What are Dovetails?
Next time you are in an antique store, a used furniture store, or even a thrift store, open a drawer on an older dresser, desk, or bedside table. Look at the outside corner of the drawer, where the front piece of the drawer joins with the side piece. You might see tail-shaped teeth here; these are called dovetails. Dovetails are used to attach two pieces of wood so that they form a corner, without using nails. The dovetails are shaped so that the two pieces of wood fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Glue is used between the dovetails to ensure that the two pieces of wood stay together.
