Tea Tray

This tea tray, commissioned by a friend, is crafted from walnut and measures approximately 17.25" × 2.25" × 13". The dimensions were determined to accommodate a plastic insert that sits inside to catch water. Construction follows a standard mitered-box approach, but the interior rounded corners added considerable time because the rabbets and radiused corners had to be cut using templates and a trim router for both the top and bottom. I also incorporated 4" pockets in the frame on either side to serve as handles. The top and bottom panels are glue-ups made from three walnut boards each; I removed the lighter heartwood and grain-matched the pieces. The top panel is slightly thicker at about 3/8", while the bottom is 1/4" thick. I engraved and cut the top panel with a design supplied by my friend, which had originally been commissioned from another friend—the five images depict the tea-making process. The tray is finished with a single coat of Rubio Monocoat Pure and a Blacktail Studio N3 nano ceramic coating.