Dovetail joint
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Woodworking-Dovetailed-Jewellerybox.jpg Image:Dovetail joint.png A dovetail joint or simply dovetail is a woodworking joinery technique. Noted for its resistance to being pulled apart (tensile strength), the dovetail joint is commonly used to join the sides of a drawer to the front. A series of pins cut to extend from the end of one board interlock with a series of tails cut into the end of another board. The pins and tails have a trapezoidal shape. Once glued, the joint is permanent, and requires no mechanical fasteners.
Dovetails can be cut by hand or by machines, often with an electric router and using one of a range of commercially available jigs or templates. The cutting of dovetails by hand is regarded by some as a mark of skill on the part of the craftsperson.
The photograph shows a plain (also known as through) dovetail joint, where the end grain of both boards is visible when the joint is assembled. As shown in the diagram, half-blind (also known as lapped) and blind dovetail joints are also possible, where the end grain of one or both boards cannot be seen in the assembled joint.
Half-blind dovetails are commonly used to fasten drawer fronts to drawer sides, where the craftsperson does not wish the end grain to be visible from the front of the cabinet. This is an alternative to the practice of attaching false fronts to drawers constructed using through dovetails. The mitred blind dovetail is used when the strength of a dovetail is required but the craftsperson does not wish end-grain to be visible at all.
The angle of slope varies according to the wood used. Typically the slope is 1:6 for softwoods and a shallower 1:8 slope for hardwoods. Often a slope of 1:7 is used as a compromise - perhaps using a dovetail template for marking out.
When being cut by hand, there are two schools of thought as to whether the pins or the tails should be cut first. For pins first, the pins are laid out and cut by the chosen method, then the outline of the pins is transferred to the face of the tail board. For tails first, the tails are laid out and cut and then the outline is transferred to the end grain of the pin board. Each has advantages and it is a personal choice as to which is chosen.
Hand cut dovetails can often be distinguished from machine-cut dovetails by the width of the pins. It is possible to have pins that are almost triangular when cut by hand that are not possible when cut with a router, owing to the thickness of the router bit's shank. These narrow pins, known as London Pins, are preferred by many.
The Dovetail joint probably predates written history. Some of the earliest known examples of the dovetail joint are in furniture entombed with mummies dating from First Dynasty of ancient Egypt, as well the tombs of Chinese emperors.
See also
Further reading
- Kirby, Ian. The Complete Dovetail: Handmade Furniture's Signature Joint (1999). Hertford, England: Stobart Davies Ltd.
External links
de:Schwalbenschwanzverbindung