diff --git a/wintable/new/header.h b/wintable/new/header.h
index 374aaa4..14281ef 100644
--- a/wintable/new/header.h
+++ b/wintable/new/header.h
@@ -38,3 +38,17 @@ static void repositionHeader(struct table *t)
 		wp.flags | SWP_SHOWWINDOW) == 0)
 		panic("error repositioning Table header");
 }
+
+static void headerAddColumn(struct table *t, WCHAR *name)
+{
+	HDITEMW item;
+
+	ZeroMemory(&item, sizeof (HDITEMW));
+	item.mask = HDI_WIDTH | HDI_TEXT | HDI_FORMAT;
+	item.cxy = 200;		// TODO
+	item.pszText = name;
+	item.fmt = HDF_LEFT | HDF_STRING;
+	// TODO replace 100 with (t->nColumns - 1)
+	if (SendMessage(t->header, HDM_INSERTITEM, (WPARAM) (100), (LPARAM) (&item)) == (LRESULT) (-1))
+		panic("error adding column to Table header");
+}
diff --git a/wintable/new/main.c b/wintable/new/main.c
index 84508bb..cc27111 100644
--- a/wintable/new/main.c
+++ b/wintable/new/main.c
@@ -65,6 +65,13 @@ static const handlerfunc handlers[] = {
 	NULL,
 };
 
+static void initDummyTableStuff(struct table *t)
+{
+	headerAddColumn(t, L"Column 1");
+	headerAddColumn(t, L"Column 2");
+	headerAddColumn(t, L"Column 3");
+}
+
 static LRESULT CALLBACK tableWndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam)
 {
 	struct table *t;
@@ -81,6 +88,7 @@ static LRESULT CALLBACK tableWndProc(HWND hwnd, UINT uMsg, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM
 			t = (struct table *) tableAlloc(sizeof (struct table), "error allocating internal Table data structure");
 			t->hwnd = hwnd;
 			makeHeader(t, cs->hInstance);
+initDummyTableStuff(t);
 			SetWindowLongPtrW(hwnd, GWLP_USERDATA, (LONG_PTR) t);
 		}
 		// even if we did the above, fall through