Recycle of breakfast table top

[OldWood]

A neighbour phoned me recently to ask if I wanted a coffee table top - as I was assured it was old and dark I guessed mahogony. Anyhow it's now been delivered and I fortunately have a brother in the trade as it left me puzzled. Tri-pod folding legs, 32 inches in diameter so 'huge' for a coffee table and really too tall, and no adornment at all.

So it is a 'breakfast table' such that your flunky could bring your breakfast to your bedroom, lay out this table with a freshly ironed table cloth ... and so on, and then it is folded away and presumably put out of sight till the next day. As it was the husband who wanted rid of it and didn't know its original purpose, he has now come in for some banter about not looking after his wife properly

So I have a 32" by 3/4" mahogony disc and at the moment no ideas what to use it for!! Suggestions ? If I did re-cycle to a smalller table, what finish would be recommended to bring out the best in the wood?
Rob

 

[smackie]

Interesting table. Sounds like some kind of butler’s table (but they’re usually shorter).

I guess the question is - What sort of finish do you want? It’s been a while since I finished any mahogany but I think your initial choice is whether you want it to show the grain texture or not. I’ve seen some really amazing glossy finishes using oil-based wood grain filler and a tinted oil topcoat but that might not be what you want. Depends on how interesting the grain is and how ”natural” you want it...

I think there are water-based options now too but I’ve never used them. I’ve used tung oil in the past and that’s worked well (and is resilient) but it‘s a slow process as you build up layers.

 

[OldWood]

Thanks for your ideas Smackie - I think in many ways it does depend on how good the grain is, and one might suspect that, whether it is a butler's table or what, it may not be the most exciting bit of mahogony!! Time will in due course tell when a definitive use is found.

I think the Butler's table may be the more accurate term, though Google isn't showing one with a tripod leg system. There's a curious cast hinge for that.

 

[smackie]

I’d love to see a photo of the table if you get a chance? Especially the hinge - I’ve seen a few different butler tables over the years but never a tripod one...