# Breadboard tabletop



## welcon (Dec 3, 2012)

Well just putting my first breadboard style tabletop together and used my router and a straight bit to cut my tenon, the questions are how much room do you think I should give the mortise for expansion? And do you think the tenon should be left full length as shown in the photo, or broken down into multiple tenons?


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## conifur (Apr 1, 2015)

I believe for wood movement they figure 1/16 per 12" of width on average, and multiple tenons are stronger then one large one.


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## pjones46 (Mar 1, 2011)

Here is a good article with some suggestions for prep and layout.


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## distrbd (Sep 14, 2011)

Pjones,I was looking for that link to post but you beat me to it, I think it explains very well how simple it can be to to allow for wood movement in BB design.

I had to learn the hard way myself, made a small coffee table with a nice BB style top, 3 months late we heard a loud crack coming from out living room, it was my coffee table top with a 1/4" crack right in the middle of it, but I left it as a reminder on what not to do,plus, the crack almost disappear in Summer months. .


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## pjones46 (Mar 1, 2011)

Here are a couple of other links which may be of interest in the future:

Wood Movement and How It Affects Your Woodworking Projects

Estimate Wood Movement

The Shrinkulator


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

+1 on the stepped tenons.
Looking good.


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## welcon (Dec 3, 2012)

Thanks for the info guys


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