PROJECT PLAN

DRESSER TRAY
BY: BRUCE KIEFFER

Here’s a neat last minute gift idea.

© 2015 WOODWORKERS GUILD OF AMERICA

 PROJECT PLAN | DRESSER TRAY

GETTING STARTED:
The construction is
fairly simple. It’s one of
those “how’d you do that”
projects, and that makes
it a particularly good gift
since recipients think you
spent more time making
it than you really did! To
make it you’ll need a table
saw, miter saw, one band
clamp, and about 4 hours
of time.

A great place to store

pocket stuff!

CONSTRUCTION
NOTES:
I used African
mahogany for my tray’s
frame, and I covered the
bottom with a scrap of
burgundy colored leather.
I finished it using Deft
brand spray lacquer. That Dresser Tray Exploded View.
stuff is super fast! Sawing
the frame stock profile Make the frame stock.
can get a bit tricky. Using Machine your frame stock so it’s 1-1/8”
hold-in finger boards in thick x 1-7/8” wide. Make at least 40 lineal
front and behind the saw inches. It doesn’t hurt to make extra in
blade really helps. There’s case you make a mistake along the way.
a lot of saw setups used
to cut the profile and
miter the frame side ends,
so make a bunch of cheap
wood extra “test” frame
stock.

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Here’s the frame profile.

Follow the 4 cutting steps below to
relieve the profile shape from the
rectangular wood pieces. Test your
saw setups on scrap wood.

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Miter and assemble

the frame pieces.
Finish sand the inside faces of the
frame stock.

This is the miter saw setup

used to miter the ends of the frame
pieces. It’s the same type of setup
you would use if you were mitering
crown molding. The frame stock
is oriented “real world” against
the miter saw’s fence and table
with the narrow flat bottom edge
resting on the saw’s table, just like
it’s oriented when the frame is
assembled. That way you can set
the saw for a 45 degree miter, cut
the miters, and you’re done. The
1/4” thick support panel holds the
frame piece from shifting when the
miters are cut.

Clamp a 1/4” thick

support panel in front of the
miter saw’s fence on the right
side. Use a 1-1/32″ wide spacer to
align the support panel the proper
distance from the fence. Secure
the panel with double stick tape if
you have no way to clamp it down.
Miter the left ends of your frame
pieces, and then shift the support
panel to the left side of the saw.

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Use a stop block to make

repetitive length cuts. The actual
length of the frame pieces is not
critical. Making the parallel frame
pieces exactly the same length is
imperative though; otherwise the
frame cannot be assembled.

Join the frame pieces with

masking tape. Put tape across
the joints with the frame pieces set
upside down. Pull the tape tight.

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Flip the tape-assembled

frame over and apply a small
amount of glue in each corner
joint. Glue the open end too. Then
fold the frame closed and tape the
last corner.

Place a band clamp around

the frame. It does not take a
lot of clamp pressure to close the
joints. Make sure the inside corners
are aligned.

Use spray adhesive to adhere

the leather to the top of the MDF
bottom piece.

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Use a utility knife to trim away the excess leather.

Finishing. Finish sand the frame outside and ease any sharp edges. Apply the finish, wait a day
or two for that to dry, screw the bottom in place, all that’s left to do is the gift wrapping!

SOURCE:

• Web (Band) Clamps

Lee Valley Tools
(800) 871-8158

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