Dovetails: Are They Really Important for Drawer Construction?

Dovetail joints are often considered by many to be the ultimate solution when constructing drawers. Not only are they strong and secure, but they are also beautiful and a testament to the craftsmanship of the person who made the drawer. As you will notice even with our cabinets, some of our kitchen cabinet lines feature dovetailed drawers, while others don't.  However, there are other options for creating durable well-crafted drawers besides using dovetails.

The Construction of a Dovetail Joint

Known as the strongest of joints, a dovetail is constructed from interlocking channels cut in the wood, which are wedge-shaped. These elements are known as the tails and the pins, and are quite resistant to force when assembled, making for a very strong joint. They are also very attractive, especially when carefully constructed. These joints provide a large area for gluing, which increases the overall strength. In fact, usually when a drawer breaks, it breaks somewhere other than the dovetail joint. The joint is so secure that it would hold together even if it wasn't glued. This style of joint is extremely common and desirable for drawer construction, in addition to making boxes, frames, and cabinets.

The Advantages of Dovetails

There are many advantages to using dovetails when constructing a drawer. They do create an extremely strong joint between two pieces of wood, which is definitely an advantage when constructing drawers. They are also quite decorative and attractive, and can add a lot to the appearance of a handcrafted piece of furniture. While some people cut dovetails using manual methods such hand cutting them or by using a table saw, they are now much easier to construct by using a router with a dovetail attachment. However, even with the help of modern equipment, there is still a fair degree of patience, craft and skill needed in order to construct a finely made dovetail joint.

The Disadvantages of Dovetails

The primary disadvantage of dovetail joints is the fact that they can be difficult to make. There is a certain amount of skill and experience that is required in order to cut and assemble a good dovetail joint. The joint must be accurately marked out and then cut, and if done improperly, the joint will not be secure, and will lose the advantages that dovetail joints are known for. Although many people feel that dovetail joints are essential for good drawer construction, there are other options that can also produce good results.

Alternatives to Using Dovetails in Drawer Construction

There are other ways of making drawer joints that can product just as good of results as a dovetail. For example, pinned rabbet joints are a viable alternative that produces strong, attractive joints. The advantage of pinned rabbet joints over dovetails is that they are much easier to make. This joint can be cut using a table saw by the average woodworker. The basic construction consists of the front drawer piece being the rabbet, the back drawer piece is the dado, and a groove is cut for the bottom of the drawer to slide into. After the drawer is completely constructed and glued, then the pins can be installed, producing a drawer that is both strong and attractive.

Ironically, while dovetailed drawers are extremely strong, they can be over kill in most applications, since the drawer or joint will never have that much weight or force applied to it. So from a cost perspective, even standard methods of securing the drawer together will be fine, especially in kitchen cabinets.