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| by:
Paul Lewis
photos: Roger Yip
illustration: Len Churchill |
BATHING BEAUTY |
| This
beautiful bath tray keeps even the largest collection of toiletries
high and dry |
One of the
items on my growing list of renovation plans is to gut the downstairs
bathroom and replace the modern fixtures with their vintage
counterparts. While searching online for an old-fashioned clawfoot
tub, I turned up a wire bath rack designed to span the old roll-top
beauties. Here’s my version, built from redwood, with enough
storage space for even the most well-equipped bather.
Getting Started
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| This
redwood bath tray solves the storage challenge posed
by antique-style clawfoot tubs |
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Start this
project with a 8" x 40" board that has been planed to 7/8" thick.
Crosscut a 30" section of your board to make the ribs and stretchers.
Reserve the offcut to make the sides later. With your tablesaw
fence set at 7/8", rip the two stretchers. With the blade tilted
to 18° from square, cut the angled top of each stretcher. After
crosscutting the remaining stock to 20", adjust the fence to
1/2" and rip the five pieces for the ribs. Once cut, use a hand
plane to cut a 1/16" chamfer on all the edges.
Side Orders
Plane the
10" offcut to 1/2" thick to use for the sides. The finished
appearance and strength of this project relies on accurately
crafting the side pieces. Lay out the pattern on paper first,
then stick it to the wood blank with peelable spray adhesive.
Use a bandsaw to cut out the curved shapes, staying just outside
the layout line.
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| Brass
pins fixed in place with polyurethane glue are left
long and sanded flush |
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Now sand the sides to their final size using a disc sander.
Cut the notches for the ribs and stretchers on the bandsaw using
the sequence illustrated. Cut the shelf to size now.
Assembly
Sand
all the pieces before assembly. Using polyurethane glue, attach
the stretchers first, then flip the tray over and position the
ribs. A wrap of surgical tubing around each end will hold everything
in place while the glue cures.
Strengthen Each Joint
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| CLICK
ABOVE TO ENLARGE |
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While glue
alone would probably be strong enough, I added brass pins to
all the joints. These ensure the tray will stay together and
add jewel-like details to the project. To install a pin in a
joint, drill a 1/8" hole about 1 1/2" deep. Slather some glue
on the end of the brass rod and insert it into one of the holes.
Using a hacksaw, trim the rod off 1/16" above the surface. Once
the glue has cured, grind the protruding rod flush with a random
orbit sander.
| You
Will Need |
| Part |
Size |
Qty. |
| Sides |
1/2"
x 4" x 7" |
2 |
| Stretchers |
7/8"
x 7/8" x 30" |
2 |
| Ribs |
1/2"
x 7/8" x 20" |
5 |
| Shelf |
1/2"
x 5 3/8" x 7" |
1 |
| Pins
(brass) |
1/8"
x 1 1/2" |
4 |
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Lasting Finish
The
bathtub is probably the harshest environment a wooden project
will ever be exposed to, so seal it accordingly. Four coats
of satin polyurethane create a barrier against moisture. Now
it’s just a matter of drawing the bath, closing the door, and
slipping under the suds for a warm soak.
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