Make your outdoor entertaining a little easier with this folding serving-tray table inspired by the experts of professional entertainment: caterers. Just like the equipment used by these hospitality professionals, this project includes both a stand and a removable tray.
This project is tailored to those who want to mill their own lumber in simple ways. The tray and table are made with two cedar 5⁄4 x 6" x 10' deck boards. Cedar lends itself well to milling in the home workshop because it’s so soft. The 1" thickness of 5⁄4 stock also offers more options than standard 3⁄4" lumber. Even a small tablesaw is up to the job. Select straight boards with few knots and an even grain pattern, then allow the wood to sit indoors for a couple of weeks so the moisture content stabilizes.
Download the serving-tray table plans here!
Materials needed:
(All wooden parts made from cedar, measurements are T x W x L*)
For the tray
Front/back (2): 7/8" x 2 1/2" x 32"
Handle ends (2): 7/8" x 4" x 15 1/8"
Slats (11): 1/4" x 2 1/2" x 16 1/16"
For the stand
Legs (4): 7/8" x 5 1/2" x 30"
Short stretchers (2): 7/8" x 1 1/4" x 26 1/2"
Long stretchers (2): 7/8" x 1 1/4" x 28 1/4"
Hardware
1"-thick x 4'-long nylon strap
1/4" x 1 1/2" brass machine screws (2)
1/4" stainless nylock nuts (2)
1/4" brass flat washers (6)
#6 x 1/2" brass pan-head screws (8)
#8 x 1/2" deck screws (8)
*Length indicates grain direction
Getting started
Begin by cutting your wood to length for the tray frame. You’ll need one piece 32" long, and two more at 151⁄8". Joint and plane these pieces to a final thickness of 7⁄8", then move to the tablesaw. First, rip off any of the factory-rounded edges that may be left on the boards, then rip the 32"-long piece into two strips (21⁄2" wide each) for the front and back parts. Trim the shorter pieces to 4" wide for the handle ends. Mark the centre on one short piece of wood, and lay out the desired shape of your handle on the board with a pencil. Cut with a bandsaw, staying on the waste side of the line. Sand to final shape.
Use this piece to lay out the cuts for the handle on the other workpiece, and cut it using the same technique. Once you have both handles cut, stack the boards together to make sure they’re symmetrical. Sand more if you need to true up any surfaces. It is important that the ends of the handle ends taper down to match the 21⁄2" width of the front and back pieces.
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