The original folding trestle table was a quick proof of concept, which did the job of showing how the thing worked. Unburdened by reckless eagerness, I put in some proper shop time to make a nicer version. This one was made to the same dimensions out of some oak reclaimed from an unknown past project. The construction is all mortise and tenon (with liberal use of power tools), but otherwise has the same form as the first one. I applied two coats of spar varnish while the two frames were still separate. To allow for this, the hinge this time involved a hole through the full width of the inside frame and another halfway through the outside frame. The inner hole is exactly 3/8″ to allow for the hinge pin to have a snug fit, while the outer hole is 1/64″ larger so the hinge can move freely.
The only part that is visibly different in form is the ring/hook hardware for the adjustment chains. The description of the example in the V&A is fairly informative, though there is no picture of this feature:
Two iron chains (of 13 long links) are fixed to one upper stretcher on rings, any link of the chain fitting over an iron hook in the opposite upper stretcher, so as to secure the trestle open and adjust the table height. The two hooks and rings are driven through the stretchers and the split ends bent over.
To approximate this arrangement, I again made use of the ever-present coat hangers, in a slightly more complex manner.