Installing breadboard ends - need some help

[drummaniac]

I am finishing up a walnut dining room table.  Final dimensions will be 36" x 90".  I am working on the breadboard ends and wanted to solicit advice on installing them.  I am planning on cutting a tenon into both ends of the table and a mortise into each breadboard end.  I'll glue the center portions, leave the ends floating, and put long wood screws into the end of each breadboard in an elongated screw hole to allow for movement.  I am planning on gluing an oak dowel near the end of each tenon to run the screws into so I'm now just screwing them into the end grain of the walnut.  The ends are 6" wide which will present some difficulty with the screws however.  I'm trying to figure out how to elongate the holes since they will be recessed quite a ways into the end of the breadboards.  I may be overthinking this but I'm hoping I can execute my plan without major modification.

What haven't I thought of yet?  Any other techniques/tips/advice that you've encountered?  Thanks!

 

[KRKWW]

While I'm no expert on breadboard ends, I'll be happy to share what I am currently doing because I too am building a custom black walnut table 42"x84" and the breadboard ends are also 6" wide.

I used a router to cut a 1/2" x 1/2" groove on the table and a mating tongue on the breadboard ends. Then I used my Domino 500 and cut five mortises for the slip tenons. I used the tight fitting setting in the center of both pieces and also on each of the breadboard ends. The mortises on the table ends are cut using the middle setting. Then I glued and pinned the tenons into the breadboard ends from the underside and drilled 1/4" holes through the mortise holes in the table ends. I dry fitted and marked the tenons with the drill bit point, removed the breadboard ends and drilled 1/4" holes through the tenons about 1/32" off the mark I made closer to the shoulder on the breadboard end. This technique is called a draw bore. The offset will ensure when I drive the dowels through the holes that the breadboard end is sucked up tightly to the table end. Additionally, I elongated the holes in the tenons only outboard of the center to allow for movement. I fabricated the 10 dowels I needed from the straightest grain black walnut I had then I disc sanded a taper on the dowels to help them engage all three holes properly. I've not yet driven the dowels home as I have some cosmetic repairs and sanding yet to do. Oh, and one other detail, I cut the breadboard ends about 1/16" or so longer than the table is wide because I did not want the table to grow wider than the breadboards are long. I'm hopeful that will be enough.

If I've missed something, let me know. As I said, I'm no expert as this is my first go at it.

Kevin

 

[Stephen B]

Some further reading on creating breadboards with a Domino or Router.
http://festoolownersgroup.com/festo...board-ends-demonstration/msg438331/#msg438331
http://festoolownersgroup.com/member-projects/my-magnificent-failure-(and-recovery)/msg281207/#msg281207

[member=16471]drummaniac[/member]  [member=14322]Krkww[/member]