Summer is the season to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Why not leave the dining-room table empty and enjoy some meals under the sun on a backyard patio or deck? When preparing for such a meal, frequent trips from the kitchen can be an inconvenient task. To make dining alfresco easier, I built this double-decker tray from solid cherry and 1⁄4"-thick Baltic birch plywood. Details such as the finger joints and a removable divider in the lower tray spice up this project. When the weather turns chilly, you could even use it for an indoor dinner party.
Download the stacked cutlery tray plans here!
Materials for the lower tray
4 Material Size (T x W x L*) Qty. Ends cherry 5/8" x 5" x 12" 2 Sides cherry 5/8" x 2 3/4" x 16" 2 Bottom Baltic birch ply 6 mm x 11 3/16" x 15 3/16" 1 Divider ends cherry 3/8" x 2" x 14 11/16" 2 Tray dividers cherry 3/8" x 2" x 10 3/16"
Materials for the upper trayEnds cherry 5/8" x 2 1/4" x 12" 2 Sides cherry 5/8" x 2 1/4" x 14 11/16" 2 Bottom Baltic birch ply 6 mm x 11 3/16" x 13 13/16" 1 Handle cherry 5/8" x 4" x 13 7/8" 1 Cleats cherry 3/8" x 5/8" x 13 3/8" 2 Brass clasps Lee Valley #00D82.31 4
*Length indicates grain direction
Prepare your stock
Begin by planing your material to the thicknesses listed—mainly down to 5⁄8", with some 3⁄8"-thick stock for the lower tray dividers. Those of you without a planer can work around the dimensions of the stock you have on hand; you’ll just need to adjust the rest of the measurements accordingly.
The finger joints (also known as box joints) in the tray’s corners can be completed with hand tools, but you can achieve perfect results in a short time with a dado blade mounted in a tablesaw and a simple jig. The jig slides in the mitre gauge slot on top of the tablesaw. Before you try out your jig on this project, prepare test cuts on scrap wood to make sure you’ll get a perfect fit. There are a few tips to help you succeed.
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