Furniture Construction
Many museums have furniture on display that is thousands of years old. And while we don't buy furniture with the expectation that it will last through the millennia, there's no reason why a fine piece of furniture can not be handed down to your great grand-children. The way a piece of furniture is built will affect whether your descendants get a treasured antique or a garage sale reject.
The joints, or places where two pieces of wood connect, determine whether a piece will stand firm and strong, or wobble with use and age. Note that in a piece of quality furniture, wherever two or more pieces of wood join, the grains should match up. Common joints include: Mortise and Tenon: One side of a solid piece of wood is cut to fit a notch in an adjoining piece. The fit is tight and should be glued for further support. Double Dowel: Two wooden pins are cut and fit snugly into holes in both pieces of wood being joined. These joints are usually glued for extra security. Wooden dowels should be at least two inches long a 7/8" in diameter. Tongue-in-Groove: A joint used in places where two boards fit together side by side, as in the top of a table. This kind of joint is not used where the joint must support weight or form an angle. Dovetail: Used primarily in drawers, a dovetail joint has notches cut into the two pieces of wood that are to be joined. These notches must be accurately cut to interweave securely. Miter Joint: Two boards are angled to fit at a perfect 90 degrees. This joint may be reinforced with dowels, screws or nails. Corner Blocks: These are triangular wood blocks that are cut to fit corners, and are then glued or screwed into place. They should be used to further secure weight-bearing joints, especially those found in chairs. |