DOVETAILED SERVING TRAY

A minimalist server that delivers big

- Derek Richmond

The inspiration for making this serving tray came from our living room ottoman. In a house with two rambunctious children, the leather ottoman works better in front of our couch than a coffee table. It offers good storage for games, a comfy surface for weary feet, and soft corners to absorb the inevitable collision. But that soft top makes it less than ideal as a serving surface. Hence the need for a tray.

Made from just four pieces of wood, the design is quite simple with a spare aesthetic that pleases my minimalistic sensibilities. The serving panels are joined to the full-width handles with sliding dovetails. The handles extend below the panels to also serve as feet, giving the tray a wide, stable stance. The tray's low profile makes it easy to store (usually right inside the ottoman) while its outward curves provide plenty of serving surface. The majority of the build happens at the router table where a handful of bits (see Buyers Guide, p. 60) make both shaping the handles and cutting the joinery straightforward operations. I made my tray entirely from quartersawn sycamore, bookmatching the panels for symmetry. Feel free, however, to substitute any hardwood to suit your tastes and even consider selecting contrasting species for a two-tone look.

Simple style in a tasteful tray

The serving portion of the tray is made of a pair of book-matched panels connected to the handles with sliding dovetails. The gap between the panel pieces mitigates seasonal movement and adds visual interest to the tray. The handles also act as feet, spanning the width of the tray to give plenty of stability. The large coves routed along their lower edges provide good purchase for lifting as well as visually lightening the pieces. The convex curves along the tray's edges add serving space along with a certain aesthetic flair.

Order of Work

• Form handles