Long Tray progress pics

[Mark Singer]

A client of mine has invited us to celebrate the new home I designed for her. I am making long tray as a house warming gift. The wood is quarter sawn oak and Wenge legs. This tray is 5' long and is made from solid stock. The top is extruded on the router table using a bowl bit and lots of passes(lots of sawdust too). I always try to get the trays as thin as I can...this one is about 5/16" in the center. I am about 5 hours into the project at this point. The wenge legs were cut on the bandsaw and shaped on the spindle sander. The joinery is a wedged thru mortise...the diagnol wedge is oak. The legs are revealed from the tray to create a floating appearance...this is accomplished in shaping the legs. It is sanded to about 180 grit now . I will now take it to 400 Grit and carefully shape the edges . All the edges are softly rounded which gives it a "touch me" look. I have made many similar trays but each is different. I will finish it with Tried and True and I will post the final pics when its done.

[Bob Hovde]

Nice tray! I'm glad LOML doesn't follow these threads!

Bob

[Chris Padilla]

Mark,

That wedge in the tenon is @$#&@*!^% cool!!! Can I say "Da Bombe"! I'll have to remember that joinery idea...Sweet!

Nice to see you posting your projects again...been a little while.... :)

[Tyler Howell]

You must be getting tired of all these compliments Mark! As always very cool.

TJH

[Jim Becker]

Outstanding!

[Byron Trantham]

Very cool! :D

[Kent Cori]

Absolutely top-notch! This is an exceptional design. I really, really like it.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Mark, great project. That'll make a real nice gift. Feel free to sign my name to that one :D

[Alan Turner]

Nice look to that tray, and a good way to use up a bit of Wenge fall off. Why did you elect the single wedge, on the diagnal, as opposed to the more usual two wedges? Just curious.
Also, looks like end grain on the tenon. Therefore, is the tenon a loose tenon, and wedged through both the top and the feet?
Alan.

[Daniel Rabinovitz]

Mark
Well! It looks really great.
Very well executed and a lovely design.
Daniel :cool:

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Is that a cocobolo table it's sitting on? Yikes! :)

KC

[Chris Padilla]

Kirk, it is Wenge! :)

[Dick Parr]

Very nice Mark!

[Mark Stutz]

Mark,
I remember these long trays from your work some time back. The design is an inspiration. Beautiful as a centerpiece and functional as well. Just outstanding!

Mark

[Mark Valsi]

Nice tray, but what is the function ?

[Mark Singer]

Thanks,
I was gone for a few days and just got back. I really appreciate your comments. I will post the finished tray w/ pics soon. It fuctions as a centerpiece on a dining room table or kitchen island. It can hold candels, flowers even the days mail In the womanns home it will match her kitchen and go nicley with her dining table I designed for her several years ago.
Alan , the tenons are loose , but real....it allows a more precise alignment which is critical. The single wedge is all thats needed and also used often.
Thanks again.

[Dale Thompson]

Hi Laguna,
Welcome back! That long tray is a work of art. However, I'm not sure that it should be posted on a WW board. ;) You make guys like me feel so inept. You can make a "long tray" which slides like it is floating on velvet. I can't even make a four-legged table that doesn't "wobble". :o My solution has always been to cut off one leg. ;) Don't laugh - it works EVERY time! :)

Anyway, Laguna, all kidding aside, that is beautiful work!! :) :)

Dale T.

[John Miliunas]

I've yet to see *any* work you produce that I don't like and this one is no exception! :D Once again, you've taken something, which theoretically is uite simple and made it to look very elegant and sophisticated. :) As usual, very, very nice, Mark! Thanks, not so much for the post, as for the inspiration! :cool: