Attaching breadboard ends to a table top with biscuits

[Jay Sanchez]

I have a 16" x 16" tabletop that I'm worried about cupping later on, so I want to try attaching breadboards on the end grain sides to minimize cupping. Are biscuits strong enough for the job? Thx.

[Nate Carey]

Jay, if she wants to cup, she'll cup...a good sturdy screwed-on cleat will do a better job if cleats fit into your design. What wood is the table top made of?

[George Bregar]

I wouldn't use biscuits and I wouldn't screw on a cleat. 16" wide you will have wood movement and gluing or screwing could cause a failure of the top. Best to attach with mortise and tenon. Create a tenon on the top, and a mortise in the bread board end. Glue the middle, pin the ends. Elongate the hole in the tenon on the ends, and leave some room for expansion, to accommodate movement. Like this:



Just make sure the elongated holes are the same width...better is to also make them slightly offset so that when you pin them it pulls the end tight.

[Frank Drew]

Jay,

If you like the look of breadboard ends, go for it, but as already noted they probably won't do much structurally for your table top.

FWIW, in almost 25 years full-time furniture making I never once put on a breadboard end but I used appropriate and well-seasoned wood, put equal amounts of finish on both side of the top (very important), and fastened it correctly to whatever base it went with.

That said, wood's can be a bear and will sometime do what it wants to do; you have to be prepared to cut your losses and use another piece if the one you first try is just being too contrary.

[Lee Schierer]

I would not use biscuits or dowels to attach a bread board end. Biscuits will prevent seasonal wood movement. I would use either a mortice and tenon type joint or a sliding dovetail and only glue the middle 2-3 inches. The dovetail design will keep the end from coming off and will still allow seasonal wood movement.

Applying equal amounts of finish to all sides of this piece will also help reduce seasonal changes and any cupping if the wood is properly cured to start with. My recommendation would be kiln dried lumber dried to 7% MC. YMMV.