What are Knapp joints and what are they used for?
Knapp joints were a very strong form of drawer joinery and they were very easy to make with special machinery compared to the other forms of joints during 1870-1900. Keep reading below to get a more in-depth look at Knapp Joints and what they were used for. What Is A Knapp joint? How To Make A Knapp Joint. Knapp Joint History.
When was the first Knapp joint made?
The technique for creating Knapp joints was only really available for about thirty years, between 1870 and 1900. The router or the Knapp machine was quite a complex machine that comprised five cutting parts. The machine had an auger, a hollow auger, two V-shaped cutters, and a circular cutter.
What is a half-lap joint?
When two pieces of timber have both been notched out to form an interlocking section, this is known as a half-lap joint. This is important to know, as the lap joints can be used almost anywhere, where two pieces of timber can cross each other.
Where did the Knapp sewing machine come from?
The machine began work in the Beal and Hooper Factory in East Cambridge in 1871. The price of the Knapp machine began to get affordable so its use spread throughout the East and it made some gains in the Midwest, where it was used by Nelson Matter in Grand Rapids and Mitchell and Rammelsberg in Cincinnati.
How do you make a Knapp joint?
11:3222:08How to make these Alternative Dovetail Joints (The Knapp Joint)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's not pretty but this is the original template I made and I did that by turning dowels. And thenMoreIt's not pretty but this is the original template I made and I did that by turning dowels. And then I cut slices off. They fit it into that guide.
Is the Knapp joint rare?
This dovetail-like woodworking joint has many names – pin-and-cove, pin-and-crescent, pin-and-scallop, half-moon, or scallop-and-dowel joint, but is not a joint readily encountered in modern woodworking.
What is the best woodworking joint?
What is the strongest woodworking joint? For excellent stability, the mortise and tenon joint is a great choice. It's a relatively simple joint, yet it holds well. Woodworkers have been using it for generations because of its strength, versatility and simple design.
When were cove and pin joints used?
If you have an antique piece of furniture that features drawers with a curious-looking half-circle joint, you can be almost certain that it was made in a North American factory between 1871 and 1900.
When did they stop using Knapp joints?
1900What makes the Knapp joint so special is that it was only used for about 30 years, from 1870 until 1900. This joint is the first known mechanization for making drawers in the industrial revolution age until eventually being replaced by a machine that cuts dovetails.
When did dovetail joints stop?
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 is the weakest wood joint?
A butt joint is the easiest of all simple wood joints but also is the weakest. The cut end of one board butts-up against the edge of another piece at a right angle. The key to every type of wood joint is having smooth, square cuts on the boards, and the butt joint is no exception.
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...•
What is the strongest carpentry joint?
Mortise and Tenon Woodworking Joints One of the strongest woodworking joints is the mortise and tenon joint. This joint is simple and strong. Woodworkers have used it for many years.
Why is it called a dovetail joint?
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).
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.
Are dovetail joints antique?
Dovetail joints, named due to their resemblance to the bird's tail, were first used as far back as ancient Egyptian times where they are found on the furniture entombed with mummies. They were first used in English cabinet making in around 1650.
What is a Knapp joint?
The Knapp Joint, also known as Pin & Cove, Pin & Scallop and Half Moon, is a visually unique style of antique joinery. It is a particularly interesting joint to us at Furnish Green because we don’t see it very often, and there’s a reason for that; it was only in use for about 30 years.
When was the Knapp joint invented?
The Knapp joint was developed during the late Victoria Era in post-Civil War United States. It was patented by Charles Knapp of Waterloo, WI in 1867. This type of joint was a significant advancement in furniture construction as it was made by machines whereas the dovetail joint had to be done by hand. The rate of production went from 20 drawers per ...
When was the Knapp drawer made?
This joint is the first known mechanization for making drawers in the industrial revolution age. The Knapp is a very strong form of drawer joinery but was only utilized from 1870 until about 1900, when it basically fell completely out of use.
How old is a knapp joint?
But now the irony is, if you come across an old piece of turniture with knapp joints on it, you know its 130-150 years old. A real classic!
Why did the knapp joints fall out of favour?
Apparently, the joint fell out of favour when "classic" stuff came more into fashion and people didn't want these modern machine cut joints. Also, by that time, machines for cutting dovetail joints had been invented, so knapp joints were no longer necessary.
Which method is closer to how these joints were cut originally?
Pask's method is closer to how these joints were cut originally.
Is knapp joint strong?
I don't think knapp joints are very strong joint s, at least not compared to box joints. But they do look neat.
What were the joints made after 1800?
Joints made after the mid 1800’s, are more likely to have been produced using power tools and machinery to shape the timbers. These joints are more looking to be clean cut and even, with a smoother finish. Have a look at the cut lines on the joints, and feel around for gouges and rough finishes.
What is mortise and tenon joint?
One of the strongest and oldest forms of joinery that has been used by carpenters for thousands of years. While it is a simple design, the mortise and tenon joint is nonetheless an effective and versatile joint that can be found in most carpentry, from furniture and storage, to buildings and bridges. Most quality antique furniture has been made ...
How do carpenters use tenon joints?
Carpenters use the mortise and tenon joint technique to make a male and female connection between two pieces of timber. Called the “Tenon”, carpenters shape one end of the timber into a square tongue by reducing the thickness of the wood. On the other piece of timber, a slot known as the “Mortise” is made to match the measurements of the tenon. How closely the sizes match between the two determines how snugly the two parts fit. Some cultures may soak the tenon in a resin or glue prior to forcing the swollen wood into the slot. Others may not have used glues at all and required the fit to be as tight as possible. Then again nails, pegs or wedges may have been forced into the slot alongside the tenon, or driven through the side of the timber locking the tenon in place.
Why are dovetail joints so rare?
Dovetail joints were difficult to make by hand and required a lot of skill to master. Despite its effectiveness it is for this reason that dovetail joints were relatively rare and reserved mostly for high end products.
What method do carpenters use to make joints?
The following are the methods that carpenters use to make this joints: Hand made Joints – Some carpenters still use this method, but prior to the mid 1800’s, this was the only way to make them.
What countries use joinery?
Just as with art styles, culture and fashion, each region of the world had their own joinery styles. Asian countries like China and Japan would often use such intricate designs that trying to assemble them yourself today, would be like trying to assemble one of these 3D puzzle toys. Other regions opted for brute force over fiddly designs, and would use a mallet to drive the pieces together or wedges and pins into place. Both variations while vastly different from one another, still followed the same principles, in that they would join the timbers in such a way that they couldn’t be pulled apart.
When were hand made joints invented?
Handmade joints that were made before the mid 1800’s, were created using hand saws and chisels.
The history of the cove-and-pin joint
If you have an antique piece of furniture that features drawers with a curious-looking half-circle joint, you can be almost certain that it was made in a North American factory between 1871 and 1900.
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What was the name of the machine that made a joint?
In fact, there was a dovetailing machine in the late 1800s that made a joint known as the cove-and-pin, or pin-and-scallop, and it was commonly used by furniture makers of the day. That machine is no longer available, but Louis Kern devised a method using a sled and two jigs that allows him to make the joint with common router bits ...
What is machined joinery?
Synopsis: Machined joinery is not a new thing. In fact, there was a dovetailing machine in the late 1800s that made a joint known as the cove-and-pin, or pin-and-scallop, and it was commonly used by furniture makers of the day. That machine is no longer available, but Louis Kern devised a method using a sled and two jigs that allows him to make the joint with common router bits and a brad-point drill bit.
