I have included images of the woodworking joinery that I employ on my tables- the mortise and tenon joint as well as breadboard ends.
The three images across the top show a traditional mortise and tenon joint used on all the custom made farm tables. The first image shows the mortise which is the square hole in the top of the leg. The tenon is part of the rail and is fit into the mortise. This joint is created to a tolerance that is less than thickness of a piece of note book paper. It is virtually indestructible when glued and guarantees your table will last for generations.
The two images below show the bread board ends. Tenons are cut on the end of the table top. The end board is grooved and mortised to fit over the tenons. The end is pinned with square pegs to the top allowing the top to expand with seasonal movement. The pins are cut flush to the top. You may see cheaper made tables with breadboard ends that are screwed to the top and the screw holes are then plugged. This is a poor, cheap, construction technique that will increase the chances of your table cracking.
