Tea and Sugar Caddy
€12,00
Tea and Sugar Caddy
€12,00
"The caddy shown by Figs. 31 to 33 should be made either of oak, mahogany, or black walnut," says the old book: a box of 1/2 in. wood with its sides sloping inwards, two partitions, and 1/4 in. boxes for the tea that "slide in", the sugar basin fitting in the middle. Ours keeps that plan: two tea boxes, your own sugar bowl, a lid that lifts off, and a food-safe finish.
At a glance
- Size: 14" (356 mm) long, 7" (178 mm) wide at the base, 7 1/4" (184 mm) high; each tea box 3 by 5 by 5 3/8" (76 by 127 by 137 mm)
- Skill: Intermediate
- Build time: Two weekends, plus a week for the shellac to air
- Materials: approx. US$90–190
- In the plan: 15-page PDF, US Letter, 14 illustrated steps, imperial, with metric in the lists and steps
Inside the 15-page plan
- The original article and its drawings, restored and reproduced in full
- An exploded drawing that shows how every part goes together
- Dimensioned views of the finished build, in feet and inches
- Materials list and hardware schedule, with today's actual lumber sizes and metric equivalents
- Cut list, so you can cut everything before you start assembling
- Clear illustrated step-by-step assembly drawings: one job per step, every part drawn, fastener positions marked
The PDF plan is a digital download; nothing ships. Adapted from "Tea and Sugar Caddy", The Practical Woodworker, vol. 2, pp. 1050-1051, with Figs. 31-36, an unsigned public-domain article. Restored, redrawn and edited by Square & Furrow, produced with AI-assisted tools and checked against the original article. Not affiliated with the original publisher.
Illustrated step by step
Imperial + metric
Cut list & checklist
Instant PDF download
Built to work
Tea and Sugar Caddy
Built in home workshops more than a century ago, and redrawn for the way you build today.
RenderingFrom the workshop archive
Restored from the original article
From the archive
“Tea and Sugar Caddy”
Public domain · restored by Square & Furrow
This is the public-domain how-to article home craftsmen built from more than a century ago. We restore its drawings and reproduce the article in full inside your plan, then rebuild it as a modern edition: today's lumber sizes, metric measurements, a cut list and illustrated steps. Every dimension is checked against the original.
Step by step
Every part drawn. Every fastener marked.
Each step is one job with its own clear drawing: the parts it adds are shaded, every nail and screw position is marked, and the hardware and tools sit right beside it. An exploded view shows how the whole build goes together before you make a single cut.
Before you build
Your tools & materials checklist
Tick what you already have. Whatever is left is your shopping list. Your ticks are saved on this device, so you can come back to it from the lumber yard.
0 of 0 on hand
Tools
Materials
Walnut or maple for the whole caddy (the original also names oak and mahogany; oak smells, and tea takes it up, so keep oak for a box that holds no tea). No resawing (cutting layout, Fig. 1). Buy the sugar bowl first: an open flanged basin whose body passes a 4 in. hole and whose flange rests on the support; most will not. Otherwise leave the support solid for a shallow dish of sugar cubes or sachets, not a tall sugar bowl.
Questions about this plan
What are the finished dimensions?
14" (356 mm) long, 7" (178 mm) wide at the base, 7 1/4" (184 mm) high; each tea box 3 by 5 by 5 3/8" (76 by 127 by 137 mm). The drawings are dimensioned in feet and inches; the materials list, cut list and steps give metric sizes alongside.
What skill level do I need, and how long does it take?
It's rated intermediate. Expected build time: Two weekends, plus a week for the shellac to air. It suits someone who has built a simple piece of furniture or cut a mortise and tenon before; each step still names the tools it uses.
How much does it cost to build?
Roughly US$90–190 in materials at typical US lumber-yard prices. Prices vary a lot by region, so price the materials list at your local yard before you start.
What tools do I need?
Steel rule; Straightedge; Pencil; Try square; Marking gauge; Compass; Scissors; Printer (templates at 100%); Masking tape (also the depth flags on the drill bits); Card for gauges, templates and the 4" (102 mm) bowl test hole; Bench vise (or clamps and a bench stop); Handsaw; Rip saw; Backsaw; Coping saw; Miter box; Jack plane; Block plane; Plow plane, or a router with an edge guide and a 1/4" (6 mm) straight bit; 1/4" and 1/2" (6, 13 mm) chisels; Flat sanding board and sanding block; Sandpaper 120, 220 and 320 grit; Natural-bristle or foam brush, 2" (51 mm); Lint-free rags; Drill/driver with 1/32" and 1/8" (1, 3 mm) bits and 1/2" and 5/8" (13, 16 mm) brad-point bits; Hammer and nail set; Screwdriver; 2 bar clamps, 24" (610 mm) opening or more; 8 F-clamps, 6" (150 mm) opening or more; Glue brush; Scrap boards (2 for the lid clamps), 4 caul blocks and a heavy book; plus a tape, pencil, safety glasses, hearing protection and gloves. The interactive checklist on this page lets you tick off what you already own.
Where does this plan come from?
It is restored from "Tea and Sugar Caddy", The Practical Woodworker, vol. 2, pp. 1050-1051, with Figs. 31-36, an unsigned how-to article from that is now in the public domain. We redrew it as a modern build guide with a materials list, metric sizes, a cut list and clear illustrated step-by-step assembly drawings, every part drawn. Every dimension follows the original article, and the article is reproduced inside. This edition is our own; it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the original publisher.
Can a beginner follow it?
It's rated intermediate, so it helps to have built something framed before, or to have a handy friend on the bigger lifts. Each step is a single job with its own drawing: the parts that step adds are shaded, the nails, screws and bolts it drives are marked where they go, and the hardware for that step is listed beside it. An exploded drawing at the front shows how the whole build goes together before you cut anything.
What do I get?
A 15-page print-ready PDF (US Letter) to download after purchase. It prints well at home or at a copy shop, and reads fine on a tablet in the workshop.