by Ken Melchert
Dovetail bones frequently hold two panels together in a package or cabinet, just like interlocking the fingertips of the fingers. While the dovetail joint evolved through the past a hundred thirty years, it becomes a clue when it comes to age and authenticity of classic furniture. The sort of dovetailed joint, especially in compartments, reveals much about furniture construction and dating. In just only a little study of those examples, it is possible to spot hand that is true construction vs. machine made furniture.
The name dovetail arises from the look of the joint, resembling the shape that is triangle of bird’s end. The first examples come from furniture put with mummies in Egypt 1000s of years back, as well as into the burials of ancient emperors that are chinese.
A dovetail joint was created by a skilled cabinetmaker using small, precision saws and wood chisels for thousands of years. Tiny angled saw cuts had been followed by careful cutting with a sharpened chisel on both relative edges to prevent splintering. One board had small tails, therefore the other had the more expensive pins, carefully calculated to complement and fit together precisely. As soon as the joint is expertly performed, it really is a thing of beauty, and a safe joining of two panels that may continue for hundreds of years. Read More