Bathurst Woodies' Dick Smith crafts table from old cathedral door

The talented woodworker, who is a member of Central Tablelands Woodcraft, affectionately known as the Woodies, was commissioned to create the table by parish councillor Michael O'Neil.

The Anglican church offered up the old door for the tabletop and left it up to Mr Smith to work out the best way to use it in the project.

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He came up with a design, which the church approved, and then he went about crafting the piece in the Woodies workshop with the assistance of other members.

The legs and frame of the table were sourced in Blayney from an avenue of elm trees, one of which was milled by Peter Brennan, a friend of Mr Smith's.

"He cut the tree down and then he milled it," he said.

"He's got a mill at his house and he cut it into pieces suitable for bench tops, bench legs and things like that.

"He's made a few benches with some of it, and the legs and the rails underneath the table to act as a superstructure, they were all made out of that English elm."

The table was a labour of love, taking a year to make due to pandemic-related delays.

"I drew it all up and a year later it was finished. It took us a year to make," Mr Smith said.

The service table now sits in the narthex entry to the cathedral, and fits in seamlessly.

"It had to be in harmony with the joinery that was there, so I just designed it like a bit of a copy of the table that was there, because it was a beautiful table, but it was too small," Mr Smith said.

He was proud to have created another piece for the Anglican cathedral, having worked with the church before on other projects.

Mr Smith developed his woodworking skills in his youth, learning the craft from his father, who made furniture for their house.

"My dad, he came out from England when there was hardly any work around, so he was making all the furniture we needed to have at home because he had time to do it," he said.

"I learnt as a kid how to make cabinetry and furniture."

While he never pursued a career in woodworking, when he entered retirement he joined the Woodies and has been making things in the workshop ever since.

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