Should I make dovetails in plywood?
Some of the dovetails on our factory-made furniture, which is much newer, are loose. I don't know the importance of durability to you, of course.If appearance is what you are after, then make dovetails in plywood while living by the caveats in your book.
What size plywood for dovetailed drawers without chipping?
Building dovetailed plywood drawers without chipping; European and American approaches. April 24, 2002 I typically use 1/2" Baltic birch plywood for drawer sides and backs on dressers, night stands, etc. but don't like the way the boards chip out while dovetailing.
What do you think about dovetails for kitchen cabinets?
then machine making (router and jig) dovetails make perfect sense, as they look "professional", are actually quite a bit stronger than a dado joint, resist racking and separation, and therefore do a good job of making a long-lasting drawer-front joint. So I'm planning to do that with my own kitchen cabinets.
What kind of plywood to use for cabinet drawers?
I have used baltic-birch plywood for some cabinet drawers recently and used dovetail joints to join the box. I have a leigh dovetail jig that I used.
Do dovetail joints work with plywood?
0:038:11Making and Breaking Plywood Dovetails - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhen you do hardwood dovetails you might do like a six to one angle whereas I found like a two-and-aMoreWhen you do hardwood dovetails you might do like a six to one angle whereas I found like a two-and-a-half or a three to one angle worked much better with a plywood.
Where is the dovetail joint most suitable to be used?
A dovetail joint or simply dovetail is a joinery technique most commonly used in woodworking joinery (carpentry), including furniture, cabinets, log buildings, and traditional timber framing.
What are the disadvantages of a dovetail joint?
The disadvantages of dovetail joints are that they can be fairly difficult to mark out and cut, and if they are made badly these joints lose the advantages listed above. Depending on the project, function, and design, there are a number of different types of dovetail joints to choose from.
Is dovetail joint the strongest?
Dovetails are probably the strongest method for joining two pieces of wood, surface to surface, with the grain running in the same direction. The dovetail joint provides considerable mechanical strength because when the joint is assembled, it can't be twisted or racked.
Should dovetail joints be glued?
Michael Dresdner: The only areas that require glue on dovetails are the diagonal faces. All the diagonal faces are long grain, all the square faces are end grain, and all the flat faces abut end grain. Therefore, you need only apply glue to the diagonal faces on the tails or pins, or both.
Are dovetail joints the best?
Dovetail joints are considered one of the strongest joints used in kitchen cabinetry construction and are the best solution for a kitchen cabinet drawer box.
What is the weakest wood joint?
Butt JointButt Joint The butt joint is the simplest joint to make. It is also the weakest wood joint unless you use some form of reinforcement.
Are dovetail joints still used?
They are still used today by many experienced custom furniture makers. Dovetail joints are not only used to make a strong joint for drawer construction, but cabinet makers often use them to join the tops, bottoms and sides of cabinet cases, as was done on antique furniture.
What are the pros and cons of a dovetail joint?
The interlocking dovetail joint has a large gluing area, further adding to its strength. Hand cut dovetail joints require precise handsaw and chisel skills, and can be fiddly to mark out and cut. If dovetail joints are poorly made they will lose the advantage of strength and durability.
What are the 3 strongest wood joints used in woodworking?
What is the Strongest Type of Wood Joint?While the dovetail, box (finger), and mortise and tenon joints are known to be the strongest type of wood joint, each is used for various purposes. ... Three of the most important wood joints are the dovetail, box (finger), and mortise and tenon wood joint.More items...•
How much weight can a dovetail hold?
Our hydraulic dovetail is rated to lift and carry up to 10,000 lb evenly distributed, but an undistributed load (too much weight rearward) can cause premature wear and unnecessary damage to the tail.
Which is stronger box joint or dovetail?
For this test, the box joint proved stronger. Plus, the box joint is strong in both directions, whereas the dovetails are useful only for pulling from one piece, but not the other. So really, to use a dovetail joint for the sake of strength is obsolete, mostly on account of the strength of wood glues.