Mrs G is doing a flower show in May and one of the requirements for a submission is a serving tray. Maximum size is 22” X 20” and she wanted this design. It’s 21-7/8” X 19-7/8” at the top outermost edges.
This tray is the first time I’ve done compound mitered corners. After a couple practice runs, it went very smoothly. The miters are tight; the glue up went pretty smoothly and the bottom…well, the bottom is what she wants.
To simplify the glue up, I taped beveled offcuts to the sides to recreate a square face for the band clamps.
The material for the bottom is reclaimed beadboard from cabinets Mrs G’s Dad had built in 1999. The cabinets were used at our farm home until renovations in 2020. Lots of sentimental value and family memories.
The sides are Florida Cypress.
I’ve got another small one in clamps at the moment. Once I figured out the process, it goes about as quickly as making the main parts of a regular box.
Originally, I thought I’d make the angle 12-1/2 degrees. But hitting the gap between 12 and 13 is just guessing so I settled on 12. I made a setup block from a piece roughly 10” X 3” X 3”. This way, setting the miter fence for the bevel is easy and completely repeatable. Whatever angle is used for the top and bottom bevels is the same angle used for the ends of the frame parts, along with a 45 degree miter for the square corners.
Thanks y’all. The little one just came out of the clamps. Needs a little clean up but the joints couldn’t be any tighter. Different purpose, so no hand hold.
Very nice tray. Those compound corners can be tough!! Smart idea on the tapered scabs to make the sides square for clamping!!!
Thank you. Another trick I developed during this glue up was to use those cheap little plastic spring clamps to hold the strap in position while getting the glue up ready. They worked great for this because they’re strong enough to set the strap at the proper height around the sides before it’s snug but weak enough to let the strap slide tight as you cinch it down. It eliminated the frustration I’ve dealt with in the past on larger frames.
Gary - nice tip on using the spring clamps. I always feel like an extra hand (or two) would be helpful in the midst of glueup stress (and often distress!).
Nice trays Gary. I know from the past getting those corners crisp is like putting crown molding in a room really out of square. It's doable, but it can drive you nuts getting there.
So…for the small container, we’re sending our grandson some Easter treats. I wanted a friction fit lid for it. I marked the underside of the lid with an offcut from a side hoping this would give me the position to glue the cleats. Guess it worked:
