Finding furniture to fit your style and space is hard enough — you shouldn’t also have to worry that your new designer dresser might fall apart. Regrettably, the market is full of poorly constructed items screwed together with the precision of a blind monkey. Recognizing sound furniture joinery will help you dodge crude craftsmanship in favor of solid pieces that will stay in the family forever.
Dovetails
Dovetail joints are to furniture what Beyonce is to pop music: immensely popular, pleasing to the eye and, umm, structurally sound. A set of “tails” on one board locks into a set of “pins” on another, forming a durable 90-degree mechanical joint — it's no wonder they are a favorite for drawer construction. With through dovetails the ends of each board are exposed, whereas half-blinds (see above) hide the joint on one face.
Mortises and tenons
Mortise and tenon joinery is commonly called upon in frame and panel construction. A mortise is a hollowed out recess that mates with a corresponding tenon. In a through mortise and tenon joint, the tenon passes directly through an open mortise. This allows woodworkers to wedge the exposed tenon in place. The less stable blind mortise and tenon utilizes a hidden “stub tenon,” concealing the joint but leaving it more likely to loosen. Mortise and tenon joinery is a cornerstone of Arts and Crafts style furniture, with many makers turning this functional component into an ornate element.
Miters
A mitered joint is when two boards are each cut, or beveled, at 45-degree angles, then fixed together to meet at a point. Since endgrain acts as a poor glue surface, additional support is necessary to keep the joint from splitting apart. A splined miter is an attractive way to achieve this structural strength. Splines are small wooden inserts that fit into a saw cut, or kerf, made in the miter. Those looking for an uninterrupted joint instead utilize biscuits, which are small oval inserts fixed in hidden mortises.
Remember, don't be afraid to grill the dealer on a piece's joinery — furniture is a big investment and it's always best to avoid subprime mortises.
(Images: 1 Sauer and Steiner Toolworks, 2 Johnny Williams, 3 Johnny Williams, 4 Gardner Contemporary)
Johnny is currently blogging his experience as a student at Maine's Center for Furniture Craftsmanship. You can keep track of his projects on his blog, Woodlearner.
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
AHHHH, the old days of well built furniture. Imagine this in the days gone by was the norm. Now we must pay thru the nose for something that is not made in China, not made of pretent materials and it is built soundly. Please tell me where did me go wrong.
Progress is not always good.
view Anusha73's profile
did WE go wrong....
view Anusha73's profile
Haha - subprime mortises. Did you write the entire piece just so you could say that?
view asinner's profile
Instructive and well-written.
view wally3's profile
...and here i was thinking that glue and popsicle sticks made for sturdy building materials. please keep up all the information, johnny! we wood-novices are in desperate need of better education.
view cbauch's profile
do you ever come across furniture that is semi-handcrafted? ie elements that are carefully put together and then shortcuts taken with the rest of the piece?
looking forward to next week's post!
view elee's profile
great post! agree with anusha73... so sad these days.
view Kpaige13's profile
more of these posts please! I learned so much just reading this one article - having bought an expensive but what I suspect to be a poorly made couch, I know what to look for next time.
and - I can't wait to learn how to build such a beautiful joint some time in my life!
view lovelyrita's profile
also, I don't know if you're allowed to reveal who's work is featured in some of your photos, but can you tell us a little more about that footstool?
It's really lovely and I would like it in my apartment ASAP, thank you very much.
view elee's profile
I'd love to see more articles educational like this one!
(@asinner: lol!)
view tulpoeid's profile
the subprime mortises comment is hilarious! you have a wonderful dry wit, your blog is a nice read.
can you tell me what type of wood was used on the half blind drawers? Looking through your blog I can't tell if you've listed it somewhere and I've just overlooked it.
are any of your pieces for sale? (now or in the future?)
view larchgirl's profile
great stuff! i like this post a lot.
view timmy jr.'s profile
PS: his blog is pretty great too!
view timmy jr.'s profile
greetings readers! to answer your questions and comments: yes, no, yes, yes, no, no, kinda sorta. jk!
anusha, i agree, it's sad how shoddy furniture is these days. even the best furniture makers are forced to cut corners because their craft is greatly undervalued. elee, this may sound catty but most furniture out there bears only a facade of craftsmanship. if you're looking to buy a serious piece, make sure you get under the table or chair and "kick the tires." often it's just solid trim with metal brackets holding a bunch of chipboard together.
larchgirl, the drawers fronts are made of walnut, the sides cherry. as for if my pieces are for sale, SURE THEY ARE! I'll be moving into a shop shortly after my course concludes and I'm looking to line up some commissions! keep posted on woodlearner to see the final piece by the end of next week.
asinner, and to think i was worried people wouldn't catch that last line! i'll be sure to drop some more predatory lending jokes for you ; )
thanks for all the kind words!
view woodlearner's profile