We may receive a commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations. Cut precision joints on a large top. Breadboard ends are old devices for improving a solid-wood top. They act like cleats to hold the top flat, which is particularly important when there’s minimal understructure, such as on a trestle table. They also cover end grain, which can help prevent a top from cracking. They’re often used on boards for kneading dough or cutting bread (thus the name), but breadboard ends have also traditionally been used on dining tables, kitchen work tables, desks, library tables, and workbenches. Cabinetmakers realized long ago that breadboard ends add visual interest, too. As your eye scans down the length of a top with breadboard ends, it stops at an end piece, turns, follows it, and returns down the top. The ends keep your eye moving, making a top look more dynamic.…