Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Dansk Teak 802 "Surfboard" Tray

My latest find almost wasn't - last weekend I stopped in a Goodwill and basically walked through the whole store without finding anything. Fortunately I walked back through right when a staff member was putting out a few pieces in the "wooden things" aisle - that's when I spotted this tray.


I call these "teak surfboard trays" for lack of a better name - the tapered ends curve up into the handles. This is the first I've owned, however I've always greatly admired the style and design. My friend John Stephens tells me that this is the second-from largest size, measuring in at about 28 inches or so in length (eyeball measure).


This example has great, intact laminations (boards are cut and laminated side-by-side to make up the width). Notice the darker smudges - that's candle wax. I've wiped down the tray with a bit of mineral spirits and have removed all but a hint of the circles. I then applied some Danish Oil. I haven't decided whether to wipe it down again or apply another layer and call it done (no pics of the finished item yet - this is definitely a keeper).


One thing I like in particular is the construction - this image is blurry but you can see the sliding dovetail for the "feet" trimmed with a few passes of a chisel at the end.


I believe this is an earlier example, bearing all the marks: serial number, "ducks" logo, "Dansk Designs Denmark Inc" and copyright symbol.


Good luck in the hunt! John