Reclaimed Tea Tray

by stillash in Workshop > Woodworking

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Reclaimed Tea Tray

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Tea Tray || How To

I made a tea tray using pallet wood and some left over maple wood I had laying around. This was a gift for my sister and only took a couple hours to make. This tray could be made in many different color combinations or you could leave it all natural. It is a great little useful addition to my sisters office.

Tools & Materials

1. Wood

2. Glue

3. Table saw or Circular Saw

4. Clamps

5. Stain

6. Drill

Cutting the Wood

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I decided to make this tray out of pallet wood and maple wood. I recently broke down a few pallets I had and used them for the base. I roughly cut out the lengths I needed the pieces to be on the miter saw. This could have been done with a circular saw.

I then cut down a piece of scrap maple I had down to 2 inch strips to make for the sides and handles. I then cut those to length as well.

Glue Up and Final Cutting

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I glued up the panels for the bottom overnight using some bar clamps. I used small clamps to hold the sides of the boards to try to keep the wood flush.

Once I took the panel out of the clamps I trimmed it to the final length and width on the table saw.

Making Handles

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I used a forester bit on the drill press to make holes for the handles. I then used a file to smooth it out and make them comfortable to hold.

Sanding & Staining & Assembly & Finishing

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I wanted to keep the rustic looks of the wood so I sanded it with 120 grit sandpaper. I stained the bottom panel a dark walnut color. I'm making this tray for my sister and she loves coral so I picked up some coral stain for the sides. Overall I liked how the color turned out.

I used Brad nails to hold the tray together but i was having some trouble keeping it perfect.

Enjoy Your New Tray!

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This tray is super useful. It can't carry a crazy amount of weight but it will get the job done. My sister wanted me to make this for her office so she could have a coffee station in her office.

Overall, I think it came out great. If you have any questions live them in the comments