Table of Contents
Are dovetail drawers better?
The advantages of dovetail drawers are in the construction of their joints. They offer a stronger drawer, with a larger holding capacity. While these drawers are associated with a higher quality drawer, this is not always the case.
Are dovetail joints the best?
Dovetail joints are considered one of the strongest joints used in kitchen cabinetry construction and are the best solution for a kitchen cabinet drawer box.
Why is a dovetail joint good for drawers?
Dovetail Joints are strong Fully loaded drawers need to be robust, to cope with the pulling force as the drawer opens. By using dovetail joints on each corner, the interlocking pins and tails of the joint resist being pulled appart and remain strong, this gives high tensile strength to the drawer.
What does dovetail mean in cabinets?
Dovetail construction refers to the process of putting together a cabinet or drawer with dovetail joints. They fit snugly together like puzzle pieces and, with a bit of wood glue, create one of the sturdiest joints used in kitchen cabinetry.
Are dovetail drawers soft close?
Dovetail drawers can also feature hidden, under-mount slides with soft-close hydraulic dampeners. Soft-close is a premium feature that is available on under-mount drawer slides. It allows drawers to close silently and smoothly.
Which is better English or French dovetail?
If you see one dovetail on each side, they’re French dovetails. Both types of dovetails make high-quality drawers, and you can even find a combination with an English dovetail in the front and a French dovetail in the back. If saving space is a priority, go with English dovetails.
What are the disadvantages of a dovetail joint?
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.
Is dovetail joint strong?
Dovetail joints are very strong by design and they also offer an attractive finish that is a true sign of craftsmanship. Professionally cut and glued dovetail joints are virtually impossible to separate.
Are dovetail joints still used?
They are still used today by many experienced custom furniture makers. Dovetail joints are not only used to make a strong joint for drawer construction, but cabinet makers often use them to join the tops, bottoms and sides of cabinet cases, as was done on antique furniture.
Why are dovetail joints so strong?
The dovetail joint is very strong because of the way the ‘tails’ and ‘pins’ are shaped. This makes it difficult to pull the joint apart and virtually impossible when glue is added.
Are dovetail joints glued?
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 does dovetail mean in furniture?
Dovetail refers to a type of joint in which two pieces of wood interlock. Joints that have been dovetailed are extremely strong and secure. They are usually used to construct drawers. Dovetail drawers are recognized by their distinct pattern at the outside corner of a drawer.
What do dovetail drawers look like?
Dovetail drawers are easily recognized by their distinct dovetail joint at the outside corner of the drawer. These look like jigsaw puzzle pieces joined together at a 90 degree angle. Kitchen cabinets that have drawers secured with nails can come apart with heavy usage.
What are dovetail drawer boxes?
Dovetail Drawer Box Dovetail drawer boxes are usually made out of a solid hardwood like Ash or Maple. The joints at the front and back of the drawer boxes are notched to fit together like a puzzle piece. This adds extreme strength to the drawer box joints.
What are dovetail drawers made of?
Dovetail drawers are made of solid wood or plywood materials & fit together like a puzzle piece; they are designed for the joints to fit together.
What are the different kinds of dovetail joints?
There are 5 different types of dovetail joint methods available. Through Dovetail Joints. Half-blind Dovetail Joints or Single-lap Dovetail. Half blind dovetail vs. Through dovetail. Secret Mitred Dovetail Joints. Secret Double-Lapped Dovetail Joints. Sliding Dovetail Joints.
What is a dovetail construction?
Dovetail joinery is a type of tongue-and-groove (or tail-and-pin) box joint. The tongue is a piece of the wood board that sticks out, and the groove is the space it fits into on the adjacent board. A dovetail joint can stay together on its own; in other words, it keeps the drawer together mechanically.
What are Knapp joints?
The Knapp Joint, also known as Pin & Cove, Pin & Scallop and Half Moon, is a visually unique style of antique joinery. The Knapp is a very strong form of drawer joinery but was only utilized from 1870 until about 1900, when it basically fell completely out of use.
What is the weakest wood joint?
The Butt Joint is an easy woodworking joint. It joins two pieces of wood by merely butting them together. The butt joint is the simplest joint to make. It is also the weakest wood joint unless you use some form of reinforcement.
What is pros and cons of 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.
Are dovetail joints hard?
Dovetail joints are pretty to look at—and extremely strong and effective at joining two pieces of wood at a right angle. Cutting dovetails by hand takes years of experience, but machines make the process much easier. The shape of the “tails and pins” in the joint make it nearly impossible to break.
