Here is my adaptation of an 18th Century Philadelphia style Piecrust Table. The material is local walnut and measures 26.5” in diameter x 28” tall. The walnut top was made from book matched crotch wood. When the top was recessed it changed the characteristics of the book match. Due to the top only being 13/16” thick I added a piece of ½ walnut underneath that measured 24” in diameter. The legs use hand cut dovetails to fit into the post, reinforced with a homemade steel spider.  A traditional Bird Cage was built for the tilt and turn using a brass Banjo Catch for the top latch. A router with a trammel board was used to dish out the top then the piecrust edge was hand carved. The Claw & Ball feet on the legs with the Water Leaf on the knees were also hand carved.

There was a lot of research and inspiration from others that went into this table. This included a trip to Winterthur Estate with the Furniture Specific tour.  The biggest help came from Dan Faia’s workshops on the Piecrust Tray and Traditional Furniture Elements. Dan also offered several helpful tips on the construction. The Instagram posts by the Colonial Craftsman, Ray Journigan and the text by Heller & Walker also provided helpful information.
https://youtu.be/-TQreEnpK4Y?si=fpo4iAVlm9-FYXH-

Launch Gallery