History of the Butterfly Joint
– The term Dutchman is used when a patch or inlay covers a miss-cut or an imperfect piece of wood.
– Dutchman can also cover a knot in the wood.
– Dutchman can be made of wood or metal.
– The term originated in San Francisco after the gold rush.
– The term Dutchman is slang given to the woodworking process of inserting patches.
– The name Dutchman originated in San Francisco after the gold rush.
– The term has been found in the literature of John Russell Bartlett and Edward H. Knights American Mechanical Dictionary.
Description of the Butterfly Joint
– Dutchman can be wood or metal.
– It is used to cover miss-cuts, imperfect pieces, or knots in wood.
Discovery and Analysis of Dovetail Key
– Jacques De Morgan discovered dovetail joints in boats at the pyramid complex of Khakaure Senwosret III at Dahshur.
– Some argue that the dovetail joints were not originally fitted for the boats.
– The joints appear to have been set into the faces of the planks after excavation.
– Craftsmanship of the joints was different from the rest of the boats.
– The joints were not fixed in place and could fall out with any force.
– An analysis of factors affecting diagonal tension and compression capacity of corner joints in furniture frames fabricated with dovetail key was conducted.
– The study was published in the Journal of Forestry Research.
– Another study investigated the Cairo Dahshur Boats and mentioned the butterfly joint.
– The study was titled ‘A Further Investigation of the Cairo Dahshur Boats.’
Modern Use of the Butterfly Joint
– Contemporary decorative dovetail keys are commonly seen in the work of George Nakashima.
– George Nakashima made the butterfly joint famous in the 1950s.
– Nakashima incorporated the joint into his nature-inspired woodworking pieces.
– The idea was to enhance the wood’s beauty without changing it.
– Nakashima was a Japanese-American woodworker.
– Multiple sources have cited the significance of George Nakashima’s use of the butterfly joint.
Miscellaneous Notes
– Multiple sources have cited the significance of George Nakashima’s use of the butterfly joint.
– The study was published in the Journal of Forestry Research.
– The study was titled ‘A Further Investigation of the Cairo Dahshur Boats.’ Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_joint
A butterfly joint, also called a bow tie, dovetail key, Dutchman joint, or Nakashima joint, is a type of joint or inlay used to hold two or more pieces of wood together. These types of joints are mainly used for aesthetics, but they can also be used to reinforce cracks in pieces of wood, doors, picture frames, or drawers.
A dovetail key resembles two dovetails connected at the narrow part. A negative of the hole is cut out of the board the butterfly will be placed in and the butterfly is then fitted, keeping the joint together. The wood used for the butterfly is usually a contrasting wood, often walnut.
