Simplistic Servers
These tiered serving shelves are a simple display solution when hosting a buffet or barbecue.

The eclectic mix of glass legs and geometric wood surfaces become functional artwork to display your fare. Clean-up is simple. Recycle the bottles, and store the food-friendly, triangular wood pieces until your next event!
What You'll Need
Materials
- solid wood - sized to fit your needs
- metal straightedge 1048-075
- compass 1115-626
- food safe finish 4548-181
- bottles, varying heights
Tools
- jointer
- planer 1332-533
- band saw 1345-341
- clamps 1022-480/481/482
- drill press 1334-373
- properly sized drill bit
- router
- 1/4" radius round over bit 1216-516
- belt sander 1262-895
Here's How
- I used a 1" thick, 6" wide, 11' long board.
- Lay out the different sized shelves on the board, then cut parts to manageable lengths that are not too short to fit through your planer. (photo 1)
- Joint and dress workpieces to final thickness. Joint all the edges square and straight.
- Edge-glue boards to create wider panels. (photo 2)
- When dry, level upper and lower faces of panels.
- Use the metal straightedge to mark the edges of the panels. (photo 3)
- Add radiuses to each corner of the triangles. I used a 41/4" diameter paint can. (photo 4)
- Cut each shelf to line with a band saw or jig saw. (photo 5)
- Belt sand the edges smooth and true, and fair radiuses on the ends of the panels. (photo 6)
- Use a compass to mark the centre of each radius. (photo 7)
- After testing drill bit size on scrap, drill a hole in the corner of each shelf to accept the bottles you're using. I used a 11/8" diameter spade bit. (photo 8)
- Use a spindle sander in your drill press or drill to smooth and, if necessary, enlarge the holes.
- Add a small round over to both the underside and show surfaces of the shelves, and at the holes to protect from splintering during use.
- Sand the surfaces and sides, and break all edges.
- Apply a food safe finish to the exterior of the shelves.
Proper Layout Because these shelves are triangular, marking the boards before cutting them on angles reduces waste. | ![]() |
Glue Up the Panels While edge gluing, you may have to cut a small notch in a board near an angled end to offer a surface for the clamps. You can see this in the shortest of these three boards, at its angled end. | |
Add Lines A straightedge will assist you with laying out the triangular shape of each shelf. Ensure cracks and rough material is removed at this stage. | |
Simple Radius An object, like a paint can or glue bottle, makes a great template to quickly draw a radius at each intersection. | |
Cut it Out Using a band saw or jig saw, remove the waste from the outside of each shelf, leaving the line on. | |
Smooth Sides A belt sander makes quick work of each side, and each corner. | |
Find the Centre To accurately mark the centre of each radius, use a compass with the same diameter as the radius, and reference off of two points of the arc. The resulting lines will locate the centre point. | |
Drill the Holes After using scrap wood to check that your bottles fit the hole, drill holes in each corner of the shelves. |
Rob Brown designs and builds custom furniture and is editor of Rob Brown designs and builds custom furniture and is editor of Canadian Woodworking and Home Improvement magazine.
www.canadianwoodworking.com
