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Breadboard Ends: Tenons

Gary Rogowski demonstrates his methods for this traditional yet strong breadboard end.

By Gary Rogowski Nov 26, 2020

Long tenons add strength, while the haunches keep the panel flat.

When I want an option that’s nearly bombproof, I use a series of pinned mortise-and-tenon joints connected by haunches between the tenons. It takes more time, but these ends are on to last.

Groove between stops. With stops secured to the fence to control the groove length, Rogowski pivots into and out of the cut. Plywood shims clamped to the table let him take a light pass to cut the groove while keeping the bit at final height for the mortises.

The tenons, spaced across the width of the panel, provide great strength and allow you to pin the joint. The stub tenon fits in a groove, maintaining the integrity of the breadboard end by reducing how much material is removed. Here the groove is blind to conceal the joint and simplify fitting, but these types of breadboard ends work just as well with a through-groove.

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