The Woodworker & Woodturner – September 2019

http://www.getwoodworking.com September 2019 The Woodworker & Good Woodworking 87

Fig.2 Oval tapas tray dimensions

the handle brackets can now be finished flush

to the tray.

Three coats of food-safe finishing oil, applied

24 hours apart and rubbed down between each

coat, produces a pleasing finish – and, in this case,

a smiley wife! Dishes are of course optional. The

addition of small feet can also help to give the

tray a lift and emphasise its elegant shape.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Dishes available from:

Cooking Fantastic at The Cud Life

Tel: 01423 565 855

Web: http://www.cookingfantastic.co.uk

There are many options for handles, but if
using tubing, cut to length to fit just within the
outside width of the handle brackets. Turned
’T’ shaped plugs fit inside the tubing with the
plug tops coming up snug against the outside
of the handle brackets. These can then be
fixed in place using epoxy resin.

OVAL TAPAS TRAY
An oval tray, using Fig.2, offers an interesting
variation. The one shown is made from American
white ash with sycamore handle brackets and
African blackwood ’T’ plugs.

Handle brackets

As before, use a template for the basic shape

and for the handle brackets. The handle brackets

are also slightly thinner at 6mm, which facilitates

easier fitting around the gentle curves. Careful

positioning of the clamps is needed to achieve

perfectly equal spaces for the handles. A trial

dry fitting establishes the correct placements.

Make pencil marks where the handle brackets

part company with the curve of the tray and with

the cramps removed, round over the open ends

of the tray up to the pencil marks before gluing

the handle brackets in place. The central part of