Dovetail joints are made up of two parts called pins and tails. When a master craftsman wants to marry two boards together, they cut a series of pins on one board and matching tails on the other. They are trapezoidal in shape, resembling the tail feathers of a dove (hence the name dovetail).

What is dovetail joint?

A through dovetail joint uses is where the end grain of both boards is visible where the joint is assembled, creating a stunning dovetail effect from all sides of the box. This very strong joint is also sometimes known as a lapped, English, or plain dovetail.

Who invented dovetail joinery?

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.

What is so special about dovetail joinery?

The advantages of the dovetail joint are that it is the strongest of all joints, has a large gluing area, is interlocking, resists being pulled apart, looks attractive, and would hold together even without glue.

How many dovetail joints are there?

There are 4 different types of dovetail joints used for different applications.

When were dovetail joints used?

The English cabinet maker first started using the dovetail joint in the mid 17th Century on walnut furniture and carried on doing this by hand until the late 19th century when they were produced by machines, mainly in the Edwardian periods.

What is a rabbet joint used for?

Rabbet Joint. A typical rabbet joint is one in which a second piece is joined to the first by setting its end grain into the rabbet. Rabbet joints are frequently used to recess cabinet backs into the sides, or to reduce the amount of end grain visible at a corner.

How do you dovetail joints?

0:2739:39How to cut a DOVETAIL JOINT by HAND - YouTubeYouTube

Is a rabbet joint strong?

The rabbet joint is much stronger than a simple butt joint, and is easily made either with two table or radial-arm saw cuts (one into the face, the second into the edge or end grain) or with one pass through a saw equipped with a dado head. Glue and nails or screws are frequently used to fasten rabbet joints.