In fine woodworking issue #162 Scott Gibson showes how to build a sofa table. He employs bread board ends with haunched tenons. I am a beginning woodworker and I have found it very difficult to figure out the haunched tenons. I have two questions the first being could I use a standard one inch tenon clear across and get the same strengthening results? The second question is should the grain of the wood on my bread board ends run opposite the grain of the table top?
Thank You for any assistance.
Scott Thomas
Replies
The haunches serve a definite purpose and should be used.
If you created one long slot an inch deep down the length of the end, the two tongues left would be fragile and easily broken, and the tongues would warp and not stay flush with the table top with changes in humidity.
A shallow groove leaves the tongues much stronger and warp resistant but too short to attach solidly to the ends of the top since they can't be glued, so the three longer tenons are added for mechanically attaching the breadboard ends to the top.
For strength and stiffness, the grain of the bread board ends should always run the length of the board which would be crosswise to the grain in the table top.
Good luck with your project,
John White
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