I finished up 2021 with this beautiful table. These last two weeks were all about the breadboard table top and finish.
The top is constructed with a functional breadboard on each end. This is the board running perpendicular to the field of the table . The purpose of this board is to help keep the top flat over time, specifically from cupping. Because wood expands and contracts, you cant just glue it in place like the rest of the table. It has to allow the field of the table to move, up to 1/4″ each season, or the table will crack. A series of deep mortises in the breadboards receive the tenons cut on the table top. Only the center mortise gets glue in place, and the rest of the joints are held together with drawbored pegs. The table can expand inside the joint keeping the center glued in place.
The client wanted the overall feel of the table to be farmhouse, so I routed a v-groove along each joint in the field of the table and a 1/16 roundover on the breadboard joints to accentuate the individual boards of the table.
With the building complete, I moved on to finishing. I used Rubio Monocoat’s Authentic #2 Aging Treatment and their Oil Plus 2C hard wax & oil finish. If you are looking for an aged look, I would highly recommend this option. I think its way better than traditional stains that sit on top of the wood.
I finished up the project by installing threaded inserts on the underside of the table that allows the base to be attached to the top.
I’m thrilled at how this one turned out. This is the first farmhouse style commission I’ve taken and it was fun to branch out into a new style. From the breadboard top to the flowing curves on the pedestal and the aged finish, this table is classic and timeless. I’ve got a feeling others will be wanting one just like it!
Whitehurst Custom Woodworking 