I made this Shaker sewing table while demonstrating period woodworking techniques at a living history park. All the lumber preparation and joinery were done by hand, but the column and knobs were turned on a modern lathe, due to the lack of a suitable working lathe at the park. The table took about 22 hours to make. It is made from cherry and pine. The cherry was colored with lye and then sealed with shellac and given a glaze to imitate age ( the original table was heavily stained a reddish brown, but I couldn’t bring myself to stain cherry like that). The top was coated with thinned down Behlen Rock Hard varnish, applied with a pad. The table measures 26” high, 21” wide, and 17” deep. I should have made the drawers just a little less deep, as they sort of over-power the rest of the table. The last photo shows the table on the bench in the shop at the park.
Rob Millard