Of Syrup and a Spinning Table

Synopsis: With David Lamb’s Zimmer table as inspiration, Dan Strout decided to replace a factory-built table in his living room—the only piece in the room he had not made himself. After completing the piece, Strout needed to paint it, but he was at a loss over how to do so in a way that fit the piece. He contacted Lamb, who put him in touch with Mark Adams, who had done the painting on Lamb’s Zimmer table.

It’s sometimes hard to trace the inspiration for a piece you build; other times, it’s not so hard. David Lamb first came to my attention because he is such an accomplished furniture maker. I had read about him in Fine Woodworking, admired his work greatly, and knew that he was the 2021 recipient of the Cartouche Award, given by the Society of American Period Furniture Makers. (As you may know, the Cartouche Award is to furniture making as the Stanley Cup is to hockey.)

But it…