To test out some tools and techniques, I put together this little single-piece wooden tray. Mainly I wanted to test creating a pocket with Forstner bits, and try my hand at some chiselling to see how that went. Overall pretty happy with the journey and the result.
I used a piece of leftover Sapele wood - about 4 inches square.
I tried to do a bit of squaring up on the sides, didn't go great, but rasped/sanded to straight-enough. Something I'll need to work on / sharpen my planes better. Here is the first batch of Forstner bit holes on the drill press. Great start.
Here's the final drilled state, ready to chisel to straight edges. The holes left by the Forstner bit, if I had been thinking ahead I would have at least made them consistent. As it was, a few randomly placed holes that I had to deal with later.
And after the chiseling - very happy with this outcome. I noted at this point, some of my drilling was a bit too close (or past even) the edges I had marked for the hollowed out hole. End result, a couple of wavy/bumpy edges. I don't mind it though, gives it a very hand made look.
So... what to do with these holes? After a little searching, wood filler seemed to be a common fix. Not being fussed about the color match, I picked up what looked close enough.
After a few days to cure, I sanded it all down. It turned out not too darn bad, honestly. The woodfill in the holes... yeah, not a great finish. Will explore some kind of sanding or router plane option for next time I'm facing this.
First (only?) coat of finish. The Sapele wood really darkens and the grain really pops with this finish. Looks great (but for those woodfilled spots). Also need to sand out completely the Forstner bit rings.
Final product after a few days of curing and rubbing the finish. Definitely a bit disappointed that I didn't take a little extra time with the sanding for a little better finish on the bottom of the hole, but a good bit of practice for me with the tools and ideas. I'll keep this in the workshop to hold screws and such.
