Breadboard ends

[Ryan Pappas]

I am making a thick walnut coffee table with breadboard ends. It 48"x30". The problem is I have a very small gap between the breadboard end and the rest of the table. It's just in one spot on both sides right in the middle. I used dominos to join it together as well as dowels. What can I do to fill in the gaps?

[glenn bradley]

Maybe a little more info. Did you use the dominos as floating tenons, glued into the top and floating in the breadboard and then use the dowels to pin the dominos?

360409

Was any part of the breadboard glued?

[Andrew Hughes]

Cut if off and do it over. Make the new joint the fits nicely the same day you glue it up.

[lowell holmes]

I agree with Andrew. I've started over before. :)

I bet most of us have.

[Thomas Hutson]

Mulligan. You got pictures? How bad is it?

[Prashun Patel]

Yes send a pic first. it may be worse to your eye than anyone else's.

[Robert Engel]

Cut if off and do it over. Make the new joint the fits nicely the same day you glue it up.
THIS ^

Do a spring joint using a hand plane (middle of board slightly concave) so ends stay tight. Only use glue the middle tenon.

[Ryan Pappas]

Maybe a little more info. Did you use the dominos as floating tenons, glued into the top and floating in the breadboard and then use the dowels to pin the dominos?

360409

Was any part of the breadboard glued?
Yes that is what I did. Just the middle domino was glued.

[Ryan Pappas]

I will try and get a pic this afternoon. It's not a. It gap at all but I was able to see light through the gap.

[Alex Burkhardt]

I would 100% pull those breadboards off and check that the mating faces are completely flat. What was order of steps you took to glue up the joint? Were the dowels inserted during glue-up, and after you applied clamps to the joint? Also, was either side of the domino drawbored?

Since you only have one domino glue joint to worry about, you're in the best possible situation to give it another go. You might also try creating a spring joint, which will keep either end of the breadboard tight once the center section is clamped flush and secured (glue, dowel, drawbored, etc.)

[Ryan Pappas]

I would 100% pull those breadboards off and check that the mating faces are completely flat. What was order of steps you took to glue up the joint? Were the dowels inserted during glue-up, and after you applied clamps to the joint? Also, was either side of the domino drawbored?

Since you only have one domino glue joint to worry about, you're in the best possible situation to give it another go. You might also try creating a spring joint, which will keep either end of the breadboard tight once the center section is clamped flush and secured (glue, dowel, drawbored, etc.)

First I glued each domino into the table, then I drilled holes in the breadboard end about 1/2" away from the edge. I then stuck the breadboard end on the table and stuck my forstner bit through the hole of each to make a mark. Pulled the end off and drilled and widen holes in each domino(minus the center domino) about 1/16" closer to the table. I then put glue on just the center domino and put the breadboard end on and clamped it together. I let it sit overnight and the next day while the clamps were still on I drove my dowels in. They didn't seem to have the drawbored effect I was hoping for. I then took the clamps off and realized I had a very very small gap in between the end and table.

[Alex Burkhardt]

If you're waiting to drive the dowel through the center domino until the next morning, you'd have to break the glue bond to get the joint to move tighter. You may have effectively pulled the ends of the breadboard tight, but the glue on both sides of that center floating tenon would impede the dowel from working its magic. Were you able to confirm the joint was tight when the clamps were on?

Part of the beauty of a drawbored mortise and tenon is that it negates the need for a clamp to pull the joint together. You may try to let the domino dry on the table-side first, creating an "integral" tenon of sorts, then use the drawbored dowel to pull the breadboard tight.