Yesterday, Scott Stager asked:

>I read with fascination Don's reply to Frederick's question, because I may
>have the need to make something like that to put a front on a portable
>desktop unit similar to what I understand to be a secretary.  But, I
>quickly became totally confused.  I then realized that I didn't really know
>enough about the "feature" to follow the discussion. 
>
>Could someone enlighten me further ?
>
>I thought I knew what a breadboard end was, but "mitered"?
>
>"haunched mortice and tenoned variety"?
>
>"pre-formed miter clamps"?
>
>Anybody willing to try some ASCII art?


After telling Scott, in private, that I thought ASCII might be confusing, I
reconsidered. Below is my effort at a few illustrations which, I hope, will
begin to answer his questions.. In each case, I have shown only a portion
of one end of a panel, and the corresponding clamp (breadboard).

As I mentioned previously, there were a variety of ways to affix clamps to
the ends of panels. Doweling was probably the simplest. However, this method
is not terribly effective in restraining any tendency of the panel to cup.
In this regard, a simple tongue and groove clamp was an improvement, and
could be made with the use of a matched pair of tongue & groove planes of
the appropriate size.

            ASCII illustration of tongue and groove clamping

	////////////////////////
	|						 |
	|						 |
	|						 |  Plan view
	|						 |  Panel end
	|						 |
	|						 |
	|________________________________________________|
	|________________________________________________| <--  Tongue


	________________________________________________
	|................................................| <--  Groove
	|						 |
	|						 |    Plan view
	|________________________________________________|      Clamp


Better yet is a haunched mortise and tenon clamp. The tenons allowed for a
more secure affixing to the panel, while the haunch helps restrain any
tendency of the panel to cup. Much as the tongue in the previous example.

           ASCII illustration of haunched mortise & tenon clamping

	////////////////////////
	|						 |
	|						 |
	|						 |  Plan view
	|						 |  Panel end
	|						 |
	|						 |
	|________________________________________________|
	|_     _________________     ______________     _| <-- Haunch
	  | o |			| o |		   | o |
	  |   |			|   |		   |   |
	  |___|			|___|		   |___|

	_________________________________________________
	|..   ...................   ................   ...|
	| : o :			: o :		   : o :  |  Plan view
	| :   :  		:   :		   :   :  |    Clamp
	| :...:			:...:		   :...:  |
	|_________________________________________________|


Next we come to the mitered, haunched mortise & tenon clamp. This has the
same basic features as the previous example, with the exception of the
miter. The miter allows for construction which shows no end grain at the
most visible portion of the clamped panel.

	////////////////////////
	|					  	|
	|						|
	|						|
	|						|  Plan view
	|						|  Panel end
	|						|
	|     __________________________________________|
	|    /_     ____________     ___________     ___| <-- Haunch
	|   /  | o |      	| o |		| o |
	|  /   |   |		|   |		|   |
	| /    |___|  		|___|		|___|
	|/

               __________________________________________
	     /..   ..............   .............   ....|
	    /  : o :		: o :		: o :   |  Plan view
	   /   :   :		:   :		:   :   |    Clamp
	  /    :...:		:...:		:...:   |
          /______________________________________________|


In my previous message, I mentioned the suggestion of setting the miter back
slightly from the  front edge of the panel. As I indicated, then, I think
this has some merit because the tip of the miter will not be quite so
fragile while cleaning up the surface of the miter on the panel. After the
joint is assembled, the front of the panel can then be planed back to bring
the miter *just* to the corner. This joint, prior to assembly, will look
something like:


          ////////////////////////
	|					  	 |
	|						 |
	|						 |
	|						 |  Plan view
	|						 |  Panel end
	|						 |
	|      __________________________________________|
	|     /_     ____________     ___________     ___| <-- Haunch
	|    /  | o |      	| o |		| o |
	|   /   |   |		|   |		|   |
	|  /    |___|  		|___|		|___|
	|_/

               __________________________________________
	     /..   ..............   .............   ....|
	    /  : o :		: o :		: o :   |  Plan view
	   /   :   :		:   :		:   :   |    Clamp
	  /    :...:		:...:		:...:   |
          /______________________________________________|


By the term "preformed clamp" I simply meant that the clamp will have been
trued up and the miter executed, then used as a template for laying out the
joint on the panel.

Hope this helps.

Don McConnell
Knox County, Ohio