Build a Jig for Breadboard Ends

When it comes to tabletops, a breadboard end can add beauty and insurance against cupping over time. However, keeping the shoulders on the top and bottom of the tenon in perfect alignment can be tricky. If you’re using a handheld router to clear out the material, it’s easy to set a fence on one side of the tabletop and rout away the waste, but what happens when it comes time to flip the top over and rout the other side?

Scott Gibson, of East Waterboro, Maine, builds a simple, custom-made jig using plywood and hardwood scraps left over from his tabletop. The jig simply slips over the end of the workpiece, and provides two fences in one unit. Simply route one side of the tenon, flip the top over, and repeat.