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Thread: Serving Trays

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Michiana
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    Serving Trays

    A little project for my Kiddo I've been picking away at for a few weeks. She wanted a serving tray to shuttle food and drink between the kitchen and patio or to the TV room. I had some Alder pieces I got at a surplus sale that looked like a good choice. I made a pair that will nest for storage. The larger of the two will hold two full size dinner plates. The smaller will hold several beverages, flatware, incidentals, etc. in the egg crate. It can also be removed for more conventional cartage duties. the tray bottoms are 1/8" birch plywood set in a full perimeter groove typical of a drawer bottom. Finish is natural Danish Oil and Paste Wax. I lined the bottoms with replaceable non skid shelf liner.

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  2. #2
    The joinery on those handles is interesting. I am looking to make a bunch of trays this fall. I was planning to dovetail or box joint the sides but yours seems like might be faster.
    Is that a brisket joint? The top edge of that joint is strong enough?

  3. #3
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    Michiana
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    I based the trays on a design I saw in Fine Woodworking here: https://www.finewoodworking.com/2018...-serving-trays. I scaled them up to a size that fit my Daughter's needs.



    This design was a jumping off point. I omitted the handle wraps to keep things simple. The author of the article pinned the joints, but it's not really required (I omitted). If your fit is decent the strength of the joint is well in excess of anything you'd require unless you're using these to tote car batteries. The full perimeter groove holds the bottom in tight. The original design uses a solid panel for the bottom but since I was going to cover it with a non-skid liner anyway I used birch plywood. Being plywood, I was able to glue it in. The joints were pretty simple. I set the stock thickness of the cross pieces to exactly match a 1/2" dado cutter. It's a size to size fit. I may still add some small feet at the corners. Jury is still out on that.
    Last edited by Rob Luter; 06-25-2020 at 7:39 AM.
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  4. #4
    Look like a nice gift - simple, functional and attractive.
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
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    Thanks for the ideas. Handles look a lot nicer than the usual options.

  6. #6
    thanks. Looks great. So, those bottom edge pieces are breadboards, so to speak?

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    Michiana
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    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    thanks. Looks great. So, those bottom edge pieces are breadboards, so to speak?
    Yes. They have a stopped groove that holds the end of the bottom piece. If you are lazy (Guilty ) run the groove all the way through and plug it with scrap. It's basically invisible if you get the grain lined up right.
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  8. #8
    Looks great. The grid is a very good idea for carrying things like glasses. Congratulations!

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    SE Michigan
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    Nicely done, Rob. May just have to copy that. Glad the dividers turned out well. Should be very useful, and looks great.

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