Dovetails

 

Dovetails! 

Watch on double speed: Cutting a blind dovetail

The dovetail joint technique probably pre-dates written history. Some of the earliest known examples of the dovetail joint are in ancient Egyptian furniture entombed with mummies dating from First Dynasty, the tombs of Chinese emperors, and a stone pillar at the Vazhappally Maha Siva Temple in India. The dovetail design is an important method of distinguishing various periods of furniture. In Ancient Egypt,  It’s not clear whether they cut tails or pins first.

In Europe, the dovetail joint is sometimes called a swallowtail joint, a culvertail joint (culver also means 'dove'), or a fantail joint.^[2]

How They Work: 

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. This type of joint is used in box constructions such as drawers, jewelry boxes, cabinets and other pieces of furniture where strength is required. It is a difficult joint to make manually, requiring skilled workmanship. There are different types of dovetail joints.

The angle of slope varies according to the wood used, purpose of joint and type of work. 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. However, a different slope does not affect the strength of the joint in different types of wood

Cutting dovetails by hand is considered a real benchmark in the development and training of a furniture maker and is a skill every novice woodworker aspires to master.

Cutting good dovetails begins with a good layout. Deciding the angle, number, size, and spacing of the dovetails is critical to success. Generally, the widest portion of the pin should be equal to 1/2 the thickness of the material. The angle of the dovetail is generally between 15° and 20°.

Types of Dovetails: 

The dovetail joint is made up of two parts. The tails are the flared, triangular shapes, cut through the thickness of one board. The pins are the more slender projections, cut along the grain of the other board. There is an ongoing argument/discussion as to which part should be cut first. Generally, European trained woodworkers believe the pins should be done first.

There are basically three types: through, or full, dovetails are used to join carcases, blanket chests, and small boxes. These are regarded as the strongest and most beautiful. Half-blind dovetails are commonly used to join drawer sides to drawer fronts and occasionally are employed on the construction of carcases. Full-blind or secret dovetails are rarely used because when assembled, the dovetails — and all the work — are completely hidden.

Dovetails by hand or machine

Although historically, dovetails were strictly employed for practical reasons, today, they appear on furniture primarily for decorative and aesthetic reasons and have come to symbolize fine craftsmanship.

Today, there are jigs that enable a woodworker to cut dovetails mechanically, but the end result appears static and too uniform. The best-looking dovetails have always been cut by hand.

Dovetails by George Nakashima 

Doing It Faster: Using a Jig 

Jump to 8:02 to see the jig in action.