DC Drawers, Author at DC Drawers Blog

Kitchen Drawers Vs Cabinets

Homeowners may have trouble deciding whether to install drawers or cabinets in their kitchen. Let’s take a look at the advantages of both drawers and cabinets!

Kitchen Drawers Pros

Many homeowners prefer drawers for their kitchen area due to space needs. Mid-tier to high-end cabinets often have storage with drawers versus a built-in rack that does not extend to all the items.

Drawers that feature easily accessible handles are oftentimes more convenient than cabinets. A peg system will also decrease clutter in the drawers. Here’s a look at some of the advantages of opting for drawers over cabinets.

Better Use Of Space

Drawers are a better use of kitchen space, plus they can keep all items in place more efficiently than cabinets. Drawers can be pulled out all the way so you can see every item inside.

Easier To Use

Drawers are easier to use and access compared to cabinets. With drawers, you won’t have to awkwardly reach for something or stretch all the way to the back of the container.

More Convenient

Deep, lower cabinets can be a big inconvenience for homeowners since they can easily lose something in the back end. Drawers provide greater convenience because you will not have to reach all the way to the back. You will simply slide the drawer all the way out to inspect the contents.

Better For Organizing

You will be able to put dividers inside the drawers to separate plates, bowls and utensils. Drawers are better than cabinets because they are easier to organize.

More Modern

Typically, drawers are more aesthetically-pleasing than cabinets. Different designs of drawers offer new trends and updated looks compared to cabinets.

Pros Of Cabinets

Base cabinets featuring doors and rollout shelves are better suited for storing large pots and pans. Shallow shelves are great for storing small appliances, as well.

Rolling shelves are your safest bet when you simply cannot fit certain items inside drawers. Cabinets have deeper containers than most kitchen drawers.

Better For Large Items

Shallow drawers are unable to store large items, as previously mentioned. Even if you choose to stack large pots and pans deep into drawers, it will not be easy to access them.

Durability

Drawers can become stuck or even fall off the rails. Cabinets are extremely durable and can hold up to any condition inside the kitchen.

Better Display

Since cabinets use doors, they can display contents more easily. They offer customizable options, such as installation of rollout shelves.

How Much Do Kitchen Drawers Cost?

According to Angi, soft-closed drawers cost between $40-$100 each for installation. The total cost will depend on the style of drawer installed and the professional hired for the service.

How Much Do Kitchen Cabinets Cost?

Kitchen cabinets costs about $650 with average prices of installation ranging from $100 to $1200 in the US for 2022, according to HomeAdvisor.com.

A kitchen cabinet helps define the appearance and usefulness of your kitchen. If you have an outdated or hard to use kitchen design, your kitchen might be falling short of its possibilities as the leisure and meal prep focus of your house. Installing new kitchen cabinets will enhance its looks and convenience – and boost the charm of your house.

Buy Dovetail Drawers Online

If you don’t have the time, tools, or woodworking skills to build your own drawer boxes but need drawer box replacements for your kitchen or bathroom DC Drawers is happy to build the replacement for you. Simply take measurements for how wide, high, and deep you need the new drawer box to be and we will fabricate your replacement drawer box and ship it to you. If you have any questions about how to measure for your replacement or would like to place your order by phone please call 877-917-4887.

How Much Does A Kitchen Remodel Cost In Arizona?

On average, a full kitchen remodel in Arizona costs $25,438. Generally, costs will range from $13,291-$37,607, according to HomeAdvisor. Let’s take a look at some of the important factors that could impact the total cost of this project.

Kitchen Size

These are the nationwide average costs of a kitchen remodel by size:

Small kitchen (less than 70 square feet): $5,000-$20,000.
Medium kitchen (100-150 square feet): $15,000-$40,000.
Large kitchen (200 square feet): $30,000-$60,000.

Kitchen size is perhaps the biggest factoring influencing the total cost of a remodel. For homeowners with a small kitchen, a remodel can cost as little as $5,000. Larger kitchens could end up costing upward of $60,000 for a full remodel.

Remodeling experts recommend starting with a lower budget that features some wiggle room. Think about what you can afford to purchase and what tasks are better left as DIY projects. Smaller appliance choices are both great for the environment, as well as saving money and space inside the kitchen.

