Tea service tray in hardwood?

[emccrory]

My wife has requested that I make for her a tea service tray out of wood. Seems like something that could be really pretty. Her idea is to have a thin bottom and raised sides; the side made of a maple-walnut-maple sandwich. Does that make sense, or do I need to draw a picture?

I'm guessing it needs to be about 30 inches by 16 inches (rectangular, probably, but oval-y would be cool) and be able to lift at least 2 pounds (of tea, crumpets and porcelain).

But I am having trouble conceptualizing the bottom of the tray. My intuition is that plywood will be ugly and that real wood will be pretty (-er). But how does one get a large, thin piece of hardwood? Joining two pieces of, say, 1/4 inch maple is hard/impossible, I think.

Thanks in advance (and please be gentle), folks.

[jHop]

Alright, I'm conceptualizing here. (A fancy term I use for brainstorming. Reality will set in later to eliminate the ideas as we go.)

One thought would be to use 1/4 hardwood, with a simple glue joint, and put a "cross hatch" system of support runners/ feet underneath. So the weight is carried by the half-lapped runners, running under the center of the bottom boards, and carried by the three or four crossing runners. Put the feet underneath the half-lap joints to set it down on the table (or wherever) and be able to pick it up. You can use another set of the contrast here, but I'm thinking the walnut would be better on the lower portions (runners/frame) and the inner face of the sides, with the maple being the base and outer edge of the side.

Option two would be to use 3/8 hardwood (maple), align the joints with (walnut) butterflies / keys, and do a lower ring of walnut as the base, with a nesting cross hatch of maple dowel stock. Probably four total dowels, maybe 5. Again, the weight is carried by the material underneath the bottom of the tray, with the tray spreading the weight across multiple points.

Option three would be to use 1/2 hardwood, and be the "stereotypical" Butler's Tray pattern/ plan.

But I've never attempted anything like this, so others are more than welcome to add the voice of reality/ reason. (I'm sorely lacking in reason right now.... sinus meds.)

[rmac]

Joining two pieces of, say, 1/4 inch maple is hard/impossible, I think.

I don't see any reason a solid hardwood bottom wouldn't work. You're not talking about any huge loads here, and edge gluing thinnish boards together is not an unreasonable idea.

I would start by resawing some 4/4 stock in half to get boards roughly 3/8" to 1/2" thick. I would then plane these smooth on both surfaces, joint the edges, and then edge glue them into however wide a panel you need. I would align them during the glueup by clamping them down to a flat surface. When the glue is dry, I would then use a planer (if I had one big enough) or a hand plane (if not) to correct any misalignment and bring the panel to the desired thickness.

Based on my own experience, the biggest problem you will have is with cupping of the boards. So try to plane the same amount of material from both surfaces, provide good air circulation around the boards as they're settling down, and maybe even clamp them into submission while they get used to being thinner than they were before they made your acquaintance. It might also be a good idea to wait a while after gluing them together before doing the final planing.

There's an article in Fine Woodworking issue #213 about using solid wood instead of plywood for drawer bottoms. Your tea tray is enough like a drawer that a lot of the information in the article should apply to what you are doing. Here's a link to the article if you happen to subscribe to the paid part of FWW's website:

http://www.finewoodw...F.aspx?id=33484

Finally, I'll report on a little clipboard that I made a few weeks ago. It's made from three boards, each roughly 3" wide, edge-glued together exactly as I described above. It ended up about 5/16" thick. I have yet to place a crumpet on my clipboard, but I would not hesitate to do so should the Queen come calling one fine afternoon.

-- Russ

[paoloberno]

Why not plywood? It is stronger, stiffer than a panel of solid wood and there is less work to do...

You can buy it already veneered with your favourite hardwood or you can veneer it yourself, in this case you can also add an inlay...

[duckkisser]

we use ply wood at work it is strong and can be very nice looking. people think that ply is cheap but realy its stronger and more stable then hardwood. another option is to make a woven bottom made from woven strips of this wood. i have seen a plan that makes a tray with sloped sides that is cut on the table saw.

[chicks82]

My wife has requested that I make for her a tea service tray out of wood. Seems like something that could be really pretty. Her idea is to have a thin bottom and raised sides; the side made of a maple-walnut-maple sandwich. Does that make sense, or do I need to draw a picture?

