Glossary:
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Much of the modern, mass produced furniture makes extensive use of simple butt joints reinforced by mechanical fasteners. In many cases, this is to make the piece of furniture capable of knocking down flat for transport, thus reducing shipping costs. This is fine for furniture that you don't expect to keep for more than a few years. It is inexpensive, so when it becomes too wobbly to use, just replace it.
Mortise & tenon joinery has all but disappeared from modern furniture construction. This joint uses a long "tab" cut on the cross piece that fits snugly into a deep "pocket" cut into the upright piece. This tab will go most of the way across the width of the upright, but not all the way. This way the joint is completely hidden inside the wood. Because this "tab" is smaller in section than the rest of the piece it's cut into, there are shoulders at the edge of the joint that draw up snugly against the upright. When properly cut, properly glued and clamped to draw the joint up tight while the glue dries, this joint adds greatly to the rigidity of the piece being built. The joints themselves hold the piece square and solid. Dowel pins just can't do that. |
But for fine furniture that you expect
to hand down through the generations, this will not
do. We build our furniture using the joinery
techniques of the old masters. We make extensive use
of