Kitchen Remodel Budget

What should you budget for when it comes to a kitchen remodel? Consider budgeting for these expected costs:

Installation.
Designer fees.
Lighting.
Flooring.
Countertops.
Cabinetry.
Appliances.
Walls/ceilings.
Plumbing.
Doors.
Windows.
Faucets.

In the majority of remodels, installation, appliances and cabinetry ends up accounting for about half of the total cost. It’s suggested to leave nearly one percent of your budget available for any unexpected costs.

Most designers tend to charge between $100-$200 per hour. Homeowners can always alter styles and designs of lighting, cabinetry and flooring to save money. Make sure to shop around for the best deal before committing to a remodeling service.

Kitchen Remodel Estimates

Measuring your kitchen for the remodel is the first step toward calculating a budget. Remodels typically cost between $75-$250 per square foot.

Make sure all desired appliances fit in the area properly. Experts say you should spend between 5-15% of your home’s total value on a remodel. For example, if your home is worth $400,000, then it’s not a bad idea to spend around $40,000 for this project.

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How To Make Dovetail Joints

What are the various dovetail joint types and how can they be created by hand?

Through Dovetails

The through dovetail is regarded as the most basic of all dovetail joints. Although basic, this is an incredibly strong joint that’s very aesthetically pleasing. Cleanly-cut through dovetails have even and consistent angles featuring no gaps between pins and tails.

It will take some skill and patience to craft through the joints by hand. With a router, though, dovetailing bit and jig can make nearly perfect dovetails almost instantly.

Half-Blind Dovetail Joints

With some classic joints, you may only want a portion of the dovetail to be visible. For example, a solid dresser drawer front should not show the dovetail joint. On the box sides, though, that is perfectly fine.

Half-blind dovetail joints are ideal in these cases. Again, use a router for this task for the best results possible.

Sliding Dovetail Joints

A sliding dovetail joint is not commonly used but it can come in handy with certain projects. This joint consists of a long groove with angled sides serving as the tail for the joint.

There will be a corresponding long pin which is cut into the end of the adjoining board. Some classic furniture pieces used sliding dovetail joinery for wooden drawer slides.

Dovetail Jigs

If you do not wish to cut dovetail by hand, you’ll want to utilize a dovetail jig. Each of the jigs will connect to the board while being cut. This allows you to easily guide the router with a dovetailing bit through the wood to cut matching tails and pins of a variety of dovetail joints.

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Kitchen Cabinet Construction Methods

Kitchen cabinet construction methods can often determine both quality and lifespan of your installation or remodel. Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to build a cabinet below!

Best Kitchen Cabinet Construction Methods

Here you will find a few different methods for a 24-inch kitchen cabinet using a couple effective techniques. Sometimes, the experience level and available tools will determine which construction method to implement. Follow the steps detailed below to properly finish this DIY project.

Butt Joints And Wood Screws

Constructing your cabinets with a butt joint and wood screws has the potential to be the fastest way to complete the process without special tools. All you need to do is simply drill the screws in place. You may also use good fasteners and wood glue.

The only issue with this method is that the fasteners will be visible. However, there are a few ways to hide the fasteners:

You can try covering the sides of the cabinet with a quarter-inch beadboard.
Make sure the screws are counter-sinked so you can fill them with wood filler or putty.

Of course, it doesn’t matter if the screws are visible if the cabinet sides won’t be seen.

Butt Joints And Pocket Hole Screws

Pocket hole screws can be used to quickly construct a cabinet. This will require that you have a jig, though, to drill the holes. This method is often a go-to for a sturdy cabinet to join the face frame.

Dados

Cutting a dado that will allow the cabinet bottom, back panel and fixed shelves to recess into the sides may be a bit tricky, but it is well worth it. This method will require some special tools, including a table saw and/or table mounted router.

Getting the dados just the right width can be tough, especially when the material thickness differs. When building the cabinet to eventually paint, you will not need to worry about precision like natural or stained wood cabinets.

Dowel And Dovetail Joints

Most quality drawers and doors will be constructed using either a dowel or dovetail joint. Some cheaper cabinetry uses staples that won’t hold for very long. Dovetail joints are actually considered the premium standard for kitchen cabinet construction today.

Dovetail joints feature interlocking sections of wood that hold each piece tightly. These do not require any screws, staples or nails. The best cabinetry uses dovetail joints and wood glue to make the longest lasting cabinetry on the market. Dowel joints are a great alternative for anyone with a tighter budget.

