What Is a Dovetail Drawer Box? Your Complete Guide
The square footage of your home does not, on its own, reveal how functional your home really is. It’s important to think about usable square footage, and the way you create storage space can make a huge difference in this arena.
Nowadays, home builders are encouraged to design and construct properties with storage in mind. What happens if you’re in an older home that, well, didn’t leave much space for all of those things that need a home out of sight?
Believe it or not, something as simple as a dovetail drawer box can increase your functional storage space at a low cost. Don’t fret over a major home renovation when you can increase your home storage with something as simple as drawer space!
Not sure what a dovetail drawer box is? You’re not alone. Read on as we explain what dovetail drawer boxes are and why you’re going to want them in your home.
Drawer Anatomy
When we say things like “dovetail drawer box,” only furniture makers and carpenters tend to know right away what we mean. Before we can explain what makes a dovetail drawer box special, we need to explain what a drawer box is and how it relates to other parts of a drawer. Let’s take a brief look at drawer anatomy.
Drawer Fronts
This part is pretty simple: a drawer front (also called a drawer face) is the front of the drawer. It is the part of the drawer you see when the drawer is closed and includes features like drawer pulls.
Drawer fronts are exciting because they allow you to express your creative taste. This is the only part of the drawer that you may consider staining, painting, or engraving, as it is the only part that’s always visible.
Drawer Slides
Drawer slides enable the movement of the drawer. When we talk about drawer slides, we’re talking about the metal pieces and components that allow a drawer to move in and out of the dresser or cabinet. The simplest drawers may not have drawer slides at all, which means that the drawers can come all the way out–this isn’t ideal.
There are a few different types of drawer slides, including the popular side-mount or under-mount varieties. Under-mount drawer slides are a homeowner favorite, as they guarantee a smooth, quiet close no matter how hard you push a drawer shut.
Drawer Boxes
As you may have guessed by now, the drawer box is the part of the drawer that can hold your belongings. When we talk about different types of drawer boxes, we’re referring to different construction methods or joinery. Dovetail drawers are a more complicated or intricate choice, which we’ll explain below.
What Makes a Dovetail Drawer Box Different
The term “dovetail” denotes a specific method of construction and type of joinery. The way that dovetail boxes are constructed come with two major benefits.
The first is that they are very sturdy. If a dovetail drawer box ever happens to break, it’s very unlikely that it will have broken along the joints. Other drawers, in comparison, tend to break in these areas–which means that dovetail drawer boxes are unlikely to break, at all.
The second is that they offer more storage space. Most drawer construction causes you to lose a few inches of potential storage space along the edges. Whether you’re storing something hard and unyielding (like dishes) or something softer (like linens), those extra inches can make a world of difference.
Dovetail Construction Basics
If you want to know how to spot a dovetail drawer box, you’ll need to know the dovetail marker. What are the true signs of dovetail construction?
The process is a complicated one, as we’ve already said. We can’t provide the full tutorial here, but we can give you a rundown on the basics.
The key is in the joint. Dovetail drawer boxes use what is sometimes referred to as a locking joint. One each piece of wood used to create the drawer box, you’ll find wedge-shaped cutouts that interlock with one another.
These wedge shapes are called tails and pins. To create a proper locking joint, you will need to carefully measure each cut so that the sides of the drawer boxes fit snugly together and the top and bottom edges of the drawer box align perfectly.
Signs That You Need Dovetail Drawer Boxes
How do you know if you should replace your drawer boxes with new dovetail drawers? Anyone can make this choice and benefit from the superior construction and storage space that dovetail drawer boxes provide. However, there are a few key signs that you could benefit from dovetail drawer boxes, including:
- a need for more storage space
- a cabinet or dresser that you love but that is filled with broken or weak drawer boxes
- a need for more storage space that can withstand a great deal of weight
- an appreciation for fine craftsmanship
- a desire to invest in furniture and storage solutions that are built to last
Whether you want to take on the DIY task of executing dovetail box plans or you want to purchase dovetail drawer boxes ready-made, we guarantee that you’ll be happy with sturdier, larger drawer boxes.
Go Simple With Your Storage Updates
Storage is crucial in any household. If your home has a ton of square footage but minimal storage, you’ll quickly find that it’s not as functional as you might hope. Switching out your old drawer boxes for a dovetail drawer box design will make a huge improvement to your storage situation without the expensive remodel.
Looking for more guides that will help you to get the most out of your home? Take a look around for guides, tips, and information that will do the trick.
