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Many of us have quite a bit of experience and different ways of doing things successfully. I'm sure it'll turn out great no matter what you decide to do. Hope you post pics when done.

If you mill the hickory square and true and finish both sides equally and it’s not in a location which gets extraordinarily more humidity on one side versus the other, there’s no reason it should warp over time.
A 6’ long table isn’t that big.

(12-21-2019, 08:51 AM)Gary G™ Wrote: [ -> ]If you mill the hickory square and true and finish both sides equally and it’s not in a location which gets extraordinarily more humidity on one side versus the other, there’s no reason it should warp over time.
A 6’ long table isn’t that big.

That's what I think also.  My dinning room table is just a little bigger than that and it's been flat for 25 years.  You don't have to put a lot of fasteners on it. 

I do have to ask - are there aprons on this table?   If not there should be - they are important. 

My top you can actually move about 1/8 inch  side to side and end to end.  So I have no issue with wood movement.  I used small clips that hook into a grove in the apron.

(12-21-2019, 08:51 AM)Gary G™ Wrote: [ -> ]...there’s no reason it should warp over time...

It is not warpage the OP is concerned about, but sagging.

Hickory should not sag noticeably over 36” unless it’s got tons of bricks in the middle. The Sagulator says .001/ft with a normal load—that’s totally negligible.

I’ve built a few tops this deep albeit at most about 5 feet long. Almost 15 years for the oldest one.

Breadboard ends on the two largest. Used figure 8 fasteners to attach to base cabinets. Tops were red oak and an inch thick.

No warping. We’re glued up from roughly 5” wide boards.

No angle irons.

Personally I think the look of a breadboard top is great, especially if the tenon shows.

Mike

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the response. The top is glued up, and after sanding is 11/16 thick (started at 3/4). I have built up the edges to about 1 5/16. Now that I'm dealing with it 'in real life' as opposed to in abstract, I think using some 3/4 ply and slotting for the screws will be sufficient - maybe even unnecessary- but better to ere on the side of over-built. This is part of a duo project, a desk and a bookcase for a customer. Fortunately no push to get it done for Christmas!