Crosscut Trivet
Sunday, April 16th, 2006Here are some plans for a crosscut trivet. What is a crosscut trivet you ask? Well, it’s a little device that effectively disperses heat to protect your countertop or table from hot dishes.
This has got to be one of the simplest woodworking projects around. The trivet is milled from a single piece of stock. You can mill the dado grooves using either a router table with a 1/2″ straight bit, or a table saw with a dado blade.
To make the trivet start out by ripping and crosscutting a 6-1/2″ X 6-1/2″ blank of 3/4″ thick red oak or black cherry. Be sure to sand the faces and edges smooth and flat.
Next, cut the dados starting from the outside ones. You’ll probably want to cut them in multiple passes. Once you set your fence to the proper dimension, you should be able to make 4 seperate cuts. Two cuts on the top 180 degrees apart from each other, and two cuts on the bottom perpendicular to the cuts on the top.
After completing the dados, sand lightly to break the sharp edges. Don’t apply any finish since the hot cookware could melt it.