"DISHRIM" TABLE

Bringing an American classic to life.

SHOP OWNER: Tom Foley

LOCATION: Hanson, MA

I build antique reproductions and other custom furniture in my one man shop (formerly a mechanic's shop) behind my home. Here is one of my more recent projects for a client of mine. It's a cherry "dishrim" stand, based on a piecrust table I had made last year and some pictures of antique ones in Wallace Nutting's "Furniture Treasury" and Albert Sack's "New Fine Points of Furniture."

Sometimes I get requests to do a piece that "looks like the picture on page so-and-so and I'd like it in curly maple or mahogany." I do drawings when needed or just go to the woodrack and start off. This project began as an request for a small tripod stand with a dishrim top--simple, not too ornate--to go beside a wingchair. I got a purchase order with the clients choice of wood, diameter and height, along with a request for a cutaway of the top profile, and we were off.

I dovetailed the 1 1/4-in.-thick carved legs into the 3-in. shaft and glued and wedged an oak pin-block to the square tenon on top. The cleats are screwed to the underside top through elongated holes to allow expansion and contraction. They have round mortises to accept the pin of the pin-block and allow the top to tilt. I spun the top on the lathe to dish out the material on the top side and get the nice edge detail. The surfaces are addressed as an antique would be, and the aniline dye and shellac finish look and feel wonderful. This was another project that was lots of fun to do.