What are dovetail drawer joints?

What are dovetail drawer joints?

Dovetail joints are used to join the sides of a drawer to the front and back of the kitchen drawer, keeping the kitchen cabinet drawers strong and sturdy. A well-made dovetail produces a joint, that even without glue, can be difficult to separate.

Why are dovetail joints good for drawers?

Dovetail Joints are strong Hardwood timbers are inherently strong, but a drawer is only as strong as its joint. 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.

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.

Is tongue and groove the same as dovetail?

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. Tongue-and-groove joints are popular for making doors, flooring, and architectural paneling.

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.

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.

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 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.

What are English dovetail joints?

Also referred to as an English dovetail, these dovetails are offset on adjoining sides of the drawer box so that they that interlock with one another when put together to create a box. The interlocking edge pieces are also referred to as tails and pins.

Are dovetails stronger than box joints?

Frid wrote that finger (or box) joints are stronger than through dovetails because the fingers offer much more glue surface.

Are dovetails worth it?

Dovetail drawers provide the homeowner with the strongest drawer joints, ensuring the drawer won’t come apart even when used every day. They are a good choice for closets and kitchens, because of the heavy use placed on drawers in these applications.

When did they stop making dovetail furniture?

Wider, uniform machine-cut dovetails were common in factory-made pieces from 1890 until the modern era. If a piece has no dovetails, it can still be a candidate for refinishing if it’s sturdy and well-designed, but it’s not likely to be an old piece with antique value.

How are dovetail drawers made?

The dovetail ‘locking joint’ is constructed from wedge-shaped channels cut into the wood, that interlock with one another from either side of the drawer, creating a box. The wedge-shaped pieces are called ‘tails’ and ‘pins,’ and provide a very strong joint that is quite resistant to force once the two sides are assembled.

What is a single lap dovetail joint used for?

It’s usually the first dovetail joint you learn to make, but it should be viewed as just one of the family — no more or less a star than the other three. Single-lap Dovetail The single-lap (known to many folks as a half-blind dovetail) is the best known of the dovetails since it’s used to join the front to the sides of a drawer.

What is an example of dovetail joinery?

The dovetail joinery technique goes all the way back to earliest days of mankind. Some examples of dovetail joinery are found in furniture dating back to ancient Egypt and Chinese Emperors. What are the different types of dovetail joints?

What is the difference between half blind dovetail and through dovetail?

Through dovetail The only difference between half-blind dovetail joints and through dovetail joints is that half-blind joint end grain can only be seen on one side vs. through joint grain that can be seen of both sides of the boards. Secret Mitred Dovetail Joints