# A Simple Serving Tray



## oldwoodenshoe (Nov 28, 2011)

Here are a couple of pictures of a large serving tray that I made for Christmas Presents. They are 18" x 24". Made from 6/4 Hard Maple and Walnut.

I cut the boards to 24" lengths. Ripped them into 1-3/4" wide strips. Squared up and smoothed the edges on a joiner plane. Glued them up to a 24" x 20" panel and sanded both the top and bottom smooth. Then I used a template to draw the inside pattern on the panel. I then used a drill press to hog out most of the material on the inside of the tray. I then taped my template to the top side of the panel with double sided masking tape. I then used a large home made base plate for my router (15" x 30" x 1/2" MDF) to bridge over the large opening in the template. I set my depth on my Bosch plunge router to the depth I wanted (leaving about 3/8" of material for the bottom) with a bearing guided dish cutting bit to finish hogging out the inside of the tray. I removed the template and then sanded the inside bottom of the tray smooth.

I then attached the outermost template to the bottom of the panel with double sided masking tape. I cut away most of the outside remaining material with my table saw, leaving about 1/4" to 3/8" of extra material on the panel. I then used a bearing guided template bit on my table mounted router to trim off the extra material from the outside of the tray. I removed the taped on template and sanded the outside of the panel edge smooth.

I then attached the template that is 3/4" larger than the inside template to the bottom of my panel with double sided masking tape. This leaves 3/8" thick walls all the way around the tray. I then used my bearing guided dish template on my table mounted router to remove the material under the handles and around the outside perimeter of the tray. I then removed this template and again sanded all surfaces smooth.

I then used a 5/32" round over bit to round all exposed edges both top and bottom. A final sanding finished the woodworking portion of the project. I then cleaned up the tray with a tack cloth and applied 3 coats of polyurethane as a finish, using steel wool and tack cloth between each coat.

I made three of these trays. One for each of my two sons families and one for my wife and I.


----------



## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Looks good Glenn
My be simple but I see a lot time spend, I am sure someone will be happy.


----------



## oldwoodenshoe (Nov 28, 2011)

Thanks,

Yes, it took more time than I expected too! I guess I don't work as fast anymore. :no: But I also don't make as many mistakes that way either.  As they say, work smarter, not harder. 

Glenn


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Geez, those are pretty, Glenn! 
I love the naturalness of the wood colour, esp. the Walnut.


----------



## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

Very nice and a great description of your method. Thanks.


----------



## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Very impressive Glenn.


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

That's really sharp . Did you make the template ?


----------



## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Very nice! ........Well worth all of the work


----------



## oldwoodenshoe (Nov 28, 2011)

Rick,

Thanks for the complement. I bought the template for the inside cut out. It was a half template (dissecting the oval). I remade it into a single template for the complete oval. I made the other two templates from it. I made the bottom template by tracing a path about 3/8" wider than the first template all the way around the oval. This made the wall thickness about 3/8". I then made the overall template by tracing 1" wider than the first template all the way around the oval. Then I used a french curve to elongate the ends to create the handles.

Glenn


----------



## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Great job, Glenn. Puts my meagre efforts to shame.


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

very nice Glenn...


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I was just thinking today that trays make good christmas presents. I like your design,mine have all been rectangular. this is similar to the router bowl technique. You did good selecting the woods they go good together. Good job, How did you sand the inside? that was always the most difficult operation on router bowls to sand the inside without gauging up the sides. They do have some sanding pads to put on a drill motor or drill press for that ,but when I used them the discs kept coming off and the backing put black skid marks on the wood. 
You say you went slow, but there is a lot of work involved in making those. Your kids will use those for years and everytime they do they will think of you.

Herb


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Herb; take a look at the autobody supply places, they have some really neat sanding stuff!
https://www.kmstools.com/gemtex-3-blue-roll-on-surface-prep-disc-fine-9077


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Herb...
look to a Fien MultiMaster...


----------



## oldwoodenshoe (Nov 28, 2011)

Herb,

I sanded the inside bottom with my Bosch 6" ROS. I made sure that I didn't get into the 1/4" radius of the edge formed by the dish cutter bit. Using the ROS made a very smooth inside bottom surface. This tray is large enough (~15" x 20" oval inside bottom) that I could use the ROS on it. I used a hand held 3/8" drill with a sanding cup to do the inside sides. Again, I was very careful not to get into the 1/4" radius of the sides to bottom. I then hand sanded (just a small piece of sandpaper formed around my fingers) the inside sides to inside bottom radius. I also hand sanded the inside sides to top 5/32" radius and the outside sides to the underside of the bottom and underside of the lip. I used a 1/4 sheet palm held pad sander on the top lip surface.

Sometimes, there is no easy way to make a good smooth surface other than hand sanding. This was one of those times. It takes longer than power sanders, but the end result is worth the time.

Glenn


----------



## Wood Chip (Apr 10, 2011)

Outstanding in both design and execution. Not to mention the detailed instructions. Thank you for taking the time to make them and to explain them!


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Thanks Glenn, Dan and Stick for the sanding tips. I did similar to what you did Glenn,but couldn't get the ROS inside the bowls. and my sanding disc on the drill motor kept getting away from me and touching the inside radius, just made more work to get those scars acceptable and the forstner bit pilot holes in the field were hard to remove too as I remember. That was before MT,(Multi-Tool), Stick, but that would probably do the trick, OOOH NOO another tool. 
I finally got some of those scalloped sanding discs they worked great until they came off the pad. Sanding is my nemesis. 
But your trays came out really nice Glenn, I can appreciate the effort you put into them.

