Dovetail joints often hold two boards together in a box or drawer, almost like interlocking the fingertips of your hands. As the dovetail joint evolved through the last one hundred thirty years, it becomes a clue for the age and authenticity of antique furniture.

What year did they stop making dovetail drawers?

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 does the expression dovetail mean?

transitive verb. 1a : to join by means of dovetails. b : to cut to a dovetail. 2a : to fit skillfully to form a whole. b : to fit together with.

How do you describe a dovetail joint?

Noted for its resistance to being pulled apart (tensile strength), the dovetail joint is commonly used to join the sides of a drawer to the front. A series of pins cut to extend from the end of one board interlock with a series of tails cut into the end of another board. The pins and tails have a trapezoidal shape.

How can you tell how old a dresser is?

Look carefully at the bottom, sides, and back of the drawer; if the wood shows nicks or cuts, it was probably cut with a plane, a spokeshave, or a drawknife. Straight saw marks also indicate an old piece. If the wood shows circular or arc-shaped marks, it was cut by a circular saw, not in use until about 1860.

Why do they call it dovetail?

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 does handle with kid gloves mean?

To handle or treat something with kid gloves is to do so with special consideration or in a tactful manner, often due to a perceived sensitivity. Kid gloves are simply gloves made from kid leather—in other words, the skin from a young goat. The kid in kid gloves is a young goat, not a young person.

What are two different ways to make a dovetail joint?

Through Dovetail. The most basic method of creating a dovetail is called a through dovetail. Half-Blind Dovetail. A half-blind dovetail enables the woodworker to hide the joint from the front end. Secret Mitered Dovetail.

How do you use dovetail in a sentence?

Dovetail sentence example Daily shows dovetail one into the other. The deeply personal nature of tattoos seems to naturally dovetail with the expression of religious devotion.

What does the gloves are off mean?

to start fighting or competing hard in order to achieve something. When this happens, you can say the gloves are off

Is a dovetail jig worth it?

Dovetail jigs are useful and fun because they can create so many different types of joints. By swapping out a template, the user can change from making a standard dovetail to a box joint to a half-blind or even a full-blind mitered joint.