I'm guessing it needs to be about 30 inches by 16 inches (rectangular, probably, but oval-y would be cool) and be able to lift at least 2 pounds (of tea, crumpets and porcelain).

But I am having trouble conceptualizing the bottom of the tray. My intuition is that plywood will be ugly and that real wood will be pretty (-er). But how does one get a large, thin piece of hardwood? Joining two pieces of, say, 1/4 inch maple is hard/impossible, I think.

Thanks in advance (and please be gentle), folks.

I have created something just like this. I don't have any pictures of the tea tray but i do have pictures of the sake set that i made using the same concept. Here is a link to the images http://tinyurl.com/3m5kjqo

[areynoldsre]

I am designing a serving tray and it going to have solid wood sides but the bottom is going to be 1/4" plywood (red oak - a scrap left over from a book case back) with a hardwood veneer (right now I've got some walnut veneer that looks like a possibility). The edges of the ply will be hidden in a rabbit, it will never cup, and with a coat of varnish it will never warp no matter how much tea gets spilled on it.

I expect it will hold a pot of tea, two cups, milk, sugar and 2 scones.

[tombuhl]

Is there something magic about 1/4 inch thickness? You can approach it similar to a drawer bottom except you will have it contained in all four edges. Have the panel floating so that solid wood movement can have a bit of room. For a bit more support you can glue an inch or so in the middle of the end grain edges, being sure to center the panel, thus movement will go in each direction across the grain in the other axis.

Attached photos are serving trying I've made with solid wood bottoms, plenty strong. Don't remember, but probably 3/8 inch thick, with a bit of a rabbet to fit into a 1/4 inch groove all sides. These trays were edge glued but not other reinforcement required. They are about 20 x 14. I'd suggest going 3/8 just for a bit more strength unless that is out of the question. Within the tray I can't say one would be aware of the difference between 1/4 and 3/8 other than it being a bit more solid if you did side by side comparison.

Plywood is much easier. For something special you want a quality plywood which typically will not be at the big box stores, but readily available at hardwood dealers, or outlets serving contractors doing cabinet work. Keep in mind that 1/4 inch ply is not 1/4 thick. Typically about 1/32 less, but there is no standard, so measure before cutting your grooves.

Hardwood is satisfying, but more effort.

Good luck with your project

[emccrory]

You folks are awesome! All of these ideas/suggestions/pointers are excellent.

A crazy veneer on plywood might be stunning. And a hardwood bottom (with splines and stuff) would, in fact, work.

Charles, the tinyurl to picassa says "Sorry. The page was not found." The resolved url contains the phrase "locked=true".

Tom, I'm going to show your pix to my wife and we will iterate from there.

[Screamer777]

I think it is all about looks. The ladies won't get oohhh and ahhh about plain plywood bottoms. Even if it has some veneer on it, it is not the same as good ole hardwood. They want some nice looking wood. Quilted maple would be very nice. The quilted look will give the tray a nice looking finish. And it would be unique...one of it's kind. THAT is what the lady's looking after. They do not like if somebody else wear the same dress as they do..

Here is a link to a nice looking tray. However they use ply for the bottom. But you can alter that.......

http://americanwoodworker.com/blogs/projects/archive/2010/02/10/serving-tray.aspx

[chicks82]

You folks are awesome! All of these ideas/suggestions/pointers are excellent.

A crazy veneer on plywood might be stunning. And a hardwood bottom (with splines and stuff) would, in fact, work.

Charles, the tinyurl to picassa says "Sorry. The page was not found." The resolved url contains the phrase "locked=true".

Tom, I'm going to show your pix to my wife and we will iterate from there.

Sorry about that. I fixed it. Since google release Google+ to the masses they changed all the permissions on my Picasa albums. New link http://tinyurl.com/3m5kjqo

[duckkisser]

I have created something just like this. I don't have any pictures of the tea tray but i do have pictures of the sake set that i made using the same concept. Here is a link to the images http://tinyurl.com/3m5kjqo

i realy like this project did you make the cups and pitcher yourself?

[chicks82]

i realy like this project did you make the cups and pitcher yourself?

No my best friend works in ceramics and those are one of the things he throws. I have a tea pot that has the same kind of case.

He sells the sake sets for 65 i get them for 50 and i make the boxes and sell the whole thing for 150 - 200 depending on what i use for the box. The pictures shown are of my prototype haha so the joints are a little off. I now have jigs set up to make them quickly and to keep the joints tight.