to use breadboard ends or not??

[Bill Holt]

I think you have reached the right conclusion.  IMHO mahogany has more of a "formal" grain and deserves the breadboard treatment.  BTW mahogany is one of my favorite woods.

[KC]

I think either way would look just fine with that base... but I'd lean toward square ends, whether or not breadboard ends are used.  Rounded end seems a bit 'formal' for that base to my eye.  The sapwood will 'make' the table.  

[Richard D.]

I like the base and I like the rounded top design but not together. You have no curves in the base so the squared top seems to have more harmony. I agree with your inclination to not add more to an already busy top and skip the ends on this one.

[mound]

I like the base and I like the rounded top design but not together. You have no curves in the base so the squared top seems to have more harmony. I agree with your inclination to not add more to an already busy top and skip the ends on this one.

keep in mind my plan for that horizontal trestle piece was to make it curved.  Here is my original side-view drawing.

[mr_skittle]

Here's an idea... If you want to keep the radius on the ends perhaps you could put the curve on the breadboard. You can square off the end of the table and have the tongue and groove straight but have an extra wide breadboard end that can accommodate the radius.

Just throwing an idea out there without a ton of reflection.

[mound]

Here's an idea... If you want to keep the radius on the ends perhaps you could put the curve on the breadboard. You can square off the end of the table and have the tongue and groove straight but have an extra wide breadboard end that can accommodate the radius.

Just throwing an idea out there without a ton of reflection.

Yah at this point I'm convinced that if I do breadbaords they will have a straight edge with the table simply due to the changing radii with expansion and contraction and the impact that would have. Any curve would be a very subtle treatment of the outside edge of the breadboards.

[WoodworkerTom]

I say skip the breadboard ends. Here's a quartersawn red oak table I have made by the Amish sides are slightly curved, called boat top style.

[mound]

I say skip the breadboard ends. Here's a quartersawn red oak table I have made by the Amish  sides are slightly curved, called boat top style.

nice! 
what sort of cleats are on the underside? Anything special to keep those ends from moving?

[Papa Jim]

I'm not a fan of breadboard ends. Even done correctly with floating tenons they just allow the ends to either protrude or sink in depending on what the top does.  I put them on a coffee table I built for my son about 15 yrs ago. Everytime I visit him all I can see those ends sticking out past the body of the table.  At one time I thought the table had stabilized so I sanded them smooth. Didn't work! Just my personal opinion, but I will note that on a dark wood the endgrain will be much less noticeable.

[WoodworkerTom]

Your question made me look for the first time. The apron has three pocket screw to fasten the top. Because it is QS oak it does not move much in the width, just thickness.

I have a lot of African Mahogany and I would use z fasteners or figure 8s to manage wood movement across grain when securing to apron.