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Furniture

Bent Plywood Lap Tray

Step-by-step build — 8 steps. Also available as a print sheet.

  1. 1Cut the Tray to Size

    • Mark a 14" x 40½" outline on a piece of ¾-inch plywood, aligning the longest "sides" of the tray outline to run with the grain.
    • Attach the saw to the footplate of a Kreg Accu-cut Saw Guide.
    • Place the track alongside the first cut line.
    • Set the saw onto the track, aligning the grooves in the footplate with the ridges on the track. Un-plug the circular saw or remove the battery.
    • Adjust the blade depth to reach about ¼-inch below the thickness of the plywood. Plug-in or replace the battery in the saw, and then complete the cut.
    • Repeat to cut the second line.
    Bent Plywood Lap Tray — step photo 3
  2. 2Mark the Kerf Cuts

    Using a speed square, mark a line 8 inches from each end of the board. Working inward from each line, mark 11 additional lines spaced 3/8-inches apart.

    Bent Plywood Lap Tray — step photo 4
  3. 3Prep for the Kerf Cuts

    • Place the circular saw on the Accu-cut track alongside an edge of the board.
    • Adjust the blade so that it reaches 1/16-inch less than the thickness of the board. Make a test cut on a scrap piece of plywood to check the blade depth.
    • Align the track with the outermost line on one side. Support the end of the track with a scrap piece of plywood to prevent the track from tipping during the cut.
    Bent Plywood Lap Tray — step photo 5
  4. 4Cut the Kerfs

    • Place the circular saw onto the track. Make sure the saw blade is centered on the marked line, and then make the first cut.
    • Once the cut is complete, move the track, and then complete the second cut.
    Bent Plywood Lap Tray — step photo 6
  5. 5Finish the Kerf Cuts

    Continue making the parallel kerf cuts until there are twelve kerf cuts on each end of the board.

    Bent Plywood Lap Tray — step photo 7
  6. 6Wet the Plywood

    This is not mandatory, but I found it helpful (and to reduce splitting and cracking) when I wet the opposite of the plywood kerf cuts before bending the plywood.

    Bent Plywood Lap Tray — step photo 8
  7. 7Bend the Plywood

    Clear the grooves of sawdust. Load the kerf cuts with wood glue. Bend the plywood ends up 90-degrees. Clamp the parts in place on a table or using corner clamps, as shown here. Allow the glue to fully dry before removing the clamps.

    Bent Plywood Lap Tray — step photo 9
  8. 8See More Projects

    Follow Build Basic on BuildSomething.com and check out www.build-basic.com for more building plans and tool tutorials!

    Bent Plywood Lap Tray — step photo 10