Dictionary Stand

Stand For Antique Cast Iron Dictionary Holder

In Black Walnut, White Oak, and Brass

The idea for this piece came about when a client brought me an antique dictionary holder and asked if could make a stand for it. I quickly realized that this piece could be adapted for use as a music stand or lectern, substituting the appropriate hardware for the dictionary holder.

The central support is locally recovered black walnut coopered into a hexagon. Each face is then carefully tapered on the planer, lending a sense of elegance and finesse. The five eigths inch brass rod, epoxied into place, is more than sturdy enough to hold the mightiest tome.

The 'talons' are made from locally recovered white oak and joined to the hexagon with floating, ash tenons. Also tapered on the planer, the feet are thickest where they meet the central support. The top corners of each foot feature delicate hand tapered chamfers.

The antique dictionary holder is a truly ingenious device. It self levels depending on the weight of the pages and folds up to protect the dictionary when not in use. It is also made of white oak and required extensive refinishing of the wood, as well as welding of some broken parts of the cast iron. All the old rusty hardware was replaced with brass hardware to match the brass support rod.

The petals atop the feet are black walnut and are the type of little detail that I like to see in every piece I create.

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