Antique Furniture Restoration  Information
 AntqRestoration.com™

 Antique Furniture Dovetails

 

Home page.   
By John Tope

Antique Furniture Dovetails

 

  Handmade drawers usually have joinery made of large dovetails.  Fewer dovetails meant less work and consumed less time to make a drawer.  Handmade dovetails were made using a chisel, mallet and sometimes a small handsaw.  The mallet had a large head and was made of hardwood.  You can see some of the unevenness made by a hand worked chisel.

 Numerous and uniform cut dovetails indicate machine made.  More specifically, a man would make the dovetails with the use of a machine.  About 1900, the machine made dovetail joint was dominant.  Hand made joints were fewer, but with machinery, many dovetails could be easily made.  You will not find machine made dovetails in a piece prior to approximately 1865. 

Back to Antique Furniture Information

       

National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors Member #152445

 

Associate member of: 

The British Horological Institute LTD 

#20345

 

American Institute for Conservation Member

American Institute for Conservation 

American Watchmaker Clockmaker Institute Member #33233

American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute 

 

 

American Institute of Conservation Historic Objects A.I.C. historical objects member

 

 

 

American Institute of Conservation Wooden Artifacts Group Member

Go back to the home page to purchase.

Email John Tope

Principles of Restoration     Restoration of Antique Wood Finishes     Repair of Antique wood furniture     Policies and privacy policy     Email John Tope     Contact us     Sitemap

 © Copyright 2001-2009 by Tick Tock Productions © Copyright 2006-2009 by AntqRestoration.com © Copyright 2001-2009 by John Tope

 

Learn antique furniture restoration repair and conservation. Antique furniture restoration, repair courses on DVD and course manuals. Learn to restore and care for your antique furniture. Museum quality restoration, repair and conservation methods.

John Tope

John Tope

 

John Tope is an associate member of the American Institute For Conservation Of Historical And Artistic Works,  Wooded Artifacts Group Of The American Institute Of Conservation and The Objects Specialty Group Of The American Institute Of Conservation.  Member of the National Association Of Watch And Clock Collectors.  Member Of  The American Watchmakers Clockmakers Institute and Associate Member of The British Horological Institute. 

 

 

Antique furniture bookcase

Bookcase.  Design published by T. Sheraton 1806.

 

 

Antique furniture boxwood cabinet

Cabinet of ebony with carvings of boxwood.  1867 Exhibition, Paris

 

 

Antique furniture secretary and bookcase

Secretary and bookcase carved in oak.  German gothic style 1846.

 

The photos above are taken from the book "Illustrated History of Furniture" by Frederick Litchfield.  Published in London, 1892.  The book was formally owned by James St. Vincent Brook Saumarez, 5th Baron de Saumarez. (1889-1969)