Howdy all,
I am making an Arts & Crafts style table from White Oak and want to use breadboard ends in the construction. I am familiar with the standard construction techniques but want to use a Walnut spline that will show at the ends. My idea is this:
Top is 40mm thick – spline 15mm thick by 70mm wide by width of the top 1100mm.
Cut groove the entire width of table top and spline.
If I either pin or dowel the spline to the table top from the bottom, so this does not show on the top, gluing only, in let’s say 3 places accross the width, then pinning the breadboard end to the spline from the top with walnut dowels to show, again gluing only in 3 places accross the width do you think this will allow enough area not glued, for seasonal movement and still maintain strength.
It’s a brutal winters day here in Sydney…..Sunny…65 Degrees.
Thanks everyone.
Replies
Stephen Jay,
It's high summer here in Boston...62 and sunny...I'm sure it'll get up to 65 here by next Feb...lol
You probably know this, but you can only glue your dowel, spline and breadboard end in the center....the other two holes you slot the spline and only glue the dowel to the breadoard end (ie. but just a bit of glue on the last 1/4" of the dowel as your driving it home.
Hey Bg,
Thanks for the reply. Ill use your suggestion. I am originally from Nashua, NH. Have been in Oz for 24 yrs now.
Saw the Democratic Convention on cable. I forgot what an assault on the senses this can be.
Cheers,
Steve
Stephen Jay,
I'd like to say you would not recognize Nashua now...but actually you would...not much changes around here...except the amount of traffic...lol
I guess you can glue the length of the breadboard end...unless there is a big difference to humidity between oak and walnut, otherwise double dowels on both sides of the spline. Good luck with your project
I'd make one change to the advice you've already been given.
I'm assuming that the walnut splint will have the grain running across the table (same direction as the breadboard end). What I'd do is have a long spline in the middle of the table which is, say, about 1.5 inches short of the end of the table on both ends. Glue and peg this major spline in the middle (perhaps giving it a little cut with a hand plane so that it dips a little in the middle so that you force fit the middle, with the spring in the wood keeping the ends tight). I'd then cut two short splines, say an inch long, and simply glue them in both ends. As the table changes width, the splines won't change with the table at all. They'll change in relation to the breadboard end, but this will mean that the only piece that moves is the breadboard end ... a nicer result.
John
Thanks John,
Sounds like that may be the solution.
Steve
Stephen,
Just one thought/question....are you sure you want to run the walnut spline the whole length...or maybe just the last inch or two on each end?
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