Domino XL Connectors for Breadboard Ends on a Dining Table

[JimReed]

Thinking this would be a great way to mount breadboard ends and be able to pull them in tight. 

My thought was two  of the XL connectors toward the middle of the table top flanked on the outside by two tight setting dominos (glued on only one side) and then those two flanked  to the outside by two wide setting dominos (also glued on only one side) so the tabletop could expand and contract with the changing seasons.  Good idea, bad idea?  All advice is welcomed.  Thanks, Jim

 

[Svar]

But why? Are you planning to take breadboards apart? Go with the simplest solution - just glue middle tenons.

 

[Birdhunter]

I’ve had great luck on breadboard ends using center tenons glued and the rest wedged.

 

[JimReed]

But why? Are you planning to take breadboards apart? Go with the simplest solution - just glue middle tenons.

Good question, I am probably overthinking this but my thought was to pull in the breadboard very tight.  Or it could be that I have the XL and the connectors so I thought it might be a good project for them.

For those who have done it the simple way of just gluing the center dominos fast on both sides, I am curious to know if you just glue the center two (spaced 4-5" apart) and then leave the outboard dominos just glued on one side with the outermost ones in wide slots?

 

[Svar]

Or it could be that I have the XL and the connectors so I thought it might be a good project for them.

I think that's it.  [big grin] I often do stuff just because I can.
But by all means go for it. Connectors should work great for breadboard.

 

[Birdhunter]

I fasten the outboard tenons with wedging pins. It is an easy technique to do and really draws the outboard tenons in tight.

 

[joemodern]

Can you give more details about pinning the outer tenons? I understand the basic idea but a few more step by step details on how you do it with the dominos would be great.

 

[moretoyswins]

I use a dowel through an offset hole in the domino.  A technique that has been used for years in tenon jointing as mentioned by others.  I offset the hole in the domino 1mm to the inside of the joint relative to the hole in the cross member which is being attached.

I use xl connectors quite often, and in fact, there are some on the mattress box of the loft bed in the pictures attached.  However, with the mattress box 6-feet in the air, the trough dowels are the real strength.

In the last picture, you can see the joint was tight enough to compress the wood (Pine).  The bed has been assembled and disassembled a number of times, as it is moved and the joints remain tight.

Hope this helps!

 

[mike_aa]

[member=64901]moretoyswins[/member]  Nice idea!  Modifying and updating a "time-honored" technique with modern materials!  It looks like you glued the dominos into the uprights.  Have there been any issues with glue joints separating as the dowels are repeatedly placed?

Thank you for sharing the photos!

Mike A.

 

[moretoyswins]

[member=64901]moretoyswins[/member]  Nice idea!  Modifying and updating a "time-honored" technique with modern materials!

Thanks for the praise.  I have done traditional mortise and tenons over the years as such this just seemed an obvious way to solve the issue with minimal additional effort and I was impressed by the strength of the result.  Traditional mortise and tenons are beautiful but tend to be time-consuming.  There are, I think, 64 - 14mm dominos and 4 XL connectors in the loft bed, doing those as traditional mortise and tenons would have taken several weekends.  Once I had built the two jigs for the drill press, I had all the joinery done in less than a day.

[quote author=mike_aa]
It looks like you glued the dominos into the uprights.  Have there been any issues with glue joints separating as the dowels are repeatedly placed?
[/quote]
Yes, the dominos are glued into the uprights, I debated pinning them with dowels instead but thought it would detract from the look of the uprights.  Used Titebond II and no issues with separation, I suspect the glue joint is stronger than the wood surrounding it.  My fear has been that the holes through the pine would enlarge before the glue would give, but thankfully the holes have remained tight.

The desk underneath and the bookshelf at the back of the bed use 6mm dominos and KV D8/50s, so they also breakdown flat for moving.

Cheers!