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I'm working on a dinning room table that will have bread board ends.  The ends will be about 3 1/2" wide by 44" long.  My question is how deep should the mortise in the bread board ends be.  My wife is worried that if one tries to lift the table by the ends that the bread board end may snap off.

The table top is 3/4" thick with 1 1/4" bread board ends.  So far I have milled a 1/4" wide slot 1/2" deep in the table and the ends.  I will use 1/4" thick loose splines to connect the two together.  The middle 6" of the splines will be glued with 4 screws in slotted holes at the outer edges of each end to account for expansion.

Will a 1/2" depth be enough or should I increase the slot in the bread board to maybe 1".

Thanks George

(02-14-2018, 02:38 PM)George Wells Wrote: [ -> ]I'm working on a dinning room table that will have bread board ends.  The ends will be about 3 1/2" wide by 44" long.  My question is how deep should the mortise in the bread board ends be.  My wife is worried that if one tries to lift the table by the ends that the bread board end may snap off.

The table top is 3/4" thick with 1 1/4" bread board ends.  So far I have milled a 1/4" wide slot 1/2" deep in the table and the ends.  I will use 1/4" thick loose splines to connect the two together.  The middle 6" of the splines will be glued with 4 screws in slotted holes at the outer edges of each end to account for expansion.

Will a 1/2" depth be enough or should I increase the slot in the bread board to maybe 1".

Thanks George

Mortises at least 1-1/2" deep and the T&G portion between them between 1/2".

A decent set of images that sort of match what you are doing, but a bit smaller scale.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/2009/04/1...-table-top

(02-14-2018, 03:00 PM)Rob Young Wrote: [ -> ]Mortises at least 1-1/2" deep and the T&G portion between them between 1/2".

A decent set of images that sort of match what you are doing, but a bit smaller scale.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/2009/04/1...-table-top

^ What he said. ^

(02-14-2018, 03:00 PM)Rob Young Wrote: [ -> ]Mortises at least 1-1/2" deep and the T&G portion between them between 1/2".

A decent set of images that sort of match what you are doing, but a bit smaller scale.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/2009/04/1...-table-top

This.  Don't make the entire mortise 1-1/2" deep or the breadboard end will bat wing open when the RH changes.  My friend proved this when he did just that.  I would upsize the mortises and tenons to 3/8", too.  Use separate loose tenons in those mortises, separate from the tongue on the end of the table, glued into the table and held to the breadboard end with screws or dowels in slotted holes.   

John

Glen Huey did an excellent tutorial for B.B. table ends. This is what I used for our kitchen table. You can probably find the video on YouTube.

(02-14-2018, 02:38 PM)George Wells Wrote: [ -> ]I'm working on a dinning room table that will have bread board ends.  The ends will be about 3 1/2" wide by 44" long.  My question is how deep should the mortise in the bread board ends be.  My wife is worried that if one tries to lift the table by the ends that the bread board end may snap off.

The table top is 3/4" thick with 1 1/4" bread board ends.  So far I have milled a 1/4" wide slot 1/2" deep in the table and the ends.  I will use 1/4" thick loose splines to connect the two together.  The middle 6" of the splines will be glued with 4 screws in slotted holes at the outer edges of each end to account for expansion.

Will a 1/2" depth be enough or should I increase the slot in the bread board to maybe 1".

Thanks George

I am about to build a dining table, the grain will be running across the narrow width and I will be breadboarding the long edges. 
I will not be using tongue and grove, but dovetail splines to connect the parts. Each mating surface gets a Dovetail groove, and a butterfly or bow tie Spline fitted between them.

The Dovetail profile allows natural movement along the long axis, but if fitted properly, will resist movement in the other two planes without needing dowels.

It is fussy millwork, but I have had great results with the technique.

(02-15-2018, 09:07 AM)handi Wrote: [ -> ]I am about to build a dining table, the grain will be running across the narrow width and I will be breadboarding the long edges. 
I will not be using tongue and grove, but dovetail splines to connect the parts. Each mating surface gets a Dovetail groove, and a butterfly or bow tie Spline fitted between them.

The Dovetail profile allows natural movement along the long axis, but if fitted properly, will resist movement in the other two planes without needing dowels.

It is fussy millwork, but I have had great results with the technique.

Handi, is that strong enough to prevent the ends from breaking off if someone leans on them when standing up?  Or picks up the table?  

John

(02-15-2018, 10:29 AM)jteneyck Wrote: [ -> ]Handi, is that strong enough to prevent the ends from breaking off if someone leans on them when standing up?  Or picks up the table?  

John

At 3/4" thick and an end that was going to be >3" wide, probably not.

(7/8" would be my preferred minimum thickness for a large top not supported by an apron, such as one might find on a trestle table design.)

Depending on where you position the B.B. ends in relation to the table frame, you may be able to gain some additional support. My B.B. ends are around 4+” wide and I purposely positioned the the first inch over the table legs for some additional downward support. My family is good at testing strucural support in day to day living...

(02-14-2018, 02:38 PM)George Wells Wrote: [ -> ]I'm working on a dinning room table that will have bread board ends.  The ends will be about 3 1/2" wide by 44" long.  My question is how deep should the mortise in the bread board ends be.  My wife is worried that if one tries to lift the table by the ends that the bread board end may snap off.

The table top is 3/4" thick with 1 1/4" bread board ends.  So far I have milled a 1/4" wide slot 1/2" deep in the table and the ends.  I will use 1/4" thick loose splines to connect the two together.  The middle 6" of the splines will be glued with 4 screws in slotted holes at the outer edges of each end to account for expansion.

Will a 1/2" depth be enough or should I increase the slot in the bread board to maybe 1".

Thanks George

I did a coffee table with about those dimensions except only a 3/8 deep mortise, pinned in the middle.  Its ridiculously sturdy, the whole thing was shaped so I could hang a leg over it while watching TV.  Its ok but the humidity changes here cause the ends to protrude in winter and they are sharp.  It was one of the first few things I built, so I probably missed something in designing it so that doesn't happen.