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.Craftworkers use this joint if they do not want the end-grain visible from the front of the piece.The main difference between a through dovetail and a half blind dovetail is that a through dovetail requires etching or routing out sections of each side of the joint, whereas a half blind dovetail does not require etching or routing out sections of each side.
What is the difference between a half-blind dovetail and a through dovetail?
The half-blind dovetail, also known as the single-lap dovetail, differs from the through dovetail because you can only see the end-grain from one side instead of both. Craftworkers use this joint if they do not want the end-grain visible from the front of the piece.
What is a half-blind dovetail joint used for?
A half-blind dovetail enables the woodworker to hide the joint from the front end. The tails are housed in sockets in the ends of the board that is to be the front of the item so that their ends cannot be seen. Half-blind dovetails are commonly used to fasten drawer fronts to drawer sides.
When did they stop using dovetail joints?
So manufacturers moved away from dovetails. Hand-cut dovetailing was the default until 1860 when uniform machine-cut joints were introduced. But fine cabinetmakers persisted in fitting their joints by hand until the early 1900s, and cabinetmakers in Europe cut dovetails by hand well into the 1930s.
What is a half-blind dovetail joint used for?
A half-blind dovetail enables the woodworker to hide the joint from the front end. The tails are housed in sockets in the ends of the board that is to be the front of the item so that their ends cannot be seen. Half-blind dovetails are commonly used to fasten drawer fronts to drawer sides.
What is the most popular dovetail?
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. Whether the drawer is housed in a veneered or solid wood case, opening it reveals the pedigree of the piece.
Are dovetail joints worth it?
Making sure that you pick a drawer joint that can withstand this type of wear and tear is crucial to the longevity of your kitchen cabinets. 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.
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.
Why do people use dovetail joints?
A dovetail joint is a joinery technique used in woodworking, traditionally used to joint wooden furniture. Dovetail joints are known for their inherent strength and resistance to being pulled apart (tensile strength).
What is a half blind joint?
nounJoinery. a corner dovetail joint visible on one face only.
What is the strongest joint in woodworking?
MORTISE AND TENON JOINT Mortise and tenon joints are widely regarded as one of the strongest and most reliable woodworking joints. They involve creating a mortise, or a hole, in one piece of wood and a tenon on the end of the other piece, which fits into the mortise.
What is the difference between English dovetail and French dovetail?
English dovetails are the most common. They have interlocking joints and allow the most amount of space – usually several more inches of room than you would get with French dovetails. This is because the dovetail groove cannot be put all the way at the edge of a drawer with French dovetails.
Do dovetail joints need glue?
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.
Is a finger joint stronger than a dovetail joint?
It depends on the application. For box joint, some people put a lot more fingers than it is possible to do with Dovetail. In this case, the gluing surface is larger, and the joint is likely stronger.
Are dovetails the strongest of all joints?
Without a doubt, dovetail joints are revered as one of the strongest woodworking joints. The strength lies in the precise shaping of the tails and pins. When these elements fit snugly together and are bonded with glue, the resulting joint becomes nearly impossible to pull apart.
What is stronger dovetail or finger joint?
Although the finger joint is not mechanically interlocking like a dovetail, the joint is amazingly strong. Today’s modern adhesives and the large glue surface make the finger joint equally as strong as the dovetail throughout the life of the adhesive.
What are the different types of dovetail rails?
Dovetails come in several different types and sizes depending on manufacturer, but the most common are the 11 mm and 3⁄8 inch (9.5 mm). Some other less known, but currently commercially available dovetail mounts, are 12, 13, 13.5, 14, 14.5, 16, 16.5, 17 and 19 mm.
What is the difference between English dovetail and French dovetail?
English dovetails are the most common. They have interlocking joints and allow the most amount of space – usually several more inches of room than you would get with French dovetails. This is because the dovetail groove cannot be put all the way at the edge of a drawer with French dovetails.
What is an impossible dovetail joint?
Press a dovetailed board into another board with matching sockets, and you’ve created woodworking’s most iconic joint. The dovetails and sockets wedge the boards together, so the joint can’t pull apart; the only way to disassemble it is to lift the dovetailed board back out of the sockets.
What is a half-blind dovetail joint used for?
A half-blind dovetail enables the woodworker to hide the joint from the front end. The tails are housed in sockets in the ends of the board that is to be the front of the item so that their ends cannot be seen. Half-blind dovetails are commonly used to fasten drawer fronts to drawer sides.
What is the difference between 11mm and 3 8 dovetail?
The 3/8 Inch is measured across the bottom of the dovetail whereas the 11 mm is measured across the top of the dovetail. A 3/8 Inch dovetail is about 12.7 mm across the top. The measurements 3/8 and 11mm are not the same for this reason plus the angles are different.
What is a Knapp joint?
Is dovetail the highest quality?
Dovetail drawers are considered a sign of quality, a hallmark of solid construction, and are generally recommended for anyone in the market for cabinets.
Do you need to clamp dovetails?
No clamps, cauls or hassle, and because the carcass is used as a form, the face of the drawer will be perfectly aligned and require no further fitting.
How deep should a dovetail joint be?
so with our current scenario of 3″ we would have 2 x 3/16″ = 3/8″ plus the full pin of 3/8″ so 3/4″ pin accumulation. This then leaves 2 1/4″ for two tails so 1 1/8″ dovetails. As I said, for me, generally, I simply use 3/8″ equally for all of my pins as my standard size in my more general work.
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.
