How to Read Dovetail Joints in Antique Drawers | Antique Repair Shop

Dovetails lock two boards together with interleaving pins and tails. On drawers they can reveal how a piece was planned, made and later repaired.

What to look for

Compare front, back and hidden corners. Hand-cut joints often vary slightly in spacing and saw angle; machine-cut joints tend to be more regular, but workshop practice and date overlap.

Common mistakes

Do not date furniture from dovetails alone. Check drawer bottoms, runners, secondary woods, hardware and the carcase. Replaced drawers or rebuilt corners can mix evidence.

Care and repair

Keep drawers supported and never force a swollen joint. Loose corners usually need reversible, compatible repair rather than screws driven through the sides.

References and further reading

[V&A furniture collection](https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/furniture)
[Canadian Conservation Institute: agents of deterioration](https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/agents-deterioration.html)

This article is educational. Test treatments cautiously and consult a conservator before altering a valuable or historically important object.

Watch the workshop approach

See conservation-minded repairs, examinations and techniques on the [Antique Repair Shop YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@AntiqueRepairShop).