Cute Wooden Snack Tray

Important disclamier: Chips/crisps is not included in this instructable.

Thank you for starting to read this instructable. I hope you will enjoy your stay. I will try to make this short and effective. You can make theese trays in different sizes and shapes. They are pretty easy to make (if you have a bandsaw), but look awesome or cute and they are great gifts or presents.

Sorry for the quality of pictures. If this gets to be a habit, I need to get a better camera and lighting solution. Also there is a small video on my YouTube, if you want to see these steps in motion.

For the shape I made a simple template that you can download and print out, if you want to make this tray. Its attached in the last step of this instructable.

For this project, you will need

• Some kind of a wider plank/board (you can laminate smaller pieces if you want)
• A scroll saw or a band saw (with a narrow blade)
• Wood glue
• Stain (optional)
• Furniture wax

Lets start

I glue the paper template to the board. Then select one line to cut. The larger the easier it will be to cut later.

I tilt the bandsaw table around 20 degrees.

Then I cut along the template. Remember to only chose one line (this will be the outside of the tray). After this cut, the template is obsolete. Dot cut a second piece following the template.

You can do this in several ways. I think this is the easiest and requier no mathematics.

I have already set an angle of the blade. I recommend around 20 degrees or more. If the angle is lower, you will getting a thinner wall, and that will make the cutting harder on the bandsaw. If you use a scroll saw, you can go lower.

1. I put a piece against the band saw blade and trace along the blade (this gives me the correct angle).
2. Then I draw a straight line across the wood piece (using a square) from top to bottom. And then on the other side of the line, from bottom to the top. This gives me the thickness.
3. I copy the thickness using a caliper to my marking guage. If you have a steel caliper, and super vision, you could probably scribe directly to the piece.
4. I trace around the piece and then I should have the right thickness to cut in a correct angle.

Confusing? Yes! Better not brain my damage!

And cut again, without changing the angle of the table. The smaller this is, the harder it will be to cut the corners.

I recommend a scrollsaw, or a bandsaw with a narrow blade. Mine has a 6 mm blade for this.

Here you can see my makeshift disc sander. Just a drill clamped to the work table. The disc has a low grit paper.

With a free spinning disc like that, you need to be extra careful. If you put the piece on the wrong side in a bad angle, either the piece will be pulled from your hands or thrown in your face.

Also - never ever use gloves... No really - dont! I just set a bad example here, but I have my reasons. But if you set the drill gear low (if your drill has that setting) it will stall if the resistance gets to high (if you get caught).

Be careful, be safe!

The glue up is a bit safer. Just use wood glue and put it on to the base. Also glue the entry cut you made with the band saw. Wipe as much glue squeeze out away as possible (less time to clean later). I just put my small anvil on top and let the glue set over night.

Here you can see some offset. I was not that carefull gluing this up. But thats OK. You fix this with some sanding. I sand troug the grit 60, 80, 120, 150, 240. This is pine, so it will get dented soon enogh me thinks, better not over sand this...

If you dont fancy pine you can stain it (please dont tell Nick Offerman). I used some walnutish stain I had used before. It really looks like chocolate. But it is not. The taste is horrible. Be warned!

After a day I went back and put some wax on it to protect it and give it a nice finish.

Some action shots/glamour shots of the tray.

The tray is tested to hold up for the weight for all the chips. It doesnt seem to be any leakage, all chips is still contained. I have only tested creme cheese, sourcream and peanuts. For the sake of the quality of this instructable, my testing will continue with other snacks.

Here is a link to that video again, if you wanted to see this in motion pictures.

Thank you for reading this instructable! You are my hero! Please give me a comment or follow me here - and I will up the ante and eat more... sorry, make more instructables in the future!

Find more projects on my website www.dekeros.com.