This outstanding late nineteenth century pine table top was in need of a base. Made from three boards nearly 1.5” thick and reinforced with two hardwood cleats dovetailed into its underside, it had been a working surface in a small factory. Our workshop in Europe fashioned an “X” base, taking sturdy reclaimed pine boards and crossing them in the middle with a half-mortise joint. The joint is secured with four bolts which pass through the wood and through an “X”-shaped steel plate welded onto a tubular steel pipe to form the stretcher. Built to a comfortable working height of 33”, it is easy to reduce to a more standard height for dining.