Communion tray

Description of work

This communion tray was commissioned by Caton baptist church who wanted a near duplicate of a tray they already have. The tray is designed to hold forty small communion wine glasses.

The entire piece is made from part of a single plank of oak, planed and smoothed to size and shape. The handle was turned to match an existing brass handle on the originial tray. Other turning was carried out, to provide four barrel shaped spacers between the top and bottom layer, and four button feet underneath

Variations on this idea are possible, and would reduce the price. For example a single layer tray would work well if the layer was a little thicker, in order that the bottom of the glasses do not protrude. Probably £100. A circular tray would also be possible and would be more in my field of work, (being a woodturner!). Probably £100 - £120, dependent on the type of handle and the diameter of the tray. If you are interested in something like this do get in touch and we can discuss your requirements.

The piece is finished with three coats of wax - tripoli, white diamond and carnauba - and buffed to a high sheen. An alternative finish would be oil and beeswax, which would give more of a matt finish.

An alternative version is shown below, where a customer requested a pair of trays that would stack. This adds some complexity to the design, with two different sized handles and spacers to give enough space between the trays to clear the glasses. As a result this version will cost more than double the price of a single tray - around £200 for the pair, £90 for one single tray.

There is a gallery of church items available

Further details and related work