Table Skirt Completed, Breadboard Ends

Today I finished cutting the tennons for all the skirt parts.  As soon as I get a chamfer bit, I can complete the table base.

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Once I assembled the base, I used it to set the tabletop down and start working on the breadboard ends.  First I needed to trim one end off square.  I have a simple jig that I use to cross cut accurately with my skill saw.  Its simply a piece of 1/4” plywood for a base, and a 1 1/2” strip of 3/4” plywood as a fence.  Glue and screw the two together with enough width to the base so that it is wider than the skill saw cut width.  Then you simply use the skill saw and ride along the “fence” and cut the base to width.  Now the guide can be clamped directly on the desired cut line.  Clamp it in place and run the skill saw to cut.  You can still cut about a 1 1/2” depth.

 

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Next I used my dado jig and router to cut the full-width tenons.  The trick here is to clamp the dado jig so that both sides are supported.  I wanted a 2 1/2” tennon.  So, for my first pass, I cut a 2 1/4” dado, leaving a 1/4” to support the outside of the jig.  Then I went back and cut the remainder with a chisel and handplane.

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Once I had the tennons cut, it was time to cut the mortises in the breadboard ends.  I cut three mortises: one in the center 6” wide, and one large 14” on each side.   That left about 1 1/2” on each end for strength.  If you cut a single large mortise, the end can flex too much and won’t provide the necessary support to the tabletop.

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Finally, cut the tennon to match.

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