zebra and wenge tray

[Mark Singer]

I needed a birthday gift for a good friend. I made this tray....similar to others I have made...They are a lot of work!

[Mark Singer]

more pics.........?

[sascha gast]

hey Mark, I see you shaped the tray. what was your approach?? handheld sculpting blade??
I would be tempted to use a dado blade and then just sculpt the curve on the sides, but that's just lazy old me.

[Ed Labadie]

Very nice, Mark. I always enjoy seeing your work.

Whats the overall size on it?

Ed

[Dave Hale]

Gorgeous!! I want to see it flipped over and an explaination on the joinery, please. :)

[Mark Singer]

The top is extruded on a router table over a bowl bit. First the critical edges, raising the bit slowly each pass.... and then move toward the center ....1/4" at a pass. The legs are then shaped at the bandsaw....paird with double stick tape and shaped with rasps and sanders...
The top is then mortised through in the 4 points of joinery on a bench top mortiser using a square chisel bit. The locations are transfered to the top of the legs acurately. Finally the tenons are cut from loose stock sawn on the diagnol for the wedges. Four maple wedges are made for contrast. The tenons are then tapped into the mortises with the wegges started. A steel hammer of light weight is best. The wedges are tapped and the tenons in turn. The excess is sawn flush...I make a shield from veneer to protect the surface.... some sanding a little Daly's Ben Matte wet sanded with 400 wet and dry...and viola!

[Mark Singer]

hey Mark, I see you shaped the tray. what was your approach?? handheld sculpting blade??
I would be tempted to use a dado blade and then just sculpt the curve on the sides, but that's just lazy old me.


Sascha,
Extruded on a router table with a bowl bit....see the other reply

[Mark Singer]

here are links to a few other trays


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=9642&highlight=tray

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=9543&highlight=tray

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=5994&highlight=tray

[Mark Singer]

here is the bit, mine is wider


http://www.toolstoday.com/images/Product/medium/tt45980.jpg

[Tim Martin]

Hi Mark, beautiful job on the tray. Really like your designs.

I take it is an item that kinda just sits on the counter to place general items in?

I guess with the distinctive/contrasting grain lines and figuring with Zebrano that routing out the center of the board is probably the best way to create the lips of the tray and keep the flow of the grain continuous.

If I were using a timber with less "noticeable" grain/figure or had a bunch of them to make, I would be slicing the lips of the full thickness of the board and then thickness down the center board in the planer. Shape the lips and then rejoin them in exactly the same position so the grain matches up. Done properly and its very hard to pick the joins.

Did you notice any cupping/movement of the timber after you removed all of the material from the inside of the tray?

You know like when you remove a lot of wood from one side which then exposes one side with a different moisture content and shrinks/expands at a different rate.

[Don Bullock]

As soon as I saw the title, I knew this was one of your projects.;) Excellent as usual. Thanks for sharing.:D

[Phil Thien]

Wow, that is gorgeous.

Is there any concern that expansion/contraction of the top will be restricted by the legs?

[Mark Singer]

Tim,
That is correct they do cup....it seems to add to the design showing the delicate nature of the wood. Your method would probably work well of rejoining the sides....I may try that next time

[Mark Singer]

Wow, that is gorgeous.

Is there any concern that expansion/contraction of the top will be restricted by the legs?

Not all that much space in between...I haven't had any problems on these trays

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mark.....Beautiful work as we've come to expect from you. Thanks for explaining the tenons and wedges. I looked at those and wondered how you did it! Beautiful work! Light and airy design to my eyes.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Gorgeous wood. Nice elegant execution of design. Bold placement of the wedges too. They are not exerting all that much tension I bet.

[Mark Singer]

Cliff the wedges are very tight! The diagnol expands the tenon in both directions rather than just one.....so no gaps

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Cliff the wedges are very tight! The diagnol expands the tenon in both directions rather than just one.....so no gaps

Yah I guess it would at that - - - Interesting.

[Kyle Stiefel]

Mark,

Everyone has already said everything, well done. It was nice to go back and look at your prior models as well.

[Dave Hale]

Mark,

Thanks for the 'bottom' view. Just a mortise chisel in 4 spots? That's it? I'm having trouble with scale, I guess. What size are those tiny squares?
Again, very, very nice!

[Jim Becker]

Outstanding as always, Mark! Lucky friend!!

[Dennis Peacock]

Beautiful work there Mark!!!!! I have to say that I really like the design and the wood of choice as well. :cool:

[Mark Singer]

Mark,

Thanks for the 'bottom' view. Just a mortise chisel in 4 spots? That's it? I'm having trouble with scale, I guess. What size are those tiny squares?
Again, very, very nice!

I think they are 5/8"....I just grabbed one.

[Mike Cutler]

Nice work Mark.

The visual of the grain matching creates the illusion of false length, and it's a fairly good sized piece to begin with.. With the apex of the grain meeting in the middle, and radiating at the ends it draws the eye away from the ends and into the middle. Kingd of an Escher like effect.
Very nice.

[Mark Singer]

The dimensions are 13" x 60" for those who asked

[John Schreiber]

It's always great to see your work. Your knowledge of design and confidence really set your pieces apart. By the way, did I mention when my birthday is.

[Dan Larson]

Mark,

Have you had issues with the top piece curling after plowing out all of that material? Also, how far down the loose tennons do the saw kerfs for the wedges go? Thanks for the underside shot... it clears up some other questions I had.

Beautiful work, as always!

Dan

[dan moran]

thats a really sweet dish drainer! :D

i kid...

very nice work, as always...

[Charles Jackson III]

Very nice lumber.

[Byron Trantham]

As always - spectacular!

[Mark Singer]

Mark,

Have you had issues with the top piece curling after plowing out all of that material? Also, how far down the loose tennons do the saw kerfs for the wedges go? Thanks for the underside shot... it clears up some other questions I had.

Beautiful work, as always!

Dan


Dan ,
It will turn up a little and if you shape the legs concave a touch it pulls together... The wedges are cut about 3/8" deep after flush cutting. I make the kerfs with a handsaw for safety and a wider kerf..

[Lori Kleinberg]

Mark, that is a great looking tray. I really love the look of that wood.

[Roy Wall]

Mark -

Following Sasha's procedure of using the Dado Blade.........

Do you feel this is another good way of making the tray? You've converted me to the Board Buddies so it would seem safe. The tray looks to be about 3/8" thick....is there a point where this can get TOO THIN if using a Dado Blade? Would I need a few passes to get to the correct depth or is hogging it all out in one pass safe?

Looks great!

[Mark Singer]

Mark -

Following Sasha's procedure of using the Dado Blade.........

Do you feel this is another good way of making the tray? You've converted me to the Board Buddies so it would seem safe. The tray looks to be about 3/8" thick....is there a point where this can get TOO THIN if using a Dado Blade? Would I need a few passes to get to the correct depth or is hogging it all out in one pass safe?

Looks great!

Roy the last pass must be made with a bowl bit. A dado is good just be careful... Another way mentiones is to rip of the sides at the bandsaw then plane the body to 3/8" then run the cove bit and re join the sides...the grain should match pretty well since you are removing about 1/16th

[Zahid Naqvi]

Great piece, as always!!

[Tom Sontag]

These are very nice looking pieces Mark. Working with just a small number of pieces of wood can be very hard to get right, and your design is elegant and powerful at the same time.

How do these trays get used?