Walnut Serving Trays (2 sizes)

We just finished a new batch of amazing walnut trays! Our three person shop has been making them since 1998! Strong and attractive, the corner joints of our trays are glued, then reinforced with walnut/maple splines. They are finished with three coats of satin, clear lacquer, which enables easy clean up of those inevitable spills. The outside dimensions of our trays are 14" X 20" or 16" X 24". Our solid wood sides are 9/16" thick. The handled ends are 2 1/4" tall and the height at the corner joints is 1 1/2". "How do you do that?"Customers (and other woodworkers) often ask us how we create the 1/32" maple "outline" around our walnut corner splines in our walnut serving trays. Well, it requires an intense amount of accuracy and patience. First, we cut the eight corner slots in the assembled serving tray at .250". Then we prepare the spline stock. We start with milling 2' long sticks to create "sandwiches" of .125" maple/.185" walnut/.125" maple, then glue .125" maple onto one edge of th