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What Are Dovetail Drawers?

Let’s take a look at dovetail drawers and the many benefits associated with this style.

What Is A Dovetail Drawer?

The term “Dovetail Drawer” pertains to a particular design structure of the drawer, where the drawer compartment is made of solid wood and a dovetail joint secures the sides of the drawer with its front. This distinctive joint that resembles pieces from a jigsaw puzzle perpendicularly joined together at the drawers outside corners makes dovetail drawers easily recognizable.

There are several benefits to designing a drawer to have this structure, some of which we’ll outline further in the article.

Considered a premium drawer option among homeowners, dovetail drawers differ from regular drawers in how they’re constructed and the kind of joint they use is exclusive to dovetail drawers. Some drawer manufacturers even use Dovetail Joints on pull out shelves. This particular joint is called a locking joint, and comprises of wedge-shaped cuts at the end of the wooden frame that fit into each other from each side, forming a box. These cuts, or pins and tails as they’re called, form an incredibly strong and resistant box when they fit into each other. The joint is so strong, in fact, that even when the drawer breaks, it rarely breaks from the area of the joint.

Large Surface Area

It’s not just the mechanics of the locking joint that make it so durable, but also the large surface area it provides to apply glue on, and this increased amount of glue between the joints enhances the drawer’s durability and strength.

Dovetail Drawers Design

The design of the joint also allows for increased storage space, and even more so in English dovetails, which are the ones that attract most popularity and easily become a part of all kinds of furniture. French dovetail drawers lean towards the specialty and luxury furniture market with pieces that have curved fronts, and joints on the drawer sides shaped such that they slide upwards and fit in a trench shaped opening running through the front piece.

English Dovetail

The English Dovetail is one where you can see the ends of the adjoining pieces at the corners of the drawers. This is the premium type of dovetail joint design as it is the tightest and longest lasting joint. The English Dovetail makes the joint at the very edge of the wood, which means you get the most space inside the drawer. In the finest drawers and furniture you will find the English Dovetail as it’s simply stronger and better looking.

French Dovetail

The French Dovetail differs greatly from the English Dovetail. Instead of having numerous “fingers” that joint to create an incredibly strong corner the French dovetail is 1 channel cut in board A and board B is shaped to fit in that channel. This design is simply inferior as it hinges the durability of the drawer on thin edges of wood inside the channel. French dovetail joints also must be made a distance in from the corner of the wood, which means the drawers are more narrow or not as deep.

Sliding Dovetail

Believe it or not all dovetail joints are sliding dovetail joints. Dovetail joints are by nature and definition those where two pieces of wood are machined to have corresponding sections that slide together. So all dovetail drawers are sliding dovetail joints. With that said a lot of consumers call the French Dovetail a “sliding joint” as it does slide together further.

Dovetail Drawer Joints

As mentioned earlier, the way the joints are constructed is what makes dovetail drawers unique, and this is also what brings its advantages. These locking joints enable the drawer to be stronger and sturdier, at the same time offering a larger storage space. Although often seen as a standard for good quality drawers, this isn’t always the case. With a variety of different drawer constructions, you should assess the drawers’ sturdiness and storage capacity when on the lookout for the right drawers for your cabinets.

Dovetail Drawers Vs Standard Drawers

Dovetail drawers feature locking joints, which are constructed from triangular wedge-shaped channels cut into the edges found on each side of the drawer box. The obvious difference is that the sides of each crenel angle appear like dove tails.

These dovetails are offset on adjoining sides of the drawer box so they can interlock with one another, creating the box. This provides a very strong joint, further enhanced by the addition of glue applied to the edges of all tails and pins. Dovetail drawers are always made of wood as opposed to any lesser material.

Standard drawers are joined differently than dovetail drawers. Commonly, standard drawers use biscuits, dowels or nails to join the boxes. The joints are not as strong with these drawers, plus the dowels and biscuits are not interlocking. The biggest benefit of buying standard drawers is the lower cost.

Advantages Of Dovetail Drawers

There are 3 key advantages to quality dovetail joints when constructing drawers or furniture. These advantages are primarily about the English Dovetail Joint, as it is the standard for the highest quality and most durable woodwork.

Sturdiness

As the sides of the drawer seamlessly fit into the front, this creates a strong bond that glued or stapled drawers can’t match. The use of solid wood rather than thin and less sturdy particle boards in making drawer boxes also enhances the durability and strength of the drawer. The perfect integration of solid wood and a locking joint in the drawer makes for a premium drawer that ordinary drawers can’t compare to.

