TV Trays - Completing Trays

Hello fellow woodwork fans!  Today we will continue with making the all walnut TV Tray table set for Jacklyn.

I started off the morning by rabbeting the bottom of the backer panels so that the panel assembly fits into the groove in the side rails.  I use a cut-off of the panel trimming process to fine tune the set-up until I get a perfect fit.  Then I rabbet all for edges of both panel assemblies.

Then I sand the panel assemblies; both the backer board and the ribbon panel.  I  sand the ribbon panel to 180 grit, the backer to 120.  The backer is the bottom of the table and will not be seen much.  The ribbon panel in the other hand is pretty much the focal point of the table.

When the sanding is done, I tack-rag the assembly and pre-finish the long grain edges of the ribbon panels.  This is to prevent a strip of raw wood from being exposed when the panel shrinks up in dry weather.  I am careful not to get the lacquer anywhere I will need to apply glue.

While the lacquer is drying I attach my rail cutting fixture to my cut-off saw, tune it, and get ready to cut the rails.  I label the rails as I cut them to keep the pieces in sequential order so the grain flows around the table in an unbroken pattern.  To help this, I take off as little wood as possible in mitering the rail ends. 

I watch my labels as I test fit the rails to the panels.  Slipping the rails into place, then draw them tight at the corners.  If I’ve done my set-up properly they should be a perfect fit – and they are!  Don’t you just love it when things work out?

Leaving the rails in place I take the tray into the assembly room, remove one rail piece at a time, very carefully apply glue with a small brush and put the rail piece back in place before removing the next one.  The rails are too delicate to allow screws or even nails, so these glue joints must be perfect.

Once all the gluing is done I work quickly to get the clamps in place.  I must draw the corners up tight and pull in the middles of each rail to be sure any bowing of the rails is removed.  These thin pieces tend to bow a little during milling, if the y bow in at the middle, the backer panels will push it out, if it bows out, the clamp is needed to be sure the joint between rail and panel are properly bonded all the way around.  I’ll leave the clamps in place overnight to give the glue a chance to harden well before I finish shaping the tray.

Lunch Time!

After lunch, I get back to making parts.  I start by shaping the leg mount blocks and making the latch blocks.  These latch blocks are actually quite complicated and take most of the afternoon to complete.

The evening is spent drilling pilot holes and counterbores in the legs and rounding off the ends, then cutting the rest of the parts to finished size and cutting the handle and feet for the stand to shape.

And that is going to use up another day.

Still on the List:

4 Cherry Tray Tables with Stand for Tina - In Transit

4-Tier Bottle Stopper Rack - Standard - In Transit

2 Walnut Tray Tables with Stand for Jacklyn - In Progress

Cutting Board Holder - Marie B.

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

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

4 Tray Tables, All Walnut (custom size) 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.

3-Tier Bottle Stopper Rack (Standard) for Dan G.

REMINDER:  As of December 31st, 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.