In Search of Knowledge – Carcass Design

[Joe Close]

Please correct me if I’m wrong. As I understand the term carcass, as it relates to furniture, to mean the main structural component of the particular piece of furniture. It contributes to the strength and rigidity of the piece. Does this sound like a fair understanding of the term?

So, I’m interested in understanding carcass design for furniture such as a chest of drawers, or a night stand. What kind of joinery is used in the carcass for these types of furniture. I’m interested in using solid hardwoods, not the various composites that are available.

Can anyone recommend a book or DVD that discusses, in detail, this aspect of woodworking with hand tools?

[Don C Peterson]

Most of James Krenov's books discuss techniques of construction and design, particularly his "Cabinetmaker" series. The Fine Art of Cabinetmaking particularly helped me with design, and wood selection. It's not so much a tutorial on techniques, although there is some of that, this book is about the mental attitudes toward cabinetmaking taken by one of the greats.

Other books have more detail on specific techniques. But techniques, for me at least, are just a means to an end and rather easily learned (if not mastered) and adapted to the end, as long as you have the end in mind.

[Robert Rozaieski]

Joe, you are on the right track but carcass referrs specifically to a case piece like a chest of drawers, blanket chest, highboy, low boy, etc. Tables aren't usually associated with the term carcass, nor would chairs be.

The type of joinery used in a carcass really depends on the piece. For something like a chest of drawers, the main case (box) would be dovetailed, the drawer blades would be mortise & tenoned together (glued in front, loose in back) and inserted into the case with a dado and sliding dovetail joint. Case backs are typically nailed in a rabbet and can be shiplapped or tongue and groove or on really utilitarian pieces just nailed in place edge to edge without joinery. Drawers are dovetailed and the drawer bottoms are set in a groove or rabbet and may be nailed as well.

On the other hand, a lowboy (or the bottom case of a highboy) would have the sides and front pieces tenoned into the legs (like typical table construction) in a Queen Anne or Chippendale era piece but could also be dovetailed and have the legs tenoned into blocks glued to the inside of the case as in a William & Mary period piece.

As you can see there are a lot of ways to skin a cat and just about all of them have been done throughout history. If you like 18th century American furniture one of the best books I can recommend is Jeffrey Greene's "American Furniture of the 18th Century: History, Technique and Structure". The book gives you a look at pieces and history representative of each of the major periods and also gives you a look at what tools were used and how they were used as well as how the pieces were built and even detailed exploded drawings of numerous representative pieces (no dimensions). I find myself going back to this book all the time when I build a piece. It's also one of my favorites to just sit down and read.

[Dewey Torres]

Please correct me if I’m wrong. As I understand the term carcass, as it relates to furniture, to mean the main structural component of the particular piece of furniture. It contributes to the strength and rigidity of the piece. Does this sound like a fair understanding of the term?

Almost correct! The term only applies when referring to casework (so would not apply to a nightstand unless the night stand were made via casework). A night stand like a regular bedside table with a single drawer would not be considered casework but a nightstand with a case and multiple drawers would be considered casework.

So, I’m interested in understanding carcass design for furniture such as a chest of drawers, or a night stand. What kind of joinery is used in the carcass for these types of furniture. I’m interested in using solid hardwoods, not the various composites that are available.

Go to Barnes and Noble and thumb through this book:

I recommend buying it!


Can anyone recommend a book or DVD that discusses, in detail, this aspect of woodworking with hand tools?

See reply in bold

[george wilson]

Well,all this time I thought it meant buzzard bait!!

[Joe Close]

Well,all this time I thought it meant buzzard bait!!

I suppose I had that coming...