Breadboard Ends Finally Installed

[jteneyck]

You might be wondering if I ever finished that table and bench with the breadboard ends.  Yes, finally.  

I completely finished the top and ends separately before installing the ends.  My friend built a similar size table a few years ago and attached the ends before finishing.  That winter the finish cracked right along that joint, which made perfect sense after we thought about it, so I wanted to avoid that from happening with this table.  





I glued only the center tenon.  



And here is the finished table, ready for delivery when the weather improves.  





John

[shoottmx]

Awesome tabletop John!

g

[KC]

The base is a nice contrast.  

[Philip1231]

Really nice looking table!

[jteneyck]

The base is a nice contrast.  

I agree.  When we first discussed the table the lady wanted the whole thing out of English walnut.  There wasn't enough wood to do it, thank goodness, because that would have been way too much of a good thing from my perspective.  So I proposed a painted base and she decided to go that route. 

The legs are from Osborne Wood Products, very good quality and very good service. 

John

[Joel H.]

That is an absolutely beautiful tabletop John.  Fantastic work!

I've used Osborne for legs as well and was very happy with their quality and service.

Joel

[jstraw]

Very nice. Great job on the breadboards and the finish. Thanks for sharing.

[R Clark]

Great looking table, John.

A question about your breadboard ends.  I see the length of the ends are wider than the main table top, perhaps by nearly 1/8th inch on each side.  I presume this is to allow for expansion/movement of the main portion of the table top during periods of higher humidity (something not experienced this time of year).  I apologize if this was covered in previous posts on this table, but how did you decide how much expansion to allow for?

Reason I ask:  I made a trestle table out of American elm about 18 years ago.  As you did, I allowed a similar amount of breadboard length to account for expansion and I only glued in the middle.  The outer edges are pegged with dowels from below, and I left room in the peg holes for movement.  For 18 years I've waited for that table top to move an appreciable amount, but no matter what season it is, I always have a very noticeable amount of breadboard end overhanging those sides.  I've been tempted to trim them flush because I'm tired fo looking at it. 

I'm in the Midwest, so our humidity swings wildly from summer to winter.  No matter though, those breadboard ends will overhang the main portion of the table by the same amount in the summer.

[Gary G™]

Another table one can be proud to have built.

[jteneyck]

Great looking table, John.

A question about your breadboard ends.  I see the length of the ends are wider than the main table top, perhaps by nearly 1/8th inch on each side.  I presume this is to allow for expansion/movement of the main portion of the table top during periods of higher humidity (something not experienced this time of year).  I apologize if this was covered in previous posts on this table, but how did you decide how much expansion to allow for?

Reason I ask:  I made a trestle table out of American elm about 18 years ago.  As you did, I allowed a similar amount of breadboard length to account for expansion and I only glued in the middle.  The outer edges are pegged with dowels from below, and I left room in the peg holes for movement.  For 18 years I've waited for that table top to move an appreciable amount, but no matter what season it is, I always have a very noticeable amount of breadboard end overhanging those sides.  I've been tempted to trim them flush because I'm tired fo looking at it. 

I'm in the Midwest, so our humidity swings wildly from summer to winter.  No matter though, those breadboard ends will overhang the main portion of the table by the same amount in the summer.

Seasonal expansion for a 42" top of walnut is about 3/8", so that's 3/16" from center to edge.  I made the overhang 1/4" just to make sure the field never ends up proud.  Of course, there will be no expansion if the RH stays constant.  Also, the finish helps damp the wood's response to changes in humidity. The fact that your table top hasn't moved much is likely due to seasonal RH control (AC in the Summer, humidifier in the Winter) and a good finish.  I have no idea what conditions the my table's home will have, so I planned for the worst case for my area which is about 30% RH in the Winter and 75% in the Summer.  
The advantages of breadboard ends is they help keep the tabletop flat and they reduce the amount of exposed end grain.  The disadvantage is dealing with the aesthetic between the field and breadboard end.  For a country style table like I made the overhang isn't offensive, at least not to me.  But for an elegant design it would look pretty poor.  The only way I can think of to make the breadboard ends flush with the field without running into problems during the year is to use a veneered field.  I actually considered that approach with this table, but decided against it because of cost.  
The seasonal expansion of American elm is quite a bit higher than English walnut.  If you want to cut the ends flush with the field, I would only consider doing it during a long period of high humidity and no AC.  
John