Durability

As mentioned above, the solid wood and the locking joint enhance the drawer’s durability and make for a drawer that could easily last a lifetime. Whereas regular drawers have drawer glides on each side, open to wear and tear, dovetail drawers feature glides underneath the drawer box. Since they are the only part of the drawer that takes the brunt of the work and consequential wear, the best place for them is underneath the drawer, which is exactly where the dovetail drawer puts them.

Craftsmanship

Due to the amount of detail, precision, and craftsmanship that goes into the production of a dovetail, they have a premium feel to them that is still considered a standard in luxury cabinet making. Those with a refined taste will appreciate the drawers’ seamless construction and how smoothly it slides in and out of the cabinet. To ensure a premium drawer that looks stunning and works without a flaw, dovetail drawers need to be crafted with utmost precision, focus and above all, patience; all of which makes way for a product superior than most its counterparts.

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How To Make Wood Drawers Slide Easier

All homeowners have experienced trouble sliding wood drawers when they are stuck. The good news is there are many ways to fix this issue right at home. Below are five tips to make the drawers slide easier.

Tip 1. Soap

It may seem a bit odd, but the experts suggest trying to use a bar of soap before heading to the store for alternative supplies. Use an unscented bar of soap so it won’t end up attracting any unwanted pests.

Apply the soap all over the edges and surfaces of the drawer that touches the chest. Make sure to apply the soap as evenly as possible. Refrain from making it too thick because you want to make sure drawers can still slide back in afterward.

Tip 2. Sanding

It is possible for wood to become too bloated to fit inside the chest. If this is the case, a simple waxing will not work. You must now sand the surface of the drawer in an effort to reduce its size. After sanding, you can apply wax or any other wood coating to prevent it from either expanding or shrinking.

Tip 3. Candle

Candlesticks and tea candles can help release some stuck drawers. If you are using a tea candle for this project, ensure the scent will not attract any insects. It’s recommended to use a white candle as it won’t leave behind any visible stains.

Tip 4. Wax Paper

Wax paper is coated with paraffin wax, which will transfer to the wood’s surface when applied. Using wax paper can be pretty labor intensive, unfortunately. You will need to rub this paper many times to get the ideal amount of paraffin wax onto the wood.

Tip 5. Paraffin Wax

Paraffin wax is typically readily available in your local grocery store. Simply pull the drawer completely out then rub the wax all over the edges, sides and surfaces where the drawer is touching the chest.

If your drawer is almost impossible to pull out, you should rub the wax on the inside surfaces of the drawer that are visible. Slowly slide them back and pull outward. The sliding motions will push the wax to the unexposed surfaces, which makes them slide easier.

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Pros and Cons of Drawer Slides

1. Wooden Slides

Conventionally, drawers usually slide on wooden runners; strips of wood interlocked into horizontal rails at the cabinet’s face. In cases where a drawer won’t be guided by the sides of a cabinet — for instance, when the cabinet’s face frame extends into the drawers opening — the runners are equipped with leads to stop the drawers from sliding to the right or left and binding when they are closed.

Qualities of wooden runners

They work terrifically when the drawers fit well. With fine furniture, they are the benchmark, not because it takes skill to make drawers snugly fit but not so snug that it is hard to open and close.
They don’t need additional monetary investment outside of your labor, while mechanical slides will cost installers.
They enable your drawer’s front to function as a completed face; no additional face needs to be applied.
They allow the joinery and drawer sides beam without interference by metal equipment.

However, wooden drawer slides are far from ideal in many respects.

They do not allow to fully extend: When installers pull the drawer out to a specific point, it can sag and maybe even fall out of the opening.
Well-fitting drawers can stick in locales where humidity deviates considerably from season to season.

For a while now, cabinetmakers have mechanical slide hardware accessible to them, the features that have improved gradually. Nowadays there’s a crazy amount of options provided by many manufacturers such as Blum, Accuride, Knape & Vogt, and more.

Mechanical slides have a couple of benefits over conventional wooden runners, even if they don’t have the pristine that comes with piston fit drawers. They are quiet, run smooth, and enables installers to pull a drawer fully out without risk of it tipping its contents all over, or even worse, falling totally out and getting damaged.

