Step 1 of 24 · Drawing bench
Confirm dimensions, wood species and any metal or fabric detail against the customer request. Sketch the cut list.
Fall 2026 · Coming soon
How we build the Hearthside Ottoman Tray
Twenty-four steps from board to box — the same bench order every piece follows in our Atlanta shop. A low-walled black walnut tray that turns an ottoman or coffee table into a proper surface. Brass bar handles are set into the rails by hand; the base is lined so it never scratches the fabric beneath.
- Materials
- Black walnut · Solid brass bar handles
- Finished size
- 20 × 14 × 2.5 in
- Price
- $145
Design & stock
Step 2 of 24 · Lumber rack
Pull the boards. Read grain and figure, mark the show faces, and set aside off-cuts for accents.
Step 3 of 24 · Miter saw
Rough-crosscut boards to length plus 2" so they can move before final milling.
Step 4 of 24 · Sticker rack
Sticker and rest the rough stock 24–48 hours so internal tension settles before milling.
Milling
Step 5 of 24 · Jointer
Flatten one face, then joint one edge square to it. Mark the reference faces.
Step 6 of 24 · Planer
Take even passes off both faces to final thickness. Light final passes to avoid tear-out in figured woods.
Step 7 of 24 · Table saw
Rip to final width off the jointed edge. Use a splitter and a fresh blade.
Step 8 of 24 · Crosscut sled
Cut to final length with a stop block so matching parts are identical.
Joinery
Step 9 of 24 · Bandsaw
Resaw book-matched panels or veneers and cut any curved parts to the line, leaving a whisker.
Step 10 of 24 · Router table
Cut grooves, rabbets and dados. Climb-cut a light scoring pass first on brittle exotics like ebony.
Step 11 of 24 · Mortiser / domino
Cut mortises and tenons or floating-tenon slots. Check each joint for square.
Step 12 of 24 · Dry fit
Assemble with no glue. Check diagonals, seating and reveals. Adjust with a shoulder plane, not force.
Assembly
Step 13 of 24 · Glue-up
Glue in stages with cauls and clamps. Wipe squeeze-out wet, check for wind and square before it sets.
Step 14 of 24 · Flush trim
Trim proud joints with a router or hand plane, working with the grain direction.
Shaping
Step 15 of 24 · Router / trim router
Ease edges with round-overs or chamfers. Keep the profile consistent all round.
Step 16 of 24 · Hand plane & scraper
Refine surfaces with a smoothing plane and card scraper to leave a burnished, sanded-flat-free face.
Step 17 of 24 · Inlay & hardware
Fit brass, steel or fabric details. Test-fit dry, seat with epoxy or fasteners, clean the shoulders.
Sanding
Step 18 of 24 · Random orbit sander
Work 80 → 120 → 180 grit, vacuuming between grits. No skipped grits.
Step 19 of 24 · Hand sanding
Raise the grain with a damp rag, let dry, then hand-sand to 220 with the grain. Break every edge.
Finish
Step 20 of 24 · Finish room
Apply the spec'd finish — food-safe oil and beeswax for kitchen pieces, hardwax oil for furniture.
Step 21 of 24 · Cure rack
Build coats with cure time between each. Buff the final coat once fully cured.
QC & pack
Step 22 of 24 · Inspection bench
Check dimensions, joints, finish sheen and hardware. Sign and date the underside.
Step 23 of 24 · Photo corner
Shoot the finished piece for the customer's bench diary before it is wrapped.
Step 24 of 24 · Packing table
Wrap per the order — signature gift wrap and card if requested — box, insure and record tracking.
Your own piece, photographed as it is made
Once you order, this same 24-step list becomes your private build page — and the shop adds real photos of your piece at each step as it moves down the bench.