While the mortise and tenon
works well on relatively
narrow pieces of wood, this
technique becomes
cumbersome when attempted
on wider pieces. The
medieval joiner's solution to
this problem was the dovetail
joint shown. While
somewhat demanding to cut,
dovetails provide a
mechanically strong joint that
is unaffected by wood
movement. More advanced
forms of the dovetail can be
cut so that the joint is
concealed from one or both
sides.
We use dovetail joints
on all of furniture with
drawers. Dovetail
joints are not only
strong and functional,
but they also add
beauty to every piece.