2. Side Mounted Ball Bearing Slides

Side mount ball bearing slides like those manufactured by Accuride are budget-friendly, reliable, and durable. They come with a large variety of optional features, among them a decent; extra-heavy load capabilities; specialty slides for file-type drawers, lateral files, etc.

They are extremely easy to install— installers can install them just about anywhere installers want, mounting the supports to the cabinet sides or using mounting brackets to attach hardware to the front and back of the cabinet— and only impose one restriction on the dimensions of the drawer: The width of the drawer is required to be at or just a little under the specific width between the slides once they have been installed. Outside of this, installers could use these slides on drawers that are more deep or narrower than the slides, conditional on its application. The matter of how the drawer bottom fits into the drawer is of no concern — even it’s even at the bottom surfaces, fitted into slips, or sliding into slots in the drawer’s front and sides. While this adjustability might not sound so impressive in theory, it may be a life saver in uncommon situations where installers need the combination of budget friendly price, fully extendibility and adjustability in drawer design that likewise hardware might allow.

These types of slides enable the drawer to be removed easily by disengaging its lever. In replacing the drawer, slide it diligently into position — if the parts aren’t aligned correctly, it may damage the slides – -then push until there is a click. Then pull it out and close it all the way to check the fitting.

Adjustability: Prior to installers installing the set screws, the slides can be adjusted up and down additionally to forward and backward positions thanks to grooves on each piece: the piece that goes on the drawer and the piece that goes into the cabinet. Many drawers can also be equipped with screwdriver adjustable cams.

3. Undermounted Self-closing Slides

Cabinetmakers are accessible to kinds of slides that mixes full extension and pristine, silent operation with close to complete concealment. The Blum Tandem is the most commonly known type, but when other fabricators saw how favorable new designs were with fabricators and their clients, they started designing their own types based on their concept.

In lieu of the slides being silent, pristine running, fully extended capability, and concealed; when fitted with the correct locking devices they provide a new area in adjustability over previous types of drawer slides hardware. Installers may move the drawer faced up or faced down, forwards or backwards, angle it up or down, or place it side to side; a joy when installers are handling inset drawer faces. However, these components come with many strict specifications:

There are specific dimensional specifications: Drawers need be just the correct width and depth to fit certain slides. These and other requirements are laid out in easy to read guides provided by the hardware fabricators.

There is no way to install the drawer bottoms wherever installers wish. It is required to have a 1/2″ recess enabling the drawer sides and front will be on top of the runners. Along with these specifications, installers are required to drill some holes in the back of the drawer for the mechanism to tilt.

Since the placement of the slide’s hardware is in a fixed position in relation to the drawer’s sides, installers are required to be more precise in the position of the hardware in the cabinet than the installers would do with side mounted ball bearing types. Installers are also required to leave more height space than using side mounted types, which may take up space, depending on other components of the cabinet’s design.

As in the case with the side-mounted types, there will be some of space on the sides of the drawer with undermounted hardware. This clearance comes out to be about 5/16″ on either side. In many cases installers will want to put on a cabinet face.

Drawer Boxes

If you’re looking for the best quality cabinet drawer boxes at the best prices there isn’t a better source than Drawer Connection. We give you your choice of wood and only source the highest quality raw materials. All of our fabrication is high precision and made to last. Whether you’re choosing a solid wood with a dovetail joint or a melamine with a dowel joint, every single drawer box is built to last!

How to Install Bottom-Mount Drawer Slides

Installing Bottom-Mount Drawer Slides

If you are updating your bathroom or retrofitting new cabinetry, deciding on the right drawer slide can be daunting. With so many options to out there; mount, extension type, slide length, limits on weight, and finishes, how do you know which one to choose for your project? In this post we will discuss one of the most popular, bottom mount.

Tools You Will Need:

Safety Glasses
Saw
Screwdriver or Drill
Tape Measure
Pencil
Chisel
Hammer
Nails
Level
Combination Square

*Warning*

When using with power tools, always wear safety glasses to help protect your eyes from debris.

Why Choose A Bottom Mount Drawer Slide?

Using this mounting method allows you to have your drawers almost the full width of the drawer opening—minus 1⁄8 inch on each side, giving you more storage space than with other types of slides.

Using one slide (around $8 to $20 per pair) in the middle of the drawer keeps hardware costs down.

