I’m a woodworker by trade and was recently asked to make some Groomsman’s gifts for a cousin’s upcoming wedding. The Groomsmen are all smokers and he wanted me to make custom rolling trays leaving the design up to me. I know a couple of the Groomsmen are big into the outdoors (hiking/fishing/camping/etc.) and thought that something smaller and simple that would travel well and be somewhat discreet could be cool. The dimensions are 4.5" wide x 9" long by about 1.5" thick when folded. I wanted to make it big enough to roll any sized joint yet small enough to fit in a back pocket. This is just a mock-up. The final trays will be made of walnut and have the Groomsman’s names cut and epoxy inlaid on the tops.
I wanted to stay away from a million different dishes/trays/holes that come with a large tray that would typically stay on your coffee table. My goal is something that you can take out quickly, spin up a couple of joints, then fold up quickly. The long thin line on top is to vertically hold rolling papers. The large circle will hold a grinder up to 3" wide. The smaller dish would be a place to lay finished joints or accessories, and the arrangement of holes is to put crutches or to hold up cones for packing.
I wanted to get feedback from the community on the interior layout and features of the tray. How would you lay out the interior design? What is missing or unnecessarily there? Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated before I commit to a final design and start making them!
I like it a lot. I like the different sized holes for cones/crutches. And hard wood always looks nice, I’m a fan of Padauk myself.
Only small modification would be a finger hole in the long slat. That way I could store a poker or dab tool in that slot and get it out without flipping the tray over.
Very cool! I’d love to see the finished ones. Sorry, but I’m of no use on the tray design help. I roll up before I go out or bring a vape, but those things are sweet.
I would dremel out a spot for a nice poker stick. Maybe get fancy with it, since it’s for a wedding. I’d keep the outside nice and polished and pretty, but keep the inside sanded, burned, sanded, burned, ect until you got a nice natural surface. It would be a cool touch, and no worries of having issues to scrape up epoxy.
Addit: would it be too overboard to line the inside with leather?
That’s a damn nice thing you are doing for your friend.
Couple of questions and comments. Is the smaller rectangle for papers? Similarly, is the round depression for flower?
Perhaps it’s an optical illusion, but, using my guesses above, it appears the papers holder is deeper than that for bud. I’d say deeper/more room for product. I’d want more room for the green.
As a clearly experienced woodworker, you may be interested in stereotomy. I’m guessing you’re saying to yourself WTF is that?! This ain’t a music thread!
Stereotomy, also known as descriptive geometry, “is concerned with two-dimensional representations of three dimensional objects. Plane projections and perspective drawings of solid figures are used to describe and analyze their properties for engineering and manufacturing purposes. Attention is paid to the properties of surfaces, including normal lines and tangent planes.” Generally associated with building construction, often large buildings (think Notre Dame, original and new), stereotomy has been used for smaller, non building construction, purposes as well.
I personally could see making small items that would astound other woodworkers. Oh, and let me further whet your curiosity with this little tidbit - stereotomy uses no math! None! Very simply, numbers are never manipulated and sometimes not used at all.
This post of mine includes a couple of links about stereotomy, here.
My son is on the fourth day of a five day long introductory class on stereotomy. He’s a union carpenter, and he’s thinking about what he’ll do after he retires in just a very few years. I posted about it here.
The leather is a cool idea! Unfortunately I’m not experienced enough with leather to be confident incorporating it with the timeline I have. Definetly something I’ll start playing with and use in the future if I make some more.
Thanks for the feedback!
-Jack
They’re on correctly. They only open 270 degrees, so if you flipped them you couldn’t close the tray. I’m not married to these hinges and have some more coming in to try out different options.
I don’t even know if they’re available, but what about small folding desk hinges like this, but with both feet sitting on the same plane? Might be a little late for the wedding.
Absolutely love this! I’m a big fisherman and outdoors guy. I’ve bought a few versions but they all sucked! Even Simms (fishing company) made on for like 80$ that sucked too! I love the magnets, the dig out for rolling is genious (deeper the better wind sucks with freshly cut nugs) perhaps wind blocks for the sides? Add ons? A place for papers/filters and maybe if there’s room a little slot for an 1/8th or a 1/4 in a small jar? And maybe a few slots to put the joints once rolled to stand up, and somewhere to store them once closed. And custom engraved would be dope! Even just initials etc. man I really like this a lot? What would something like this run if you were to sell one?
Amazing work my friend, truly ! Even my wife, two of my very close friends and my neighbor all love it! So you got 5 thumbs way up from this post alone.
Pull out rolling tray from bottom front of it , for those of us with hands to big to even think about rolling a joint in the tray. Nice slide out near full width of the box, push detent spring to open n close it .
Box looks nice , nice work . Have spot for humidity pack?
Yeah super nice , seals perfectly a humidity pack goes a year or more in it . Its big n heavy however , not a rolling box more stash box . Before i had the wine cooler i stored bud. in it .
When i bought it i looked at a million of them . Liked the wood and quality but it was $$$, now a decade later i realize well worth the investment .
Thanks for the kind words, @TopShelfTrees1! Those are some good suggestions that I’m going to try to work in moving forward! Surprisingly, I’ve gotten a pretty good response between here and a handful of people that I’ve shown the mockup to. I’m a custom shop, meaning that I only make products to order, however I think that I’ll probably get into making batches with options to customize once I clear out some orders and have a little extra time. I’m charging my cousin $100 per on these trays, but that price accounts for the design and mockup time put in before I make any real sawdust. Considering the design and kinks are pretty much worked out, I’d probably be starting @ $80 for something like the mockup and the price would move up with exotic woods and custom engravings. If you or any other OGers are seriously interested, I’d be more than happy to work something out for trades or offer a solid discount, as I’m not really ever looking to get one over on my fellow growmies.
Thanks again for the suggestions and kind words!
-Jack
