PROCESSES & TECHNIQUES

Dovetail and Keyed Mitre Joints

Dovetail and mitred keyed joints are traditional woodworking techniques used in the construction of boxes, drawers and fitted interiors. Both provide strength and stability, although their methods of construction and appearance differ considerably.

Dovetail Joints

Dovetail joints have been used in woodworking since antiquity, with examples documented in ancient Egypt as early as the First Dynasty.

The joint consists of a series of projecting, wedge-shaped tails cut into the end of one piece of wood, which interlock with corresponding pins cut into another. Their angled shape creates a strong mechanical connection that resists the joint being pulled apart.

The separate components of a dovetail joint, showing the pins (P) and corresponding dovetails (D).
The separate components of a dovetail joint, showing the pins (P) and corresponding dovetails (D).
An assembled through dovetail joint, showing the interlocking pins and tails.
An assembled through dovetail joint, showing the interlocking pins and tails.

Dovetailing became an established feature of cabinetmaking and was particularly suited to the construction of cabinets, drawers, boxes, and other wooden components subjected to regular handling. The precision and regularity of hand-cut dovetails often reflected the skill and workmanship of the craftsman.

Several variations were employed, including through dovetails, also known as plain dovetails, where the interlocking timber is visible on both adjoining faces. These can appear quite different when viewed from either side, with the characteristic angled tails visible on one face and the comparatively straight-sided ends of the pins on the other.

Half-blind or lapped dovetails concealed the joint from one face, making them particularly suitable for drawer fronts where an uninterrupted exterior surface was desired. More elaborate forms, including secret mitred dovetails, allowed the joint to be concealed entirely beneath the appearance of a conventional mitred corner.

Coromandel Jewellery Box with Dovetail Joints on Solid Satinwood Drawers.
Coromandel Jewellery Box with Dovetail Joints on Solid Satinwood Drawers. VIEW THIS BOX →
Antique dovetail-joined satinwood drawers.

Through dovetail joints on the solid satinwood drawers of an antique coromandel jewellery box.

Front interior view of the burr walnut jewellery box with the front and side drawers extended, showing their dovetail joints.
Antique Jewellery Box in Burr Walnut. VIEW THIS BOX →
Solid satinwood side drawer with dovetail joints.

Dovetail construction on a solid satinwood drawer within an antique burr walnut jewellery box.

Front right interior view of the rosewood jewellery cabinet with all ten drawers partially extended, showing the dovetail-jointed drawer sides.
Antique Jewellery Cabinet in Rosewood with Foliate Brass Inlay and Ten Drawers. VIEW THIS BOX →
Close-up of stacked dovetail-joined drawers in a rosewood jewellery cabinet with foliate brass inlay.

Dovetail-joined drawers within an antique rosewood jewellery cabinet with foliate brass inlay.

Keyed Mitre Joints

Mitred and keyed joints provided an alternative method of construction for smaller boxes and lightweight wooden components, including removable trays, internal drawers, mirror frames and elements of concealed compartments found within dressing cases and other boxes. These components could also be constructed using plain mitres or other forms of reinforcement.

A keyed mitre joint, showing the wooden keys (K) inserted across the mitred corner to reinforce the construction.
A keyed mitre joint, showing the wooden keys (K) inserted across the mitred corner to reinforce the construction.

Where the completed component was covered with decorative veneer, the underlying construction could be concealed, leaving little visible indication of the methods used in its assembly.

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