Napkin Caddy

This napkin caddy plan is a simple yet elegant design that you can build in one weekend. It has relatively few parts and is made from all hardwood construction. We chose to use maple for the base and sides and walnut for the rod because we liked the contrast between the light and dark woods. The design is somewhat flexible. One of the really neat features of this napkin caddy is that you can take out one napkin at a time without the entire stack coming out. With many napkin holders if you try to grab one napkin you end up with all of them.

Turning the Rod This section provides a general guide to turning the napkin holder rod. It assumes that you have some basic wood turning knowledge. Before you start, print the rod template and use it as a guide. Be sure to cut the turning blank a couple of inches longer than the pattern and cut off the waste after the rod has been finished. Tip: You will notice in the picture that we applied masking tape to our tool rest. We transferred the dimensions from the template to the masking tape and used it to mark the rod.

Step 1 - Turn the rod down to close to the target diameter

Step 2 - Speed up the lathe and bring the rod down to its final size. In the pictures to the right we are using a sizing tool on a parting knife to help us get the right size.

In the first picture we are using the template to adjust our sizing tool. In the second picture we are using the tool to size the rod.

Step 3 - Turn the lathe on and use a pencil to transfer the dimensions to the rod. Then use a parting tool to cut out the channels.

Step 4 - Shape the end of the napkin holder rod. This is your chance to be creative! Out of all of the napkin holder's we made, no two are exactly alike

Step 5 - Remove the tool rest and set your lathe to its slowest speed. Next use progressively finer pieces of sandpaper to sand the rod to a smooth finish Tip: For the final sanding pass you can hold shavings up against the rod. The natural oils in the shavings will help finish the rod (Make sure the lathe is set to its slowest speed and that the tool rest is removed.).

Step 6 - Turn off the lathe and make sure it's unplugged. Then use a small handsaw to cut the waste off of the ends.

Cutting the Parts

Step 1 - Cut the Base and Sides First we will cut the base and two sides to the appropriate size. The dimensions for these parts are listed on the templates

Step 2 - Shape the Sides The next step is to shape the edges of both the bottom piece and the two side pieces. For this you can use a router, sander, or as pictured to the right, a router table. If you don't have a router you can always round over the edges with a piece of sandpaper.

Step 3 - Drill the Sides with a Forstner Bit To form the channel that the rod rides in, we begin by drilling a 1 1/8" hole with a forstner bit (See the side piece template for exact positioning.). The reason that we use a forstner bit is that it will give us a smoother and cleaner hole than a spade bit or hole saw.

Step 4 - Cut the Lines Next, draw two parallel lines up to the edges of the hole (See template). Use a saw (such as a bandsaw) to cut out the lines

Step 5 - Sand the parts Thoroughly sand all edges and surfaces of the napkin holder parts before you move on to the next section.

Step 1 - Drill the Sides Now that you have all of the parts cut, shaped, and sanded it's time to assemble the napkin holder. Clamp the sides of the napkin holder to your workbench and drill a hole into the bottom of each leg. Make sure the holes you drill are the appropriate size for the dowels you plan to use. We recommend using 1/4" dowels.

Tip: For a good fit a dowel's hole should always be slightly smaller than the diameter of the dowel. Step 2 - Drill the Bottom Use a 1/2" drill bit to drill the holes in the bottom of the base. The center of the hole should be position 1" in from each side near the corners. You will insert wooden buttons into these holes so you only need to drill 1/2" into the wood. Be careful to not drill too deep.

Step 3 - Insert Buttons Put a little glue in the bottom of each hole and use a toothpick to spread it around. Pound a 1/2" hardwood button (available at your local hardware store) into each of the four holes. The buttons act as little "decorative feet" on the bottom of the napkin holder.

Step 4 - Mark the Base Holes Next we need to attach the two side pieces to the base. We are going to use four dowels to attach the parts together. The tricky part is to get the holes in the base to line up exactly with the holes in the side pieces. The easiest way to do this is to use dowel centers to locate the exact position to drill Lay out the napkin holder with the rod inserted into the side pieces. Position the two side pieces and the rod so that all parts are exactly centered (This may take a little time to get it right). Tap the side pieces so the dowel centers leave a slight impression on the base. Step 5 - Drill the Base Holes Using the marks left by the dowel centers, drill the holes in the base. Remember to use the same drill bit you used in Step 1. Be careful not to drill all of the way through the base.

Step 6 - Attach the Side Pieces Put a little glue in each of the eight dowel holes (four in the base - four in the side pieces) and spread it around with a toothpick. Tap a dowel into each of the holes in the base. Next you will want to slip the rod into the side pieces and tap them into place on the dowel pins. Before the glue dries make sure the rod can move freely. Step 7 - Apply a Finish and Enjoy All that's left to do is to apply the finish of your choice and enjoy your new napkin holder.

10