Bathtub tray

TOH general contractor Tom Silva and TOH host Kevin O'Connor construct a slatted zebrawood caddy to hold grooming essentials, a book, and even a glass of wine, for those who like a long soak

- ROB WOTZAK

Who knew that trays for holding bath-time accessories were so popular? Certainly not Tom or Kevin, at least not until Tom's daughter and daughter-in-law suggested that he come up with a better alternative to the ones they used at home. In addition to greater water resistance, the women's extensive field tests determined that the ideal tray needed to be less narrow, so that items wouldn't topple into the tub. As a bonus, Tom routed a recess for a wineglass to prevent it from taking a dive.

Besides offering the freedom to size the tray to a specific tub, this project presents an opportunity to experiment with an exotic water-resistant hardwood. Attracted to the striped pattern for which it's named, Tom chose African zebrawood. He discovered that the interlocking grain was prone to splintering unless his blades and bits were razor-sharp.

Zebrawood and other woods worth considering, including mahogany, teak, ipe, and tigerwood, can be found at specialty hardwood stores, premium decking stores, or online. Remember to order at least 15 percent more stock than the project requires. This extra gives you the opportunity to cut parts so that they take advantage of the grain and recover from any mistakes that happen along the way.

STEP-BY-STEP

1] Cut the parts to size. After measuring your tub side to side, use a table saw to rip the parts to width, referring to the cut list at thisoldhouse.com. Make an extra rail for test cuts. Use a miter saw to cut the parts to length (see Tip), but leave the rails about an extra 1/2 inch long.