ice carving secrets: emergency ice tray
ice carving secrets: emergency ice tray
If you haven't already run into this problem a time or two, then you will. For whatever reason, you're short on trays to display sculptures. Maybe you have four sculptures going up and you only have 3 trays. Maybe your order of disposable trays won't come in until Tuesday and you need trays on Sunday. To help solve this sort of problem, I thought I'd pass on my solution.

I'm sure I've used hundreds of these things over the last few years. Unfortunately, when you get an order of disposable trays, you get the same number of drain connectors as trays. I don't often lose a tray, but I've lost lots of little drain connectors. After a while, you have more trays than connectors. Unless you were smart enough to order some extra connectors, you will run short eventually. They look to be pretty simple, but stopping by the hardware store for replacements can be frustrating unless you know where to look.
The connector is made up of a nipple (the hollow, threaded tube), a washer, a rubber washer, and two nuts. Everything on this list comes from Lowe's Home Improvement. Home Depot and other stores have this stuff too, but I don't know the exact brands.
Rubbermaid Clear Impression storage container (26.5"x15.8"x6.5")
Portfolio brand 8 Assorted Nipples #46816
Portfolio brand 12 Locknuts #36272
Portfolio brand 12 Assorted Locknuts and Washers #35931
Hillman 3/8x7/8x1/16 Rubber Washers (2) (Lowes #136599)
Watts Clear Vinyl Tubing 10 feet 1/2" outside diam. 3/8" inside diam.
Portfolio brand 18 inch Under Cabinet Fluorescent Light #240193



The key is that most of the connector parts come from the lighting department, usually where the spare parts for lamps are. If you try to fit regular nuts from the hardware section on the nipple, you'll find that the threading is different and it won't go on. Regular washers will fit, but they're thicker and heavier than those in the lighting department. The rubber washer does come from the hardware department, pretty close to the regular metal washers, but probably in a special parts drawer. I've tried O-rings from the plumbing department, and they work okay, but it's a lot harder to find the right size. By the way, the white washers that are in the Assorted Locknuts and Washers that's shown do not work as substitutes for the rubber washers. Throw out the lock washers in that pack also as the only things you need from it are the regular metal washers (you may be able to find washers packaged by themselves).



When you assemble the drain connection on to the tray, put the nipple through first (it should be tight.) On the inside of the tray put a metal washer over the nipple, then add a nut. On the outside, put a rubber washer and a nut. Hand tighten the nuts as tight as you can. More of the connection should be on the outside than on the inside (see diagram). I used to think that putting the rubber washer on the inside would work better, but after testing it for this entry, I found the opposite was true. I also realized that this sort of connection is pretty good, but not perfect. For example, very small amounts of water can get out by traveling along the thread of the nipple if the end of the tube doesn't sit flush against the outside nut.

As a test, I recently used the tray shown to display an angelfish carving at an event. I found that the sides of the tray were a little high, making it harder to get the sculpture in the tray, and that I wished the tray was a little larger (but it did hold the sculpture without any real problem.) Other than that, everything worked as planned, and by ruffling linen around the base, I was able to hide the tray’s flimsy appearance. Good luck!

Rubbermaid, Hillman, Watts, and Portfolio are trademarked brands. I’ve shown photos of their products and/or logos for informative and instructional purposes only. I don’t claim any sort of rights to images of their products or logos. Other images and text in this article, however, are copyrighted.
emergency ice tray
3/18/07
A simple set up that will do in a pinch when you’re out of trays