Fine Woodworking 2007 Building Furniture

Q:What’s

the purpose

behind using

breadboard ends

on a tabletop?

—P A T

H O U G H T O N ,

Shreveport, La.

A:BREADBOARD ENDS KEEP WIDE TABLE

ENDS FLAT while allowing the top to

move seasonally. The breadboard is a

grooved end cap that is placed over

tenons and secured with pins. It is joined

to the tabletop with a series of tenons

connected by a continuous stub tenon.

The longer tenons (usually three or five

but always odd in number) offer support

when lifting the table by its ends. The

short stub tenon helps minimize cupping

along the width of the tabletop.

The breadboard is glued only in the

center, which allows the top to expand

or contract independently from the breadboard.

The breadboard is further secured with pegs

through the tenons.

The outer peg holes and outer mortises must

be elongated to allow for movement. The easiest

way to do this is to dry-fit the breadboard to

Breadboard-end basics

D E S I G N I N G T R A D I T I O N A L B R E A D B O A R D E N D S

Apply glue only to the

center 6 in. or so.

Breadboard

Large tenons

add strength.

Peg

Holes in the outer tenons

are elongated to allow

for wood movement.

Stub tenon

restricts cupping.

Tabletop

A:ON EARLY PIECES OF

FURNITURE, you often will see

pins and tails close to the

same size and with steep

angles. As furniture mak-

ing evolved in this country,

pins became smaller and the

angles less acute.

Generally, narrow pins are

considered the finest work.

They showcase a maker’s

skill and create a refined

look that draws the eye.

Evenly spaced dovetails

are the easiest to lay out us-

ing a couple tricks. One is

the half rule (see top draw-

ing, right). With this method,

you place half-pins at the

edges of the board, find the

center point between them,

and locate a pin there. Keep

dividing the spaces in half

Q:How should I

space my dovetails?

I have seen

examples from

different eras and

various furniture

makers that exhibit

various proportions.

Is there a right way?

— W I L L I A M D O N OVA N ,

Altoona, Pa.

to locate pins. In a typical

drawer, you’ll want at least

three full pins and two half-

pins (one at each edge).

In a case, you’ll want a pin

spaced every 2 in. to 2^1 ⁄ 2 in.

You also can use a rule

to create evenly spaced

dovetails. First, decide on

the number of pins. Angle

the rule until that number

is aligned with the far edge.

For example, say you want

10 pins on an 8-in. board.

Angle the rule until the 10-in.

mark aligns with the edge,

then make marks at every

inch. Transfer those marks to

the end of the board, creat-

ing 10 evenly spaced pins.

—Philip C. Lowe runs

The Furniture Institute of

Massachusetts.

the top and drill for the pegs. Then remove

the breadboard and elongate the holes in the

tenons with a file before gluing and pegging the

breadboard in place.

—Michael Pekovich, Fine Woodworking’s art

director, has been building furniture for 20 years.

E V E N LY S PAC E D D OV E TA I L S

THE HALF RULE

To get an even number

of spaces, divide the

overall width in half,

then halve the spaces

again as needed. With

practice, this method

can be done by eye.

THE ANGLED RULE

Another trick is to

angle a rule until the

appropriate number

of increments line up

with the edges of the

board. This method

will deliver an even

or odd number

of divisions.

Dovetail size and spacing

(^112) Drawings, this page: Melanie Powell (top); Vince Babak (bottom)
Q&A
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