Jim Barstow
03-05-2017, 8:16 PM
I've built lots of furniture and used lots of dovetails. I'm also usually very careful about wood movement and never had a problem or actually even seen much of it. (My furniture doesn't see much extremes in humidity.)
That said, I'm trying something different which is challenging both conventional use of dovetails and risks wood movement problems. I'm willing to make this an experiment but thought I would submit the issue for the "cloud's opinion".
The project is a modern writing desk made out of cherry:
355444
The construction is a basic box using dovetails. The writing surface in the middle is joined with a sliding dovetail. Normally, I would orient the grain so it runs around the circumference of the box so any would movement would be similar and in the same direction.
HOWEVER, the design looks much better if the grain of the side pieces run front to back. This makes the dovetails end grain to long grain which is weaker and risks wood movement problems. (I may strengthen the end grain tails with decorative inserts which I think will solve the weakness problem.)
I can deal with the writing surface movement problem by just glueing one end and letting the other move.
The problem is the dovetails since the tails may move but not the pins. That said, I'm tempted to just go for it. The sides would look strange with vertical grain. The wood I'm using is dry and very stable. (Not a hint of movement after milling.) Since I've never ever had a problem with wood movement I'm tempted to roll the dice and try this. I've constructed the basic box and it looks really nice with the grain oriented this way.
That said, I'm trying something different which is challenging both conventional use of dovetails and risks wood movement problems. I'm willing to make this an experiment but thought I would submit the issue for the "cloud's opinion".
The project is a modern writing desk made out of cherry:
355444
The construction is a basic box using dovetails. The writing surface in the middle is joined with a sliding dovetail. Normally, I would orient the grain so it runs around the circumference of the box so any would movement would be similar and in the same direction.
HOWEVER, the design looks much better if the grain of the side pieces run front to back. This makes the dovetails end grain to long grain which is weaker and risks wood movement problems. (I may strengthen the end grain tails with decorative inserts which I think will solve the weakness problem.)
I can deal with the writing surface movement problem by just glueing one end and letting the other move.
The problem is the dovetails since the tails may move but not the pins. That said, I'm tempted to just go for it. The sides would look strange with vertical grain. The wood I'm using is dry and very stable. (Not a hint of movement after milling.) Since I've never ever had a problem with wood movement I'm tempted to roll the dice and try this. I've constructed the basic box and it looks really nice with the grain oriented this way.