How do you do breadboard ends?

[wisardd1]

Joe brought up the idea of doing breadboard ends on my mission desk table top. I have been researching a little bit on it and have read about not gluing or making them to tight unless you want some cracked wood. Any feedback. I also have to clean up the ends since they didn't line up correctly. Any help on that would be helpful before I got cutting or routing away. The table top is currently 1 1/4 thick.

[Ruffnek]

Here's how I make them.

Route a stopped groove in the center of the breadboard. For a 1 1/4" top, I'd make the groove 3/8" wide and 1 1/4" deep. You will probably want to make it in at least three passes for safety. Stop the groove about 1" from the ends. If you route the groove, reverse ends with the breadboard and route it again, the groove will be centered. It will likely be slightly larger than 3/8" but that's not a problem.

Now, route a centered tenon on the tabletop that is the same length as the groove depth...exactly the same. You will want to sneak up on the tenon thickness so that it fits snugly in the mortise so stop shy of your thickness mark on the first passes. Make minute adjustments and test fits until you get a good fit...snug but not tight.

When you get the tenon routed, saw off about 2 1/4" on each end so that it will fit fully into the stopped groove. Clamp the breadboard end in place, pulling it tight against the table.

Drill a 3/8" hole 6" from each end from the bottom of the tabletop centered on the 1 1/4" long tenon. Stop the hole just shy of coming through the top.

Remove the clamps and breadboard end. With a jig saw, elongate the holes in the tenon about 1/4" on each side, angling slighty inward towards the tabletop.

Put glue on the middle 1/3 of the breadboard groove and on the tabletop tenon. Clamp the breadboard back in place. Tap 3/8" dowels into the holes from underneath. Put a dab of glue on the dowel about 1/4" before it bottoms out. Tap it in fully and when the glue dries, remove the clamps and trim the dowel flush.

[Joe Lyddon]

It seems like Popular Woodworking Magazine or Fine Woodworking had a project that described it very well... don;t have time to look right now...

Cody's procedure sounds good to me... like I've seen it done...

[dcarter636]

I just don't anymore.

First try 20+ years ago I glued a simple tenon end across 14", it split one of the boards in the field.

On a couple subsequent tries with center anchored floating BB ends the difficulty in perfectly matching the surface heights was a PITA.
After everything was matched, sanded, and finished, the differences in expansion/shrinkage made the BB ends never match the field edges after the first year.

No more bread board ends for on nice furniture from me except under duress.

[wisardd1]

Thank you Cody, Very good instructions. Tutorial section add?

[Ruffnek]

You're welcome, Wizard. I was being rushed to go to lunch with my wife and girls. I didn't get to proofread the post or I would have spelled rout without the "e." ;D

[art3427]

I am also in the process of building a kitchen table with bread board ends. The top is 33" X 72" oa and laminated from 5.25" X 72" planks. I will follow ruffneck's basic procedure except I will be using loose tenons. The mortises will be 3/8' X 21/2" X 5.0". The rest of the tenons will be unglued on both ends but will be pegged on each side of the joint. I'm thinking I will spot glue the center tenon on both ends for a solid bond but allow the rest to be able to expand and contract as needed. I'm waiting on my new Mortise Pal jig to arrive so I can complete the project.

Anyone got a better idea?

art

[Ruffnek]

Apr 5, 2010 7:23:46 GMT -6 art3427 said:

Anyone got a better idea?
art

Nothing wrong with that method. The only thing I would do differently is to glue one side of the loose tenons (tabletop side) solidly in place and peg the other one. Glue the center one on both sides as you planned.

[rrich]

Obviously you need a tenon on the end of the table top and a mortise in the BB end piece.

The tenon should be short of the edge by 3/4 on each side. The mortise should be stopped about 1/4 from the edge of the BB end. The BB end should be 3/8 longer than the table top is wide.

The center 3-4 inches of the tenon should be almost the full depth of the mortise in the BB end. (1-1/2 on a 2" wide BB end) The entire tenon should fit very tight vertically. The remaining tenon on the top only needs to be about an inch long.

On the bottom side of the BB end, about 8" from the end and 3/8 from the mortise opening drill a hole for a dowel. (1/8 is my preference but YMMV.) Put the BB end in place and mark the corresponding hole in the tenon. Drill the hole in the tenon about 1/64 closer to the center of the table top. (This will pull the BB end onto the table top.) This hole needs to be elongated in the direction of wood movement. (This usually can be done by rocking the drill in the hole. A rat tail file will also work.) Sometimes it may be wise to drill 2 or three adjacent holes for larger anticipated wood movements. (Use a chisel to clean out the spaces between the holes. A router with a good fence could also be used. Exact elongation is not important but you want a good tight fit, the edge of the hole closest to the edge needs to be exact.)

Install the BB ends, gluing the long center tenon. Use a mallet to drive the dowels into place. Depending upon your taste, the dowel holes may go through the BB end and show on the table top. (My preference is that they don't.)