When you use one slide for each drawer, it reduces the weight-carrying volume to less than half that of a similar drawer that has two slides. (Single bottom-mount slides typically rate for 25-pound volume.) For the mounting screws to take hold, you will need to make your drawer bottoms 1⁄2 inch thick, or possibly add a space if you are using thinner bottoms. A lot of bottom-mount slides are 3⁄8 inch thick but leave 5⁄16 of an inch underneath your drawer bottom for mounting. The additional 1⁄16 inch provides clearance between the sides of the drawer and the face frame after being mounted.

Attach To The Drawer First

For drawers that are inset, align the slide adjacent with the front of the drawer and positioned across its width. If your drawers will have a front overlay, notch the drawer box, so the slide sits adjacent with the drawer boxes front face.

Cut a notch for the slide at a minimum of 1/8 inch wider on each side, to the drawer bottoms depth. Then using a chisel, take out the waste.

Center the slide and fasten it with screws at the back and the front.

With one screw retaining the front of the slide, using a measuring tape, measure from the drawer side to be sure that the slide is parallel and centered.

Add The Cabinet Mount

Install the slide to the front of the face frame, attaching it with one screw. For drawers that are inset, first, attach a mounting block 3⁄4 inch thick inside the face frame in which you can screw the slide.

Be sure to mount the slide 1/32 inch back from the front of the face frame. You may need to angle the screw a little bit to keep clear of the above frame.

1. Attach the slide to the back of the cabinet using a mounting bracket, make sure it’s square to the face frame. If your cabinets have a dust frame, you can mount the slide to it rather than the back.
2. To aid in supporting the drawer, add self-adhesive or nail-in glide pads to the face frame where the drawer-side bottom edges are allowed to pass.

Glide Pads

Glide pads not only stop the drawer from rocking on an individual slide, but they also make drawer operation smoother.

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877-917-4887

Nationwide Drawer Slide Supplier

If you have broken drawer slides, or are maybe starting a new cabinetry project, or are just remodeling your kitchen or office, Drawer Connection has the widest selection of drawer slides in Phoenix. We have soft close, push to open, self-close, and many more quality options that keep your drawers opening and closing smoothly. Visit our site to get started or call us today at 877-917-4887.

What Is A Dovetail Joint? Types of Dovetail Joinery

Different-Types-Of-Dovetail-Joint-Techniques-Woodworking-Images

If you’re searching for “What Is A Dovetail Joint?” or “Types Of Dovetail Joints“, this article should help. This post covers what a dovetail joint is, how it is made and different types of dovetail joints. Use the navigation below to guide you to the section of this page you are interested in.

On This Page:

What Is A Dovetail Joint?
Applications of a Dovetail Joint?
What type of wood are dovetail drawers made out of?
Other Applications Of Dovetail Joints
History of Dovetail Joinery
Different Types Of Dovetail Joints
Half blind dovetail vs. Through dovetail

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What Is A Dovetail Joint?

Dovetail Joint Definition: What is a dovetail joint? A dove·tail or /ˈdəvˌtāl/ joint is an interlocking joinery technique used by carpenters or woodworkers for building strong custom wood drawers. There are many different types of Dovetail Joint techniques used in woodworking such as, through dovetail joint, secret mitred dovetail joints, secret double-lapped dovetail joints, sliding dovetail joints, and half-blind dovetail joints. View more information about each type below.

Applications of a Dovetail Joint?

Dovetail joints are most commonly used woodworking. Carpenters use dovetail joints to create cabinets, furniture, drawers, log buildings, carcass construction, timber framing. Dovetail joints are known for their strength and durability. Dovetail joints don’t require mechanical fasteners to stick together like other joinery techniques do. Rather, dovetail joints use pins and tails to interlock together, where one side has a pin that locks into the other side’s tail, and then glued together for a solid dovetail construction. The benefits of dovetail drawers are endless.

Other Applications Of Dovetail Joints

Dovetail joints are extremely strong due to the way their pins and tails are shaped. The interlocking pins and tails make it more difficult to pull apart the joint and almost impossible to pull apart after gluing. Dovetail joints are commonly used in jewelry boxes, dovetail drawers, furniture, and cabinets where more strength is needed. Dovetail joints require skilled woodworking to build and are almost impossible to build manually. There are 4 different types of dovetail joints used for different applications.

What Type Of Wood Are Dovetail Drawers Made Out Of?

