I am interested in buildind a 8′ X 4′ dining room table. The Question I am trying to figure out is what is the best way to finish the end grain? I see a lot of designs that utilize a another piece of wood cross grain to the table, do not know the terminology. Seems to me that this would prevent the table from expanding and contracting which would result in cracks on the table. I guess it would help to to ya’ll that the table is going to be a country “type” style with windsor chairs. Any help in finding a practical way or design to finish the ends of the table would be appreciated. Worst case scenario, I could leave it alone. I am also open to type of wood, something with good character, like myself…….. 🙂 I did like the look of spalted maple. But more than likely might use reclaimed heart pine. DW is getting tired of oak. Suggestions? One other question, concerning the chairs. DW is wanting a windsor style chair with spindles and a violen shape in the back? All the windors I have been finding on the www thing is the styles with spindles only. Anyone have picks of such an animal?
Semper Fi
Replies
You could attach another piece across the end-grain creating a breadboard edge. Or you can picture frame the whole top with a piece making the top appear thicker if you want or even trimmed with a decorative moulding.
You should check out http://www.abigwarehouse.com. They have lots of unfinished chairs, perhaps the style DW wants..
Good luck!
I was assuming if you were to glue the bread board on the end grain that this would cause cracks in the width of the table. Or do you not glue the breadboard? Thanks for the website! will give it to the DW.
Semper Fi
No glue is required. You make a tongue-and-groove setup. Tongue on the tabletop side and groove on the bread board piece..just a couple of nails to pin it..and you're good to go. The top can expand all it wants to..
Good Ol' Norm does this all the time..check out http://www.newyankee.com
I'm no expert, but I did help my father build his dining table. The breadboard ends were mortised and tenoned, pegged and only glued at the middle tenon, to allow for seasonal expansion and contraction.Post this over at KNOTS, they are the real woodworking experts and have been a big help to me in the past. Seems to me this exact subject was covered in detail in a past Fine Woodworking issue. It might be worth searching out.
Why do you want a 4ft wide table?
Unless you want to put a model train that runs in an oval in the center that on the wide side to pass food.
There have been a number of books and article in FWW that give design information on sizing a table.
One Taunton book " Practical Design - Soluti8ons and Strategies" Esesstials of Woodworking. I think that it is a reprint of FWW articles.
It also had an article on breadboard ends.
Appreciate all the input from everyone.
Bill- My current table is 4' wide. I am work and the "wheels" are turning...... Called DW and had her sit in the chair and measure from her stomack out to where her toes should be. She said 2' give or take. So, if someone was on the other side, there would plenty of room without having to play footies. But then again that might not be a bad idea........ ;-0 To be honest I and DW would prefer a narrower table. The current table is much to big when all the leaves are installed, will seat 10. We want to seat eight comfortably.
Semper Fi
40 - 42" is a more typical width.The breadboard end piece shoulbe fitted by using a T&G type slot/groove but using a bit that makes a beveled side like dovetailed boxes get at the corners. That way, no glue is needed.
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The breadboard end piece shoulbe fitted by using a T&G type slot/groove but using a bit that makes a beveled side like dovetailed boxes get at the corners. That way, no glue is needed.
Ahhh, that make sense........
Thanks, Semper Fi
I've always wanted a 'galley' style dining table. Would you happen to know the typical width for such a table?
"Citius, Altius, Fortius"
Not sure wehat that style is. Galley usually means on a boat, where space is limited, so a narrow one would be my assumption.
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A narrow table is what I mean. A client of mine has an antique oak dining table they called a 'galley'.
I assumed this was a common name for this style of a long, narrow dining table. When I googled, I found that this is not so."Citius, Altius, Fortius"
Sounds similar to a style I have seen and handled here once. I remember it because the owner claimed that it appraised at over ten grand. Old and Mohagany. So every tiome I handled it, he demanded kid glovesIt was a long - maybe ten feet or soo - drop leave that was about 14" x 10' folded, but an elliptical openned up with a minor axis of probably close to five feet.
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Do you mean harvest table?http://delnero.com/shaker-dining-room-table.htmlOr Trestle table?http://www.beekenparsons.com/furniture/trestletable.shtml
The tables I have seen around here look like the Shaker table, although I don't recall if any have had the drawers shown... neat idea, tho.
I wonder if I could make one, doesn't seem very complicated, but furniture is not my strong suit.
Thanks."Citius, Altius, Fortius"
Taunton has a book on dining tables. About a dozen different tables, with full parts lists, detailed construction instructions pictures, etc. Well worth a visit to the library - or Amazon.com.
Try for a common size that table cloths and runners are made in. personally my table is 42x 84 , plenty big for eight.
Follow A Golden rectangle ( mine is not) and size with that proportion.
In addition, I made a trestle style and found in FWW WAYYYYYY back that the trestles work well spaced at 5/9th of total length. So 2/9ths at each end allowed for enough leg room.
Can't help on the chairs, and the Bread board ends has been covered well.
Good luck.
Thanks for the size, I am going to go through the index in previous issues and see what I find. Thanks.
Semper Fi
There's a couple of ways to do a breadboard. The part which doesn't change is how you do the attaching. The tongue and groove part has been explained. The dowels that are used as pins - the middle one only gets glued all the way through. The remainder of the pins you drive almost home, rub glue around the top of the pin, and drive it flush. Then the pin is captive in the top groove of the breadboard.
When that's dry, you cut it flush and sand it to finished. But make sure that you've let it dry overnight at least, longer is preferable, because you will have the same kind of differential expansion / contraction in the face grain of the board relative to the end grain of the pin that you are seeking to alleviate with the table top itself. If you let it dry, it should be something that finishes without showing a divot.
Now the 2 more or less popular varieties. There's a captive end, where the ends of the groove do not go all the way to the edge of the board. The tongue is left short sufficient to move without bottoming out at the edge when it expands. This, my opinion here, a much more finished look. Greene & Greene took it a step further, understanding that there again, as things move, having a flush end would be a virtual impossibility throughout the year, so they intentionally left the breadboard longer, incorporated it into the design, and if it moved, so what. It might overhang a half inch in the winter and 3/4 in the summer. They even added some decorative ebony treatments to the edge where the pieces met, again allowing for movement. Neat stuff.
Then there's the through end, where you see the tongue and groove from the side. It goes together the same, it just displays the joinery.
http://www.stickley.com/gallery/details.cfm?id=1958&c=36&cat1=90&cat2=227
That pic shows the breadboard well. You can't tell in the picture, but that piece it's captive and flush.
"A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you." -Bert Taylor
After you described the different types, I think I like the captive end. If it were like the type Piffin wrote about, the dovel tail style, I wouldn't mind it showing. That dovel tail I think would be more challenging on something as big as a table.....
Semper Fi
I don't remember all the details but they had a show about tables on this old house. The talked about a table with legs vs with a pedestal and that more people could sit at the table with the pedestal..++++++++++++++++
-Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain-