NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
Use your browser's Print (Ctrl/Cmd + P) and choose Save as PDF. This page works offline once you've opened it with a signal.
A breakfast-in-bed tray with bolt-pivot folding legs — a 1x2 frame, smooth plywood top, and a 15° foot bevel that doubles as the finger pull. A classic gift build.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame sides The pivot bolt holes drill through these. | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 24" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Frame ends | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 12" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Leg cross rails | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 10 1/2" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Leg uprights Top cut to a 45° point (clears the frame in the fold), bottom at 15° (flat foot + finger pull). | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 9 3/4" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Top | 1 | 1/4" × 13 1/2" × 24" | 1/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| 1x2, 12 linear ft Frame and legs. Pick clear, straight stock — thin parts show every knot. | 12 linear ft | ☐ |
| Sande plywood, 1/4", 24" x 13-1/2" The top. Any smooth-faced 1/4" ply works. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Bolts, 1/4" x 2-1/2", with washers and nuts Nylon lock nuts hold the pivot friction where you set it. | 4 each | ☐ |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" | 30 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue | 2 oz | ☐ |
| Paint or stain plus clear topcoat Wipeable topcoat — syrup is coming. | 8 oz | ☐ |
Overall cost: $. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver, Pencil, Speed Square. Materials: 1x2, 12 linear ft, Brad nails, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Mark the bolt positions on the 24" frame sides and drill the 1/4" holes — straight through, square to the face; a crooked pivot hole becomes a leg that splays its own direction. Then assemble the frame rectangle with glue and brads (screws or pocket holes if you prefer).
Don't fuss over frame strength — the plywood top, once glued on, turns the frame into a rigid panel.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Miter Saw. Materials: 1x2, 12 linear ft, Brad nails, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Cut the four uprights — 45° point at the top, 15° miter at the bottom corner — and join each pair with a cross rail into a U. Drill the 1/4" pivot holes through the pointed tops, matching the frame's hole spacing exactly (stack-drill frame and leg together if you can clamp them aligned).
The 15° foot miter is the double-duty cut: flatter footing on soft surfaces when the legs splay open, and the cut corner is the finger pull for unfolding. Small cut, keep it.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Bolts, 1/4" x 2-1/2", with washers and nuts
Stack each pivot: bolt head outside the frame, through the frame side, through the leg, washer, nut inside. Snug until the legs swing smoothly but hold position — then fold and unfold both sets a dozen times and re-check. Lock nuts keep the setting; plain nuts will want seasonal attention.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: Sande plywood, 1/4", 24" x 13-1/2", Brad nails, 1-1/4", Wood glue, Paint or stain plus clear topcoat
Glue and nail the plywood top to the frame, smooth face up. Sand every edge and corner to lap-friendly round, then paint or stain and seal with a wipeable clear coat.
Personalize if it's a gift — a monogram, a painted border — and, per the source's closing instruction, don't forget the pretty bow.