Dovetail-Joined-Logs

Dovetail Joinery techniques can be used on nearly any type of solid wood including maple, aspen, melamine’s, plywood’s, alder, and oak. View below to find our what dovetail joints are used for and the different types of dovetail joint techniques used by woodworkers, furniture building, and dovetail drawer box manufacturers.

History of Dovetail Joinery

Dovetail-Joint-Diagram

The dovetail joinery technique goes all the way back to earliest days of mankind. Some examples of dovetail joinery are found in furniture dating back to ancient Egypt and Chinese Emperors.

Different Types Of Dovetail Joints

What are the different types of dovetail joints? There are 5 different types of dovetail joint methods available.

Through Dovetail Joints
Half-blind Dovetail Joints or Single-lap Dovetail
Half blind dovetail vs. Through dovetail
Secret Mitred Dovetail Joints
Secret Double-Lapped Dovetail Joints
Sliding Dovetail Joints

Through Dovetail Joints

Through Dovetail Joints technique images

A Through joint is where the end grain is visible from both boards. Through dovetail joints are most commonly used on box construction and carcass (framework of the piece). This joint is also called a plain dovetail by many in the woodworking community. In the past the ends showing through would have been masked by a veneer. Today they are a sign of exceptional quality and are left showing with pride.

Though dovetail joints are referred to as English dovetail joints in the case of drawer construction.

Half-blind Dovetail Joints or Single-lap Dovetail

Secret Double-Lapped Dovetail Joints Techinique Images

A half-blind dovetail joint also known as the single-lap dovetail joint is exactly opposite of a through joint because the end grain is not visible on the boards. Sockets house the tails at the end of the boards so the dovetail ends are invisible.

Half-blind dovetail joints are commonly used for attaching drawer fronts.

Half blind dovetail vs. Through dovetail

The only difference between half-blind dovetail joints and through dovetail joints is that half-blind joint end grain can only be seen on one side vs. through joint grain that can be seen of both sides of the boards.

Secret Mitred Dovetail Joints

Secret Mitred Dovetail Joints Images Technique

A secret mitred joint is also know as a full-blind mitred dovetail and full-blind dovetail joint. Secret mitred joints are used in box work and cabinet construction and offers the best strength out of all of the dovetail joints. These joints are used for box work or fine cabinet construction where strength is needed without a joint you can see.

Secret Double-Lapped Dovetail Joints

Secret Double-Lapped Dovetail Joints Techinique Images

The secret double-lapped dovetail joint is kind of the like the mitred joint but has a visible section of end grain on a single edge of the joint. similar to the secret mitred dovetail, but presents a very thin section of end grain on one edge of the joint.

Secret double-lapped joints are used for box construction and carcass construction to hid the dovetails.

Sliding Dovetail Joints

Sliding Dovetail Joints techiniques images

The sliding dovetail joint is created by joining 2 wood boards at 90 degree angles, where the they intersect different than other types of dovetail joints. They intersect by sliding the tail of one board into the middle socket of the other. Sliding dovetail joints are commonly referred to French Dovetail joints.

Sliding joints are commonly used to joint cabinet sides to shelves, sides to cabinet bottoms, shelves to horizontal partitions, table frames to adjacent sections, sides to drawer fronts, cabinet sides to front rails, body and neck in guitars and violins.

Buy Dovetail Drawer Boxes At DC Drawers

Thank you for reading our definition of a dovetail joint and the different types of dovetail joints. If you are looking for the highest quality premade dovetail drawer boxes Drawer Connection is your source for quick order fulfillment and consistent quality. Stay tuned for more from the expert drawer box manufacturers at DCDrawers.com

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Wood Joint Pros & Cons

Are you searching for the Pros & Cons Of Wood Joinery? If so, this article should help! There are many different wood joinery methods to choose from. Depending on the project one may work better than another. Learn all about the various woodworking joint types in this post!

What is Wood Joinery?

Wood joinery is marrying 2 pieces of wood into a single joint, it is an ancient craft which is used for making furniture, flooring, framing, and cabinetry. How easy the production of wood joints is depends on what is being constructed. Each project will also be different on its strengths and its purpose.

Pros & Cons Of Wood Joinery

There are different joints used for different projects, for not all wood joints are made the same. You will find that there are some advantages and also disadvantages in the different methods of wood joining, as well as for each of the species of wood that are joined.

