Walnut and Cherry Tray

There are a couple of conventions that have imposed their strictures on our woodworking to a degree that we sometimes self-limit our designs to conform without even thinking about it. I am talking about 3/4" stock and the utility of straight lines.

If you’ve heard the axiom, “If your only tool is a hammer, all your problems start to look like nails,” this is a similar situation. When we attempt to solve a woodworking problem, we often begin with 3/4" solid wood and plywood as a starting point, and then consider what tools we have on hand. Most of our power tools are great at cutting straight lines, whereas curved shapes are more challenging. And thus we find ourselves with tried-and-true rectilinear projects that solve the problem just fine … but they might