freedhardwoods Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 Has anyone ever done that or heard of it being done? I just discovered the shop I install for has been doing that for years. My first question when I found that was "If your dovetail machine is that sloppy, why don't you get a better one?" They said their machine works fine. They just like to nail them also. If you took their nail and staple guns away, they wouldn't have a clue how to build anything. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 Sometimes, overkill is their insurance. How it looks probably means nothing to them, just the security. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 Can't say that I've seen it.. Reason for DTs (other than it looks better) is so that you don't need nails right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 Overkill and a waste of time and material IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 Are they doing this to avoid clamping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 I do that. I have too! That and glue with saw dust. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freedhardwoods Posted November 1, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 25 minutes ago, Tpt life said: Are they doing this to avoid clamping? Probably. They put some quality into the face of a cabinet, but the parts that can't be seen are thrown together and then plastered with an unbelievable amount of nails and staples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnesota Steve Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 1 hour ago, freedhardwoods said: Probably. They put some quality into the face of a cabinet, but the parts that can't be seen are thrown together and then plastered with an unbelievable amount of nails and staples. Well the cabinets in my house are put together with hot glue... At least that's what it looks like. It's all about speed. As long as it looks nice on the front, the customer won't know. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 That's sad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 Trying to figure out the problem. Non of you ever worked or been in a cabinet shop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 9 hours ago, pkinneb said: That's sad There are a lot of companies out there that use hot glue to make cabinets... it's not craft glue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewyo Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 I hang cabinets for a living. We routinely put some brad nails in the dovetails at the back of the drawers we assemble. It doesn't show and it gives more strength while the glue is drying. On a couple of the lines we install the backs and sides are secured with hot glue and staples. It's not uncommon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 I've had to re-glue many failed dovetail kitchen drawers that worked loose and caused binding. I've also seen a lot worse in kitchens especially once you move toward the low end of the spectrum. I don't think that my kitchen's drawers are even glued. Honestly the DT drawers are fancy and all but I'd rather have BB with a rabbit, glue and nails. It's how i make my drawers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 For speed & strength it's hard to beat a finger joint. Not quite as nice looking as a dovetail, but not bad either. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freedhardwoods Posted November 1, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 I have installed a few sets of generic box cabinets and helped assemble a few flat pack cabinets. You expect low quality and shortcuts there. Some of the flat pack dovetail joints had 1/16" - 1/8" gaps. Regular glue would be useless there. The shop I help is supposedly a high end custom shop. You would think they would take a little more pride in there work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 When we did dovetails in bulk we used a Dodds dovetail machine. What does this company use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 I don’t see the problem with it. Kitchen drawers are often overloaded and abused daily. Adding the nails is a bit of extra insurance that the drawers will hold up to that over many years (and probably decades). It also gives the maker the ability to build the drawers more quickly and efficiently. It doesn’t belong on fine furniture pieces that are used more lightly or infrequently. That being said, I recently saw a little drawer unit that had brad nails through the DTs and it actually looked pretty good. The size and placement were thoughtful and consistent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 The price of cabinets these days don't warrant furniture making. Yet high end,custom is anything other than a standard box... Quality standards are up to the manufacturer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 Most of the shops today find more money in purchasing flutes, rosettes, etc online and pinning them on more profitable than they can pay the employee... Hard to find a shop doing it by hand like me... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 Hard to find people that will pay for that level of quality, most folks would not know what to look for in a well made piece and some don’t care as long as it looks like it’s well made Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 A lot of money today is on the finish end. $100 cabinet and $500 paint job... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freedhardwoods Posted November 1, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 1 hour ago, BillyJack said: When we did dovetails in bulk we used a Dodds dovetail machine. What does this company use? I'll try to look when I get back. Had a small install in Louisville today. Headed back home soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 6 hours ago, BillyJack said: There are a lot of companies out there that use hot glue to make cabinets... it's not craft glue... FWIW I was commenting on the DT's not the hot glue. Say what you will pin nailing dovetails is just wrong I don't care what the situation is...Having said that you are correct I have never worked in a production cabinet shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted November 1, 2019 Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 I have a hard time believing that pin nailing dovetails is going to add any meaningful strength. If it's just to hold them together while the glue dries that's another matter. Clamping is most certainly better for strength and appearance, but not as economical for production. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freedhardwoods Posted November 1, 2019 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2019 5 hours ago, BillyJack said: The price of cabinets these days don't warrant furniture making. Yet high end,custom is anything other than a standard box... Quality standards are up to the manufacturer... The lack of quality in this shops boxing process had a lot to do with construction method I settled on. I used other factors in the equation also. There is some compromising between some factors, but I have a very strong box behind my (cabinets, not my avatar ) pretty faces. 5 hours ago, BillyJack said: When we did dovetails in bulk we used a Dodds dovetail machine. What does this company use? This is Amish. Theirs runs on air, not electric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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