Herb


----------



## oldwoodenshoe (Nov 28, 2011)

Herb,

Thanks. Coming from you that is a real compliment. Your work is always beautiful!.

I pretty much solved the deep pilot holes on the forstner bits by using the 35mm Rockler hinge cup forstner bits. The pilot on their 35mm hinge cup bit is much shorter than any other that I have seen. They are still there, but not nearly as deep (~0.125 longer than surface cutter). Consequently, not nearly as much additional depth needs to be taken out by the dish cutter router bit to rid yourself of the pilot holes. 

I also have a digital depth gauge on my drill press. I used it to make sure my forstner bit did not go to deep as I hogged out the bulk of the inside of the tray. Interesting, after my first couple of holes with the forstner bit, drilling out to the same .001" depth, I could feel when my drill press reached the same depth as the previous hole. With the overlapping holes, there was a noticeable difference in the force on the drill press depth handle when I reached the additional surface area that was drilled out on the previous hole. Maybe my forstner bit isn't as sharp as it once was, hence the additional force required to drill too deep. But I kind of liked being able to feel when the bit reached its bottom point. Made it easier to control. So I have no intent on sharpening that bit any time soon.

Glenn


----------



## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Very nice Glen.


----------



## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Seen the thread several times, just didn't get around to checking it out til tonight. Prior to looking, thought, serving tray. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I thought, good idea for some of the leftovers I have. Might do this, maybe that, perhaps 1 or 3 of those. 

Then tonight I finally looked in to check it out. It ain't flashy, it ain't artsy, its simple and straight forward. and dang. it is REALLY nice! I like that, just how it is. 

Well done Glenn


----------



## Billy Boy (Mar 4, 2012)

Great tray, Glen. I am still not sure how you got the two different levels on the tray? Can you tell me simply how you did that? Thanks, Billy Boy, Bill Major


----------



## oldwoodenshoe (Nov 28, 2011)

> Seen the thread several times, just didn't get around to checking it out til tonight. Prior to looking, thought, serving tray. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I thought, good idea for some of the leftovers I have. Might do this, maybe that, perhaps 1 or 3 of those.
> 
> Then tonight I finally looked in to check it out. It ain't flashy, it ain't artsy, its simple and straight forward. and dang. it is REALLY nice! I like that, just how it is.
> 
> Well done Glenn


Thanks Bill. I like the simple, but elegant look also!




> Great tray, Glen. I am still not sure how you got the two different levels on the tray? Can you tell me simply how you did that? Thanks, Billy Boy, Bill Major


Bill,

I am not exactly sure what you are asking. I thought I explained how this was done in the original post. But this is a rephrase of those instructions. 

There are three different templates that are used. They are:
1. A rectangular template with an oval opening that is the finished oval size of the inside of the tray.
2. An elongated oval shaped template that is the overall shape of the outside of the finished tray.
3. An oval shaped template that is exactly 3/8" larger in all directions (3/4" larger overall) than the inside cutout of template #1 above.

You also will need to either make a large base plate for your router to bridge over template 1 to finish cutting out the inside bowl shape or you can use a large router table and cut out your inside with the your template down against the router table.

I used rectangular template with an oval shaped opening (template 1) that I taped to the top of the panel of glued up strips of Hard Maple and Walnut. This template was made of 1/2" MDF. The opening is exactly the same size as the finished inside of the tray. I drilled/hogged out most of the material within the inside of the template with a forstner bit in my drill press so that I wouldn't have so much material to cut out with my router. You have to be careful not to drill to deeply.

Then I made a large rectangular router base plate (15"x32"x1/2" MDF) for my plunge router base. This large router base plate allows my router to bridge the template, side to side without falling through. I mounted my router into the plunge base with the large base plate. I used a bearing guided dish cutter bit like this one. Katana® Bowl and Tray Dish / Cutter Router Bits
I adjusted the bit down until the bearing would fully contact the inside of the template. I then routed away the left over material. I lowered my router bit a little deeper and routed away more of the excess material. Eventually my router bit would not reach any lower. I then extended the bit by using a muscle chuck. This allowed me to reach down to the bottom of the tray. I left about 3/8" of material for the bottom. As the bowl and dish cutter bit goes further into the tray, eventually the bearing will be riding on the inside of the tray instead of on the template. Because this bearing is exactly the same size as the diameter of the bit, the tray itself will eventually become the template. I then removed this template.

I then made a solid elongated template (template 2) out of 1/2"MDF that is the shape of the overall tray. I taped this to the bottom of the glued up panel. I used my table saw to get rid of most of the excess material. I then used my router table with a bearing guided trim bit to trim away the excess material to the shape of the template. The bearing rides on the outside of the template. This left the panel with the exact overall shape of the finished tray. I then removed this template.

To make the lip style handle, I made a solid oval shaped template (template 3) out of 1/2" MDF that was 3/8" bigger on all sides (3/4" overall bigger) than the inside opening. This was used to create the 3/8" wall thickness. I taped this template to the bottom side of my panel being careful to keep it centered with the inside cut out. I used my table mounted router with the bearing guided dish bit to trim away the excess material from the outside of the template and to form the handles. I then removed this template.

I then used bearing guided 5/32" round over bit on my router table on all exposed edges, top and bottom, to round the edges.

I hope this answers your question.

Glenn


----------

