine for everyday garage rocking. That method actually works very well for a friend who gigs each weekend but doesn't want to commit to a set board or gunk up the back of his pedals. He buys and trades more than I do, and he's not even on any forums!
