The Dovetail joint is a highly skilled bit of cabinet making and is extremely strong and interlocks securely to connect two pieces of wood, usually drawer fronts and sides, or corners on chest carcasses. Originally they were done by hand, cut using a small saw and chisel, stuck using animal glue.

When did furniture makers stop using dovetails?

Hand-cut dovetailing was the default until 1860 when uniform machine-cut joints were introduced. But fine cabinetmakers persisted in fitting their joints by hand until the early 1900s, and cabinetmakers in Europe cut dovetails by hand well into the 1930s.

What furniture uses dovetail joints?

Used for:Joining shelves to cabinet sides.Joining cabinet bottoms to sides.Joining horizontal partitions to shelves.Joining adjacent sections of expandable table frames.Joining drawer fronts to sides.Joining front rails of web frames to cabinet sides.Joining neck and body in violins and some guitars.

What is the dovetail joint used for?

1. What is a dovetail joint? A dovetail joint is a joinery technique used in woodworking, traditionally used to joint wooden furniture. Dovetail joints are known for their inherent strength and resistance to being pulled apart (tensile strength).

When was dovetail first used?

When the joint first came into its own, late in the 17th century, it was thought that fewer and larger dovetails made for a stronger joint. Over the years, however, they were cut smaller and finer, with the pins more numerous.

How old is furniture with dovetail joints?

The English cabinet maker first started using the dovetail joint in the mid 17th Century on walnut furniture and carried on doing this by hand until the late 19th century when they were produced by machines, mainly in the Edwardian periods.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a dovetail joint?

The interlocking dovetail joint has a large gluing area, further adding to its strength. Hand cut dovetail joints require precise handsaw and chisel skills, and can be fiddly to mark out and cut. If dovetail joints are poorly made they will lose the advantage of strength and durability.

What is the strongest wood joint?

mortise and tenon joint One of the strongest woodworking joints is the mortise and tenon joint. This joint is simple and strong. Woodworkers have used it for many years. Normally you use it to join two pieces of wood at 90-degrees.

What is considered antique?

In the strictest sense, the difference between an antique and a vintage item is its age. Antiques are items which must be at least 100 years old. That means, as of the date of this posting, an antique item was made on or before April of 1918. Vintage items are not as old as antiques.

What is the weakest wood joint?

butt joint The butt joint is the simplest joint to make. It is also the weakest wood joint unless you use some form of reinforcement. It depends upon glue alone to hold it together.

Do you glue dovetail joints?

Dovetail joints show the care and craftsmanship applied to woodworking projects. A few simple gluing and assembly tips make dovetail joint easier to put together. The glue can be applied while the pieces are completely separate, which is easier, but can be messy and difficult to fit joints together.

What are the disadvantages of dovetail joints?

The disadvantages of dovetail joints are that they can be fairly difficult to mark out and cut, and if they are made badly these joints lose the advantages listed above. Depending on the project, function, and design, there are a number of different types of dovetail joints to choose from.

What are five common types of framing joints?

Five Types Of Woodworking JointsButt Joint. This is the simplest joint. Lap Joint The end of the piece of wood is simply laid over and connected to another piece of wood. This is the next weakest joint and can easily be pulled apart.Bridle Joint. Mortise and tenon. Dove Tail.

What is the best corner joint for wood?

A bridle joint can be considered a cousin to mortise-and-tenon and is a strong and attractive wood corner joint for frames. The tenon is one-third of the boards thickness and it slips into the mortise made at the end of a second board to form the rigid corner of a frame.

How do you find out what an antique is worth?

In addition to online services and search engines, it is possible to find out how much your antiques are worth by simply asking an antique dealer or an appraiser at an auction house, for instance, Martin says.