Salt n Pepa once did a song called “Lets Talk about Sex“.
Some of the lyrics went like this:Lets talk about all the good things, and all the bad things that may be…In that spirit I’d like to open a whiskey fueled discussion 😉
So, my first question is… if a joint is beautiful but nobody sees is, it is really beautiful? and is it worth doing?
Example here is the secret dovetail… Wow! what a butt-ton of work!
I love the artistry of a beautiful thru dovetail but have been experimenting with the secret dovetail combined with the mitred dovetail.
I’m wondering how many of you have successfully produced this joint and if so, whether you found it worth the effort? And for those of you who have done it, do you have any trix to share?
Personally I am not adverse to a butt joint at the top of my boxes but I can appreciate the beauty of a mitre at the top (and maybe the bottom) but the detail of getting the 45 degree angle perfect poses some particular challenges 😉
In the photos attached, the mitre will close up with clamping pressure but is took me an extra hour to make sure the angle between the 2 pieces was exactly 90 degrees and closed up correctly.
As you can see from the joint there is a bit of waviness on the knife edge of one of the pieces… what a PITA!
Not sure I can commit to making 4 of these little buggers without some encouragement… Should I make the half pin slimmer? Do I need a guide to make sure the 45 degrees face is perfect?
As the bridge in the song sez:
Come on, all the ladies, let’s talk about sex, all right
Yo, Pep, I don’t think they’re gonna play this on the radio
(And why not? Everybody has sex)
I mean, everybody should be makin’ love
(Come on, how many guys you know make love?)
So, talk to me about my love for the secret dovetail…
Replies
“[Deleted]”
Every time I see one, I ask "is there no other way?"
If you love it, do it!
Seems like it would bring a lot of personal satisfaction.
A guide definitely seems like a worth while investment of time.
If you cut the $% on a chop saw the remaining piece is the exact mate to make 90 degrees.Same on te table saw.Either way just cut deep enough to allow for the dovetails then the cut serfice can be the angle guide for cutting the joint
Back before mass production, a dovetail was common and used for strength almost exclusively. No one needed or wanted to see how the furniture was put together. Since the joint wasn't visible, mass production cheated and replaced the hidden dovetail with a quicker but weaker joints. People soon caught on and then wanted to "see" the construction for themselves. This is where we all started pulling out drawers and looking for dovetails as a sign of quality workmanship. Later this evolved into an aesthetic quality.
I have made a few small ones and for what they were, they really were not worth it for what they added. The advantage is that they are incredibly strong and don't necessarily need the support of a panel like a drawer bottom or back panel, they will remain square on their own if utilized properly. For making traditional of period recreations they are necessary, If not, there are easier methods of joining a corner.
I suggest looking at how the Japanese Tansu are constructed as an example of how these are made.
To answer your first question "if a joint is beautiful but nobody sees is, it is really beautiful? and is it worth doing?"
The answer is certainly going to be different for different people, but to me, the answer is an emphatic YES! I work wood for my enjoyment, if someone else finds beauty in my work that's great, but if they don't it doesn't dampen my joy in the making of it.
The purpose of jointery is for strength and stability and really only to that end. Done correctly and accurately then they are beautiful! You use a joint that is necessary to accomplish the task. The tapered dovetail joining the neck of a guitar for example is necessary, must be extremely accurate and is never seen.
A new definition of "real beauty lies within".
But how do you know its beautiful if you can't see it?
If the person who made the joint knows it's beautiful that's enough.
Joinery as an aesthetic part of the piece is a modern concept.
if you do a little research you find that years ago when something was built for beauty or for the rich, is was more often veneered to hide all the joinery. If something was made purely for utilitarian purposes the joiners was left as is. What class you were, rich or working, pretty much determined what type of furniture you would have
It's only now that we see joinery and think "that looks nice".
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled