Little Project: Tea Tray

[Keefaz]

Hi, folks!

It's not very impressive, but it's nice to get something practical under my belt.

It's a tea tray for carrying stuff to and from the kitchen. The sides are B&Q banana pine which I rounded over with the router. The bottom is el cheapo ply set into a groove which I cut using a Stanley 13-050 combi plane. I went for the keyed mitres after suggestions on here, and I think they worked out well. The keys are from a scrap of walnut I had lying around.

 

[Philly]

Very nice!!
Love the keyed mitres - a smart touch.
Keep up the good work,
Philly

 

[Waka]

Keefz

Nothing wrong with that, you shouldn't put your work down.

 

[Bean]

Excellent those keyed mitres are the business, very classy

 

[Paul.J]

Hello Keefaz.
That's a very nice tray.
Nice job on the mitres.
Shouldn't it be for carrying stuff too and from the workshop :wink:
Paul.J.

 

[DaveL]

Very useful thing to make. I made a coffee tray, as I can't stand tea. didn't have those splines which set your off. \/

How have you finished it, trays lead a hard life. :-k

 

[Keefaz]

Hello Keefaz.
That's a very nice tray.
Nice job on the mitres.
Shouldn't it be for carrying stuff too and from the workshop :wink:
Paul.J.

You're probably right, but it's nice to show the missus something that doesn't make her go, 'So, you've spent all this money on tools to make something to hold all your tools?'

DaveL: I've applied 3 coats of tough polyurathane, but even that, I suspect, may not be enough. I'll see how it goes, I guess.

 

[Chris Knight]

Keefaz,
That's a nice tray and the splined mitres worked out very well.

 

[houtslager]

nice and simple, clean lines. Well done there

 

[syntec4]

Yep, I like it too. Especially the keyed Mitres. Well done. Lee.

 

[dedee]

Keefaz,
how did yo cut the slots for those splines? Are they just a saw kerf width?

Andy

 

[Gary S]

Looks good to me - just goes to show that you don't need expensive materials to make something that's attractive and practical.

The walnut splines are a touch of genius and really lift the piece - without them it would be a 'nice tray' but IMHO they make the piece just that bit more special.

 

[woodbloke]

That's a good looking tray. You definitely need something to reinforce a mitred joint and a spline in a contrasting timber works very well, its how I do all my picture frames. Three coats of poly should make the tray pretty much bullet proof - Rob

 

[Keefaz]

Keefaz,
how did yo cut the slots for those splines? Are they just a saw kerf width?

Andy

That's right. The cuts looked a bit ragged and I cleaned them up a little with a few strokes of sandpaper, but once the splines were glued in and cleaned up with a block plane they looked good. I think the trick is to cut the keys so they're a good tight fit in the slot.

 

[greggy]

oh s**t, thanks keefaz swmbo as just seen your tray and wants one. she says its lovely, and i agree. well done mate.

 

[Benchwayze]

I can't add much really.

It's a cracking bit of work and you shouldn't knock your efforts.


Happy Chipping.
John

 

[lucky9cat]

Keefaz

If you can turn a piece of "B&Q banana pine" into something as pleasing as this i'm looking forward to your next project. Nice one.

Cheers, Ted