Butt Joint Pros & Cons

When joining wood joints together, you will find that the easiest to join will be the butt joint. The joint butt is merely gluing one piece of wood to another piece. An end grain of wood is joined to a long grain of wood by the weakest sections using plates, pins, and/or dowels to reinforce the connection so that it is going to stand up to a certain amount of pressure. A butt joint can be broken apart with your hands if it is not stabilized.

Dovetail Joint Pros & Cons

The most common place you are going to see a dovetail joint is on the front of drawers, as they are used to connect them together. Pins extend from one of the boards and is connected to tails that are cut on the end of the adjoining board. The dovetail joint will be extremely strong and is resistant to pulling apart. This is because after it has been glued there are pins and tails that are trapezoidal-shaped that take on a permanent hold. There will be no need for nails. This type of joint may be too hard for a beginner, as it needs precision cutting.

Dowel Joint Pros & Cons

“Dowel joints help to remove the need for screws, staples and nails. This helps to remove the potential injuries that often happen while working with hardware, but it can also help to give the project a more finished look as there is nothing to disrupt the grain pattern.”

Dowel Joint Pros

Dowling is a quick process.
It helps to ensure a neat finish.
There is no need for screws, nails or other equipment.
Dowel joints are the strongest type of joints when it comes to woodworking, especially when using multiple rows of dowels.
Dowels help to create strong joints that are easy to make at home.

Dowel Joint Cons

Misalignment Of Joints
Dowel Shearing
Weaker Joint
No Face To Face Grain Contact

Read more from our other post about the advantages and disadvantages of Dowel Joints.

Mortise And Tenon Joint Advantages

Mortise & Tenon is used generally when corner joints need to have sturdy frames for making things such as doors, tables, windows, and beds. A rectangular slot is referred to as a Mortise cut, and it is cut into the (exact) center of the end piece of wood so that it will except the protuberance fitting (the Tenon), thus, making a clean, strong joint. After it has been glued and well fitted, the wood joints will not move, and will be very hard to get apart. To be sure that the mortise is perfectly one-third as thick as the wood, it has to have precise measurements, this is to avoid any splitting of the mortise, and Tenon breakage.

Finger Joint Pros & Cons

Finger Joint Pros

Makes a straighter joint
Less wood gets wasted during manufacturing
Cost Effective
Durable for a vertical load
Adhesives can be applied to create a stronger joint than mortise and tenon

Finger Joint Cons

Can come out crooked
Harder to achieve a smooth wall

Bridle Joint Pros & Cons

Bridle joints are similar to mortise and tenon but the tenon and other member are cut to slot into each other. These are popular joints for frames and to join rails, legs, and stiles.

Bridle Joint Pros

Simpler alternative to the mortise and tenon joint
Can shape joint assembly and not sacrifice strength
Great for constructing narrow frames
One of the simplest joints to cut
Doesn’t require a mortising machine

Bridle Joint Cons

Can see end grain which makes it less attractive

Rebate Joint Pros & Cons

A rebate joint has commonalities to the butt joint in woodworking. The biggest difference between the two is a groove that is cut out of one of the ends that increases holding strength. It is used most commonly when a simple joint is wanted but when strength is required. It is used commonly in cabinet making and other carpentry projects. In some cases dowels, screws, or nails can be added to increase the strength for load bearing joints. The surfaces of a rebate joint are typically big enough that timber blocks shouldn’t be necessary.

Tongue & Groove Joint Pros & Cons

You are going to need a tongue and grove joint when joining a wood edge to another wood edge, like if you were making a tabletop, laminating a floor, or connecting hardwood or paneling. The entire length of one piece has to be slotted or grooved so that it accepts the tongue cut that runs down the edge of the adjoining piece. The boards will be drawn together (without any lateral pressure), and they remain this way. Depending on what the product is, glue may not be necessary to use. It is easier to measure the Tongue and grove joints, and also easy to produce if you use a router having a depth setting capability.

High Quality Joint Drawer Boxes

If you’re in the market for drawer boxes DC Drawers proudly crafts the best cabinet drawer boxes using the dowel joint or durable dovetail joint. When you place your order with DC Drawers you’re getting the best quality, fastest turnaround, and best prices anywhere. Shop dovetail drawer boxes or dowel drawer boxes.

Thank you for reading “Wood Joint Pros & Cons“! Stay tuned for more from the expert drawer box manufacturers at DCDrawers.com