Build It | Bathtub Tray

Kevin O’Connor meets general contractor Tom Silva for a unique project: a bathtub tray with a built-in wine glass holder. The two work together to build this relaxation maximizer from water-resistant zebra wood before giving it a beeswax finish.

How To Build a Bath Tray

1. Cut two pieces of wood to 15 inches on the miter saw. These boards will serve as the table surfaces on either end of the tray. Square the edges on the table saw. Many water-resistant species are very dense, so be sure that the blade is sharp and at the right height (just higher than the board), and push the wood through the blade slowly. Also, use a push stick to push the wood through safely.
2. Cut another piece of wood to the width of the tub. True the edges on the table saw, and then rip two strips on the miter saw (1 ½ to 2 inches wide). These strips should be around 30 inches in length, and they’ll serve as the long, thin strips at the front and back of the tray.
3. Set the table saw fence so that it is ½-inch from the blade and cut the strips for the tray. You’ll need 10 for a standard tray width.
4. Spread wood glue on one edge of both of the two 15-inch boards. Clamp the two boards together and allow them to dry. Once dry, cut the board into one 6-inch piece and one 9-inch piece.
5. Rip a shallow, ½-inch wide dado down the length of the front and back boards. This can be done with dado blades on a table saw or with a router. A block equal in thickness to the 30-inch boards can be attached to the router to provide a guide and stability.
6. Use the tenon joiner (often called a Domino) to cut mortises in the sides of the table boards, as well as corresponding holes in the sides of the long, thin strips. Use wood glue and floating tenons to attach a table to the front piece.
7. Squeeze wood glue into the dado and fit the slats into the dado, with spacers cut and placed in between them for stability and even spacing. Attach the remaining table piece to the other side using a floating tenon and wood glue.
8. Carefully align the slats and tables with the back piece before gluing and clamping the entire piece together. Be sure to add spacers between the slats, as well.
9. Cut a template for a wine glass on a scrap piece of wood. Attach the template to one of the tables using tape and CA glue.
10. Use a router, a straight-cutting bit, and a templating collar to trace the template, gradually cutting deeper with each pass until the cupholder is cut through.
11. Cut two 1 1/2-inch by 1 ½-inch by 4-inch pieces and install them under the tray. Install them so they’ll fit inside the tub rim and keep the tray from sliding.
12. Finally, apply a beeswax finish to the tray to prevent water damage.

Materials

• 2-inch thick, 6-inch wide, 8-foot long pieces of water-resistant wood species (Tom chose zebra wood)
• Wood glue
• Floating tenons
• Scrap wood turned into router jig
• CA glue
• Wood screws
• Beeswax finish