There are two parts to a dovetail joint, pins and tails. The tails look like the tail of a dove (hence the name), and the pins are on the opposite board and fit in between the tails to create a joint that is impossible to pull apart in at least one direction.
What is an example of a dovetail?
A dovetail is a joint in woodworking where two sides are fitted together with interlocking pieces. You can also use the word dovetail to show how other things fit well together — like how your picnic plans nicely dovetail with the sunny forecast.
What is a dovetail cut?
A dovetail joint is made by cutting interlocking parts on two pieces of wood. The tail board has the dovetails. The pin board has pins that slide in between the dovetails. Each outer edge of the pin board has a half pin, meaning only one face of the pin is angled.
How do you identify a dovetail joint?
While dovetail joints can be found on ancient Egyptian coffins from 3000 BC, they were not used in European and American furniture until the mid 1600s. Dovetails have flared tails like a bird on the end of the drawer’s side boards that interlock into mirroring pins on the drawer’s face board.
What are the disadvantages of a dovetail joint?
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 a dovetail cut?
A dovetail joint is made by cutting interlocking parts on two pieces of wood. The tail board has the dovetails. The pin board has pins that slide in between the dovetails. Each outer edge of the pin board has a half pin, meaning only one face of the pin is angled.
How do you make a simple dovetail?
A dovetail joint is made by cutting interlocking parts on two pieces of wood. The tail board has the dovetails. The pin board has pins that slide in between the dovetails. Each outer edge of the pin board has a half pin, meaning only one face of the pin is angled.
What is a dovetail joint commonly used for?
Applications of a Dovetail Joint? Dovetail joints are most commonly used woodworking. Carpenters use dovetail joints to create cabinets, furniture, drawers, log buildings, carcass construction, timber framing. Dovetail joints are known for their strength and durability.
What does a dovetail wood joint look like?
This joint type has two parts, called pins and tails. You can tell the difference between these two pieces because the tails are flared triangular shapes, while the pins are thinner. The tails, which look like those of a dove, are what give the dovetail joint its name.
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 the rules for dovetails?
What is the weakest wood joint?
A butt joint is the easiest of all simple wood joints, but also is the weakest. The cut end of one board butts up against the edge of another piece at a right angle. The key to every type of wood joint is having smooth, square cuts on the boards, and the butt joint is no exception.
Is dovetail joint permanent?
The strongest and most permanent right-angled joints made in wood are the ‘dove-tail’ joints, as illustrated below. The so-called tails and pins fit together to form a secure joint.
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.
What is dovetail in a sentence?
reciprocal verb. If two things dovetail or if one thing dovetails with another, the two things fit together neatly or have some common characteristics. I’m following up a few things that might dovetail. … an attempt to look for areas where U.S. interests can dovetail with Japanese concerns.
How do you use dovetail in a simple sentence?
We are all dovetailed in together. They all dovetailed in together. In terms of the needs of those who have the opportunity to work for one or two days a week, the practical details of the carers’ needs should be dovetailed.
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 is a dovetail cut?
A dovetail joint is made by cutting interlocking parts on two pieces of wood. The tail board has the dovetails. The pin board has pins that slide in between the dovetails. Each outer edge of the pin board has a half pin, meaning only one face of the pin is angled.
Do you need to glue dovetail joints?
Michael Dresdner: The only areas that require glue on dovetails are the diagonal faces. All the diagonal faces are long grain, all the square faces are end grain, and all the flat faces abut end grain. Therefore, you need only apply glue to the diagonal faces on the tails or pins, or both.
Are dovetails hard to make?
It’s true that dovetail is hard to make, but all it takes is a couple of stabs at the joint and even a novice will be happy about the results.
How deep should a dovetail joint be?
Typically we use 1 ½” – 2” deep dovetails that are about 2” less deep than the joist, and 4” less deep than the girt – but that is just a starting point – the loads and reactions have to be calculated from there.
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.
What angle do you cut dovetail joint?
The angle of a dovetail joint should be between 7 and 15 degrees: too broad and the joint won’t be strong enough, too skinny, and the pin can snap. So the angle of the dovetail mainly depends on the use and wear the joint will get. 5. They are called ‘dovetails’ because they are shaped like the tail feathers of a dove!
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 makes a dovetail joint so strong?
Methods. 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.
Can you make dovetail joints with plywood?
A wide variety of methods can be used to make dovetail plywood drawer boxes. They are generally considered by the woodworking industry as time-consuming and difficult to make. The dovetails can be cut by hand with a dovetailing saw and chisel or you can use a dovetail jig and router.
