Shaker Tray

Class Description:

Make a classic Shaker silverware tray in this introduction to hand-cut dovetails and gentle curves.

In this two-day class, you’ll learn:

• Dovetail layout with dividers
• How to cut the joints, aiming to “fit off the saw”
• How to wield a coping or fret saw
• How to pare and chop to a line with a chisel
• Strategies for transferring the tails to the pin board
• Techniques for fitting the joint
• How to lay out then cut and fair the handles (both the hand holds and the curved top edge)
• How to smooth-plane your surfaces
• How to use cut nails (to secure the bottom board…if you wish – but there’s an argument for leaving it loose)
• And of course, how to put it all together (and why I recommend liquid hide glue).

Tool List:

• Cutting/Marking Gauge (FWIW, I prefer a wheel marking gauge, such as the Tite-Mark)
• Dividers (two pair if you have ‘em)
• Marking knife (Ideally, one that has one flat side, but any will do)
• Dovetail template/marking gauge or bevel gauge
• Dovetail saw
• Coping saw or fretsaw
• Bevel-edge chisels (ideally 1/4”, 3/8” – but bring whatever you have)
• Chisel Mallet
• Rasp (11 or 13-grain)
• Files and/or sandpaper (#80 through #180-grit)
• Spokeshave (optional)
• Block plane
• Smooth plane
• Double square (a.k.a. diemaker’s square or machinist’s square) or 6” square
  0.5mm mechanical pencil (yes, really – a 0.5!)

Lunches provided.

(…..and bring that 0.5mm pencil)