Tray Tables – Assemble Bases

Today, fellow woodworkers, we will complete the building of the table bases and attach them to the table trays.  First up: make the leg mount blocks.

I mill out the small blocks that will become the leg mount blocks using the same steps I always do; jointing 2 faces, planning one face, rip to width, cut to length.  Then I need to round over most of the edges on these blocks.  The blocks are small and holding them by hand puts my fingers far too close to the high speed cutter of the router table so I use a small wooden hand clamp to hold the blocks.

Once they are shaped I drill the pilot hole, sand, pre-finish the face inside the leg pivot.  Before I attach the blocks to the top of the legs I must modify some screws.  The ideal size for this task would be 1 5/8” screws; I’ve not been able to find a supplier of 1 5/8” wood screws, so I shorten 1 ¾” screws by grinding off 1/8” and repointing them.

Then I take the spreaders I roughed out yesterday and use the template and a flush-trim bit in the router table to dress up the rough edges left by the band saw; the bearing on the router bit rides on the template and cuts the part to the exact same shape.

When all of the spreaders are shaped, I put the round-over bit back in the router and round the long edges of the spreaders and the latch-tab hole.  Then I cut the spreaders to finished length.

Next I set up my end-drilling jig on the drill press, get it positioned just where I need it to be and clamp it down tight.  Now I’m ready to drill deep pilot holes in the ends of the spreaders.  Because these are end-grain, and end grain tears out easily, I use at least 2” screws here.

With all the prep work done I finish sand the spreaders and mount them to the legs with screws.

As I assemble each base I glue in shop-made screw hole plugs made from scraps from this project for a better color match.  Then the base is set aside to let the glue set up a bit while I work on assembling the next base.

When all bases are assembles and plugged, I go back to the first one, trim off the screw hole plug stumps and sand smooth.

Finally, I am ready to glue and clamp the leg mount blocks to the under sides of the trays.  I seat each aside as I get them completed and will let the glue set up overnight.

Join me tomorrow when I make the latch blocks and stand.  See you then!

I’m getting quite a few requests from customers to know the status of pieces they’be ordered.  Below is the production list.

Still on the List:

4 Cherry Tray Tables with Stand for Tina - In Progress

2 Walnut Tray Tables with Stand for Jacklyn

4-Tier Bottle Stopper Rack – Standard

----- Christmas Delivery Cut-Off ------

Utility Trailer Make-Over for David B. In Progress but Stalled

4 Tray Tables, All Walnut with stand for Shelly

Walnut Steamer Trunk for David B.

3-Tier Bottle Stopper Rack, all red Oak for Donna

4-Tier Bottle Stopper Rack Cherry & Maple for David K.

2 3-Tier Bottle Stopper Racks (Standard) for Dan

REMINDER:  As of December 31^st, 2010 Smoky Mountain Woodworks will discontinue accepting custom woodworking orders.  Orders received by that date will be completed, but new custom orders will not be accepted.