This is normal. In fact, it’s what you want with breadboard ends. It means it’s doing its job, and the panel is allowed room to expand/contract.

Kohärenz Beispiele

So you’re thinking about building a table? You’ve heard about these “Breadboard Ends”. You’ve probably seen them. Maybe you’ve even tried them out.

But anyway, the main purpose of the breadboard ends (as the Amish crafters explain it) is to allow for wood movement. As the solid wood panel in the middle expands and contracts, the breadboard ends (when done properly) will not hinder this movement.

But if you’re not ready, and you want to make a simple beginner-friendly table, without worrying about the panel splitting, then go ahead with the pocket hole method.

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Zeitliche und räumliche Kohärenz

Now remove the breadboard, and using a round file or a jig saw, elongate the 2 outer holes (not the center hole), in the tongue.

Incorporating breadboard ends really makes the panel come together and look more “complete” in my opinion, compared to leaving it off.

My coffee table up above has breadboard ends done with pocket joinery, which I’ll cover in a few minutes. And for my computer desk, I made mortise and tenon breadboard ends, which is the more “Proper”, traditional method.

If done correctly, you will have a dowel glued to the breadboard, while the center of the dowel, and the tongue, did not get any glue.

Räumliche Kohärenz

Just to make it clear on how to elongate the holes, here’s an slightly-transparent image of the pieces fitted together, which illustrates how the breadboard holes line up with the tongue holes.

If the main panel expands, it will likely break or buckle in an unexpected way. It could try to warp to relieve the pressure of the expanding wood, and this could split the breadboard joint itself.

Kohärentes Licht Laser

Breadboard ends are when you take a board and attach it to the end grain of a panel, perpendicular (90 degrees) to the boards in the panel itself.

This will happen if you use dowel and glue joinery, simple edge gluing, edge gluing with biscuits, standard glued mortise and tenon, and anything else that glues the breadboards directly to the end grain of the panel boards.

First, you’ll cut rabbets on the top and bottom of the panel, creating the tongue. This should be at least 1” long, and will run the entire width of the panel.

Zeitliche Kohärenz

WARNING: Controversial Material Ahead… Seriously, this goes against the grain (pardon the pun) of what most woodworkers teach.

What you may not realize is that this moisture absorption causes the wood to expand. And on the flipside, the loss of moisture (due to lower humidity levels) causes the wood to contract.

Kohärenz einfach erklärt

Go ahead and apply glue to the center hole, and the center dowel, and insert it through the hole until it’s just past flush on the bottom. Let it dry before cutting and sanding down flat.

Now push in the dry dowel from the TOP of the breadboard. Once it’s through the tongue and approaching the bottom hole (the hole with glue in it), apply some glue directly on the dowel so the top section of the dowel will be glued to the top hole of the breadboard end as you push it in the rest of the way.

I’ve made 3d diagrams to help illustrate the process, since at the time of writing this, I didn’t have any table projects going on.

Kohärenz Psychologie

To glue a dowel in an outer hole (one with an elongated tongue hole), you need to be careful to NOT glue the dowel to the TONGUE. Only glue it to the breadboard.

I’m Adam, and I’m a small-shop woodworker. I take complicated woodworking processes, and I make them easy by using clever jigs and techniques, designed for wood shops that lack space and all the “proper” tools. Subscribe here.

The traditional and “Proper” ways to handle this is to either create a mortise and tenon joint, or a tongue and groove joint.

But this goes to show, there is enough wiggle room in pocket hole joinery to allow for this contraction, without stressing the panel so much it splits.

Kohärentes Licht Wirkung

If the main panel in the middle contracts, it will likely split along one or more of the boards or panel-glue-joints to relieve the stress.

I know a woodworker who didn’t know the correct way to create breadboard ends, and he ended up causing the table top to split. It wasn’t really his fault, he was simply never taught the proper technique.

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Plus, I’ve done this using dimensional pine boards from the lumber yard, which are notorious for having really high moisture content from the store, meaning a lot of contraction after they dry when you bring the project inside.

The mortise and tenon is mostly the same, but the tenon won’t be exposed on the ends. And so the mortise must be cut using a plunge router along the edge of the breadboards. This can be a tricky setup.

With the breadboard attached to the panel, pulled all the way in and tight against the shoulders of the tongue, drill 3 holes down through the breadboard (3/8″ is fine, I’ve even used 1/4″). One hole goes in the center, and one at each end, about 2 to 4 inches in from the edge.

Now you can re-attach the breadboard end. Cut some dowel from a new piece of dowel stock, using the same diameter dowel as the holes you drilled.

Here’s one of my end tables that does not have breadboard ends. I made 2 of them, and while I still love these tables, they illustrates the difference in the overall look and feel.

About The Author Adam has been woodworking for the last 10 years. He considers himself a 'Small Shop Woodworker' and practices his hobby in his garage. With the lack of time, space, and proper tools, he always finds ways to get great results without over-complicating or over-thinking the process. Various shop jigs, table saw sleds, and tricks of the trade have served him well. God has blessed him with a beautiful family, as well as a passion for teaching others about woodworking. You can read more about Adam here.

Well that’s what inspired me to write this post. I’ve made my share of tables and several of them had breadboard ends. So I’ve got my methods figured out, and I want to share them with you here today.

The center dowel is glued all the way through. This means it will be stationary and will keep the breadboard centered on the panel.

The outer 2 dowels will allow the panel within to expand and contract, while still holding the breadboard tight against the panel.

Pocket hole joinery works fine for breadboard ends (in my own personal experience). And I live in the midwest where humidity is really high in the summer, and pretty low in the winter.

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