As you can see from the image above, a box joint is very similar to a dovetail, with the difference being that the fingers in the box joint are rectangular rather than dovetail shaped. There are a few ways to cut box joints. Of course, you could always do it with a dovetail saw and chisel.
What are box joints also known as?
Box joints, also known as finger joints, are a quick and effective method of making drawer boxes, cabinetry and storage boxes. The visually striking symmetrical design of box joints is a great alternative to traditional dovetail joinery.
What is the other name for dovetail joint?
The ‘secret mitred dovetail’ joint (also called a ‘mitred blind dovetail’, ‘full-blind dovetail’, or ‘full-blind mitred dovetail’) is used in the highest class of cabinet and box work.
What is the dovetail also known as?
Dovetail joints, also called swallowtail joints in England, date back to ancient Egypt, when Egyptians used this technique for coffins. Throughout most of history, dovetail joints have proven to be a durable technique used to hold together various woodworking projects before modern innovations.
What are the 2 types of dovetail joints?
Types of Dovetail Joints Half-Blind dovetails: In these, the pins and tails are hidden. Half-blind dovetails are only revealed when moved, opened or seen from a certain angle, like behind a drawer face. In a through dovetail, both the dovetails and pins are visible.
What are box joints good for?
Applications include all sorts of wooden boxes and carcasses. While primarily used for right angle joints it can also be used for hexagonal boxes and other unusual shapes. It is used for the sides of drawers and lids, but not, in general, for joining thin panels to structural members.
Why would you use a box joint?
The simple interlocking design of box joints makes them relatively easy to create. They also provide a lot of surface area between both pieces of wood, giving you a strong and stable connection when the joint is glued together.
What are the three types of dovetail joints?
The following are the different types of dovetail joints: Through dovetail. Half-blind dovetail. Secret mitered dovetail.
When did they stop using dovetail joints?
By 1730, through dovetail joinery was abandoned in English furniture making in favor of the lapped construction. As furniture became more refined, furniture makers began to take pride in the construction of their drawers as well.
What type of joint is a dovetail?
Dovetail joints are known for their inherent strength and resistance to being pulled apart (tensile strength). A dovetail joint has a series of pins and tails in a trapezoidal shape and once glued a dovetail joint has no need for mechanical fasteners.
What is an English dovetail joint?
English Dovetail / Through Dovetail The craftsperson usually orients the tails and pins in this joint horizontally, although this isn’t a cardinal rule. It is sometimes called a through dovetail because both the pins and tails go all the way through each-other.
Do they still use dovetail joints?
On the other hand, a hand cut dovetail joint has a finer, thinner look and generally is not perfectly spaced. Hand cut joints were commonly used in both European and early American made furniture and date back to the early Egyptian times. They are still used today by many experienced custom furniture makers.
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.
Which is stronger box joint or dovetail?
For this test, the box joint proved stronger. Plus, the box joint is strong in both directions, whereas the dovetails are useful only for pulling from one piece, but not the other. So really, to use a dovetail joint for the sake of strength is obsolete, mostly on account of the strength of wood glues.
What is the weakness of 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.
What is a French dovetail joint?
French or sliding dovetail joints consist of only a single tail and pin with the tail being slid into a long groove on the connecting piece. The tail is tapered so that it locks in securely just like any other dovetail joint.
Which lap joint is also called a box joint?
Also known as finger joints, box joints involve cutting a set of complementary rectangular cuts in two pieces of wood, which are then glued together.
What are the 2 types of joints called?
Ball-and-socket joints, such as the shoulder and hip joints, allow backward, forward, sideways, and rotating movements. Hinge joints. Hinge joints, such as in the fingers, knees, elbows, and toes, allow only bending and straightening movements.
What are the names of 3 different type of joints?
Histologically the three joints in the body are fibrous, cartilaginous, and synovial. Functionally the three types of joints are synarthrosis (immovable), amphiarthrosis (slightly moveable), and diarthrosis (freely moveable).
Why is it called an expansion joint?
Expansion joints are devices containing a bellows membrane that are designed to absorb dimensional changes, such as those that occur due to thermal expansion or contraction of a pipeline, duct or vessel.
How deep should box joints be?
Generally, this joint looks best (and is strongest) when the thickness of the fingers is equal to half the thickness of the material. For example, if the stock used is 3/4 in. thick, the fingers should be 3/8 in. thick.
How deep is a box joint?
The slot width will be how wide your finished joints are. The depth of the slot should be a little less than the thickness of the wood you will use. I use a 1/2″ dado for 3/4″ thick wood.
Should box joints be glued?
Joints that are cut properly should come together smoothly. The big advantage of box joints is the large amount of gluing surface the interlocking fingers create. So it only takes a small amount of glue to create a rock-solid joint. In fact you don’t need to put glue on every surface.
Which is the stronger type of box joint?
Mortise and tenon joints have stood the test of time for their remarkable strength. This traditional joint involves a projecting piece of wood, called a tenon, securely fitting into a corresponding cavity, a mortise. It can be reinforced with glue or wedges for stability for a stronger hold.
What is the best width for a box joint?
I like the 3/8-inch size, but any of them may work well for your application. Box joints look and work best when the width of the joint is divisible by the width of the individual joint fingers. If you use ¼-inch spacing, the width of the joint can be from ¾-inch to whatever width you like.
What is a secret dovetail joint?
Secret Mitered Dovetail It offers the strength found in the dovetail joint but is totally hidden from both the inside and outside corners by forming the outer edge to meet at a 45-degree angle while hiding the dovetails internally within the joint.
