Tilt-and-Turn Table

This is a reproduction of an 18th century walnut tilt-and-turn table. The original was made in the Philadelphia area. It now resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This one is also made of walnut, with an analine dye and hand-rubbed oil finish.

This table has a "dishrim" top. It is made by creating a round top, then "dishing" it out. I used a router. In the old days, this would have been done on a giant lathe.

This is called a tilt-and-turn table because it can move two ways.
The top can be moved to an upright position. This allows the table to be placed closer to a wall, to save space. In the horizontal position, it can also rotate. The lady of the house could serve tea by putting a cup on the table and then rotating it (carefully!) toward her guest.



A side view. This shows the "birdcage" mechanism, which allows the tilt-and-turn to take place. The legs are joined to the column with sliding dovetails. The legs require a large amount of shaping with hand tools.



A closeup view of the birdcage. Releasing the locking mechanism allows the table to tilt. You must remove a "key" (the little wedge-shaped thing inside the birdcage) for the top to spin.

I love furniture that does tricks!