Page 2, Serving Tray Go back to Page 1. Go to Page 3. Go to Page 4.

Open the now separate parts like the pages of a book- and you have a "bookmatched" set of boards. Straighten the two edges at the center of the panel on the table saw or with a jointer, and glue the two together as in photo 4. Once the bottom is out of clamps, belt sand it smooth, or use a hand plane.

Photo 4- Edge glue the thin parts together for the tray bottom. The edges that get glued must be straight to get a good glue bond. If they are not straight, make numerous very small cuts on the edges of the boards at the table saw, flipping the board between each cut so the freshly cut edge rides against the fence for the next cut. This will gradually straighten the edges.

Cut a large bevel onto the outer edges of the side pieces to begin the shaping of the rounded surface on each of them. Since the blade on my saw tilts toward the fence when the fence is to its right, I found it best to move the fence to the left of the blade and make the cut as shown in photo 5. Had I left the fence on the right, the blade would have been tilted very close to the fence, making it harder to complete the cut safely. Always use a push stick on cuts of this kind.

Photo 5- Cutting the bevel on the tray sides. Keep that push stick close by so you can grab it half way through the cut and put it on the work to finish the cut. Push sticks are not a luxury when doing this kind of work on the table saw, they are a safety necessity.

How much of a bevel do you cut off at the saw? Sketch the curved profile that you want to achieve on the end of one of the pieces, and set up the blade to graze the edge of your drawn curve.