Dovetail Survey - Real Ones

[Mel Fulks]

I've seen some on old work that looked rougher than what most modern beginners would accept in their own work. But
not a lot of them. They always get a close look on a possible purchase to see if they are sloppy "restoration". Concluded that most were original. Especially if they ALL look the same and the wood looks the same as other wood in same piece.
It's usually on something that is of a modest utilitarian nature. If the rest of the work looks a little better than the dovetails I assume an apprentice cut them....or someone from temp agency.

[Justin Green]

I follow Derek's philosophy. I'd rather make something as high a quality as I am able (which isn't saying much at this time for me).

I do use a divider and bevel gauge to layout my dovetails, because at my novice skill level, my dovetails done by eye alone look off and it bugs me. There are enough variations (and gaps ) in my dovetails after paring for fit that I can tell it isn't machine made, lol.

My mother deals in antiques, as my grandmother did. Most of the pieces are old enough to eliminate any possibility of the dovetails being machine made, and may of them are done really well. Some have evidence of layout lines, gaps here or there. Most are mid tier or lower pieces, not extremely fine furniture. I don't have pictures, but only on one piece out of about 20 pieces of furniture did I actually see the dovetails and think, "man, that guy was inebriated when he cut those".

[Chris Hachet]

I follow Derek's philosophy. I'd rather make something as high a quality as I am able (which isn't saying much at this time for me).

I do use a divider and bevel gauge to layout my dovetails, because at my novice skill level, my dovetails done by eye alone look off and it bugs me. There are enough variations (and gaps ) in my dovetails after paring for fit that I can tell it isn't machine made, lol.

My mother deals in antiques, as my grandmother did. Most of the pieces are old enough to eliminate any possibility of the dovetails being machine made, and may of them are done really well. Some have evidence of layout lines, gaps here or there. Most are mid tier or lower pieces, not extremely fine furniture. I don't have pictures, but only on one piece out of about 20 pieces of furniture did I actually see the dovetails and think, "man, that guy was inebriated when he cut those".

I own an actual Queen anne lowboy from the 18th century. Very welll built, but the dovetails leave a bit to be desired. Rest of the piece is nice, however.

[Frank Drew]

I agree with Derek: Do your best work within whatever constraints you're working under (skill level, budget, etc.), but don't worry that you might make things so perfect that someone might think a machine did the work -- I'd be very surprised if I couldn't tell machine- from hand-made dovetails, or machine-carved details from hand-done.

[David Weaver]

Interesting, any recollection of who the maker was?

Levi Ogburn in Two Taverns, PA - he apparently made the grandfather clock, too. I could've been wrong, that sure sounds like an amish name, or former amish. Lots of former amish in the area. I would imagine if the furniture brought money, it would've been in the very immediate area. Two Taverns is not something you'd recognize as a town if you drove through it.

[Art Mann]

Suffice it to say that not everyone thinks that sloppy and poorly executed dovetails from old or new furniture add any particular character or beauty to the piece. Perhaps it is just the engineer in me but I like precision.

[Jim Matthews]

I have a lock rabbet in the kitchen drawers (in my house - the cabinets are probably circa 1970). They are pinned then on top of the lock rabbet. When I have had to repair a few sides, I've found the pins are the only thing holding them.

I don't have a problem with that, it was easy enough to make replacement sides for the drawer fronts, and I'd rather have drawers that can be repaired than almost indestructible joints that can't.

That's the application, a kitchen remodel.
Eleven drawers that will get overlays.

That's more dovetails than I want to cut.

[Pat Barry]

That's the application, a kitchen remodel.
Eleven drawers that will get overlays.

That's more dovetails than I want to cut.

I'd really be interested in how you tackle that project Jim. I hope you can post some pics and tell us about the project as you get going.

[Ryan Baker]

Anybody who made a living by churning out dovetails in volume all day every day would be able to churn out dovetails of reasonable quality just as fast as ugly, sloppy ones or they wouldn't be working there very long. It just doesn't make sense that they would intentionally produce ugly joints "to save time" or for lower cost furniture. (If you want cheap and easy, butt joint and nail it together.) I would expect that most commodity furniture at that time was indeed very similar to what David showed. I would expect also that most of that furniture was sold to folks in the upper middle class or higher, and it is unlikely that they would accept furniture with ugly, sloppy joints. Certainly there were plenty of examples of ugly joints, but most of those were probably made by less skilled workers.

Having to pump out these joints in volume to make a living also leads to a certain degree of "good enough" woodworking. The joints needed to be acceptably good (most customers don't care that much as long as it isn't sloppy), but didn't merit the extra care of producing really high-quality joints. Nothing wrong with that at all. Most of us do this for a hobby, not to churn out parts to make a living. That gives us the luxury of taking as much time and care as we desire to produce the type of joints we desire. I suppose it's all good as long as the pictures of other peoples' really sloppy joints aren't being used to justify one's own poor quality work.

David -- I don't understand your comment about Cosman's "thick" drawer sides look. From what I have seen of his drawer making, he uses sides that are 3/8-7/16 thick on a furniture size drawer. I wouldn't call that thick at that scale. He does use thicker fronts and backs, so maybe that is what you are referring to.

[David Weaver]

David -- I don't understand your comment about Cosman's "thick" drawer sides look. From what I have seen of his drawer making, he uses sides that are 3/8-7/16 thick on a furniture size drawer. I wouldn't call that thick at that scale. He does use thicker fronts and backs, so maybe that is what you are referring to.

You're likely right. I could be getting pictures of dovetails people made after watching his videos mixed up with the dovetails he's made.