Solid-walnut serving tray

 Inspired by an antique milk crate, TOH general contractor Tom Silva and TOH host Kevin O'Connor use box joints to assemble this simple but smart-looking project

- ROB WOTZAK

W hen looking for ideas for new woodworking projects, Tom is often inspired by construction details he spots on everyday objects from the past. In this case, he drew up a plan for a serving tray that relies on the same sturdy joinery found on wood boxes from a century or more ago. Tom likes the box joint because it triples the surface area-and holding power-of a plain butt joint, but it's much simpler than its fancier sibling, the dovetail. "It's kind of cool because it doesn't hide anything-it shows off the entire joint," Kevin says, checking out the old milk crate that was Tom's inspiration.

Tom made this serving tray from 12-inch-thick walnut, but you could use any wood you like. Before building the tray, you'll need to make a table-saw sled and a custom jig to help space out the identical cuts that make the box joints fit snugly together. You'll also need a template for the handled sides.

Once the tray is complete, you'll want to sand the joints flush and ease the edges along the sides. After that, there are lots of finish options to protect the wood; Tom used mineral oil, but any food-safe wax or oil will work. Many food-safe oil finishes include beeswax, which gives the oil more body, extends the time between applications, and adds a nice floral aroma to the finish. For a more durable, long-lasting finish, you could use a drying oil, such as tung oil, as long as it doesn't contain any harmful additives and is labeled nontoxic.

MATERIALS

1x8 pine, 72 inches long 12×8 walnut, 72 inches long 3/4x4 plywood, 14 inches long 2×4 scrap, 4 inches long CA glue (a.k.a. superglue) wood glue four 2-inch No. 8 wood screws mineral oil or another food-safe oil

TOOLS