The kitchen table that was featured in issue 268 has an option for a trivet that’s located in the center of the table. It has the added benefit of being stowed away in the surface of the table when not needed. First you have to make the opening in the top. The dimensions are shown in the drawing below.
Make a template for the opening in the top. Use a pattern bit along with your router to define the trivet opening in the top (drawing below).
To remove the rest of the waste in the top I made the simple sled for my router (drawing below). After the waste is removed, sand out any marks that remain in the bottom of the opening. Use a rabbeting bit to make the rim around the opening.
Making the trivet starts out with another circle template. This template is larger than the one you made for the table top. The drawing below focuses on the details of the trivet. First, draw centerlines on the template and trivet blank to later locate your tile and the finger hole.
After shaping the template at the band saw, smooth the edges and check the fit in the opening of the table top. You want the template to be a little loose. Then attach it to the blank and head to the router table. A flush trim bit brings the rough-cut blank to it’s final shape. The edge of the trivet is rabbeted to fit in the table.
Install the Tile. How you create the recess in the trivet depends on the tile you’ve chose. I trapped the hexagon tile between strips of wood held in place with double sided tape. Then removed the tile and routed away the waste with a dado-clean out bit.
The Finger Hole. The finger hole (and the finger hole rim) lets you lift out the trivet when it’s inserted face down in the table. All that you need to do is drill the hole in the trivet, then use a cove bit with a bearing to create the clearance for your finger. After spraying the trivet with a couple of coats of lacquer I used epoxy to glue the tile to the trivet.
