# Breadboard end tenon length?



## DetroitReds (Aug 6, 2010)

Hello all,
Question from an amateur working on a big project with big breadboards. Dining table is 72"x38" including 8" breadboards, made from 8/4 walnut. Needless to say, the 3+ feet of walnut at the ends are HEAVY. I was planning to attach the end with 4 haunched tenons. Problem is, the tabletop boards are a little short, and I think I only have 2" max for the tenon lengths. The ~6" of unsupported 8/4 walnut makes me a little nervous, especially considering full plates of food and people leaning on them…Any suggestions for a safe minimum tenon length (and mortise depth, for that matter)?

thanks,
Eitan 
Detroit


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## Viktor (Jan 15, 2009)

8" breadboards seem a bit wide to me. If you are worried about 2" tenon being too short perhaps you could make floating tenons that are longer or use long floating tenons in combination with standard 2" ones.


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## DetroitReds (Aug 6, 2010)

Yes, I've been thinking about floating tenons also. One question is how to mortise into the end of a 60" board (lacking a hortizontal boring machine)?
One other thought is to use 18"ish supports underneath the table that pass through a notch in the apron and thread into inserts in the breadboard. I'm trying to work out the wood movement details- if they're only fixed on the threaded end they I'm trying to figure out if they will pivot on the free end, but still help prevent the end from leverage out/breaking the tenons. Perhaps this would be clearer with a diagram- I'll work on that.


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## Viktor (Jan 15, 2009)

"One question is how to mortise into the end of a 60" board"

Plunge router and some kind of jig to hold it? However 2" is probably as deep as you can get with a router. How about start with the router, then deepen it with drill and clean with chisel. No, too much fun.
On the other hand part of the floating tenon that goes into the end of 60" board will be glued in completely, so 2" deep would be sufficient.
Additional underneath support seem awkward to me unless it is the apron itself. Could the apron be extended to be closer to the edge? If it's a trestle table you could have a beam underneath in the middle spanning almost entire length of the table.


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