SCOTTSDALE ART FACTORY - (800) 292-0008 - www.artfactory.com
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ArtFactory Special Products Contact Us H. J. Nick is an Award Winning
Internationally Accredited Artist!

"There was a time when master craftsmen signed their work with pride
knowing each furnishing would become a cherished heirloom and antique.
Scottsdale Art Factory carries on this tradition!"
Scottsdale Art Factory Is The Largest Custom Manufacturer Of Fine
Artistic Furniture, Doors, Gates, Lighting and Hardware.
Handmade In America Since 1913

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Pool Table - Rustic Rugged Man Cave Pool Table - MCP517

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Ideal Man Cave Pool Table - This Is Not Your Typical Log Pool Table - Hand Hewn, Mortis And Tenon Joined - All Species Of Woods Are Available - Structural Frames Using Solid Full Length Timber (no fake laminates, scarf joints or glued up parts,no veneers - no glue ups - no bolt on legs) - Master Craftsmanship That Insures Your Furnishing Will Stand The Test Of Time - A True Family Heirloom And Valuable Antiquity - All Carving Is Hand Carved By Our Master Carvers (no cnc or faux casted resin carving) - Fine Art 10 Process Hand Rubbed Finished To World Class Antique Collectors Standards - ( no spray on faux fast paint jobs )

Master Blacksmiths Solid Hand Forged Wrought Iron - (no castings or hollow faux metals) - All Heat Applied Iron Oxide Hand Patina Finished - (no powder coating or faux paint on iron finishes) - Genuine Natural Stone - Top Grain Leathers (processed American tanneries only ) And Fine Fabrics Also Available - Guaranteed Forever - Order Any Size Or Style- Backed By Our Over Nine Decades Of Fine Craftsmanship Since 1913

Designs By H J Nick and Scottsdale Art Factory a handmade in America custom furniture manufacturer based in Scottsdale Arizona has been designing and building some of the worlds finest furniture for some of the world's most prominent and successful Persons, C.E.O.'s, leaders, royalty and celebrities for the last 97 years. Most of our clients want a furnishing that has a BIG WOW factor and elegance as well as investment value and makes a proper statement reflecting their personality or the personality of the environment for witch it is intended.


Hand carved exotic solid old growth woods and burls used along with the perfection of the signature fine art hand rubbed finish lets every one know that this room is special. Each furnishing is made to order and fits the personality of each client. some times the hand carvings are changed to art taken from company logos or personal photos that have family meaning etc.


These Tables Are The Best That Can Be Made World Wide - Some Can Make Them As Good - None Can Make One Better


Don't Be Fooled By Our Upscale Appearance. Our prices are usually lower than lesser quality name brand mass production imports, "We Are The Factory," Hand Crafted In America Since 1913.

This Is Not A Foreign Made Mass Produced "Famous Brand Name" Fake Import Impostor.

We Custom Build Fine Art Furniture Residential And Commercial


Solid Exotic American Grown Timber - Built To Family Heirloom Quality - All Of Our Products Are Finished Inside And Out - All Backs Are Finished Same As The Fronts


We Offer All Species Of Solid Woods Important details about our timber and craftsmanship.


Our Factory Designers Are Expert At Manufacturing Our Products And Are Not Salesman.

Our Factory Designers Are Instructed To Educate Allowing A Informed Decision

"When Only The Best Will Do"

Choose From Our Designs Or Use Your Design - We Build To Our Hand Made Standards


All Scottsdale Art Factory Furnishings Are Designed In America and Built In America Using Solid Natural Air Dried Timber, Genuine Stone, Marble, Granite, Fine Leathers, Fabric And Hand Forged Iron. By The Hands Of True American Master Craftsmen.



As Seen On National TV (30 sec)



Under the supervision of world renowned artist H. J. Nick using only the finest materials. We use "No" engineered cores or faux materials such as paste boards, veneers, masonite, MDO plywood, melamine and oriented strand board panels with expensive wood sounding names such as walnut or hickory veneer etc.

"This Is The Real McCoy."



Purchase American Made - Invest In "Your" Future.

Investment Quality Equals An Appreciable Asset Furnishing, Destined For Antiquity.
We build only proud to own family heirloom furnishing, rich with family history and priceless heritage. This process begins with you and your family personalizing each piece with your own special design requests. H. J. Nick supervises the details and drafting process with his design team, and upon your approval, we then build your product. Once you receive your item, you can enjoy it secure in the knowledge it will increase in value and become a cherished family heirloom that is guaranteed to stand the test of time.


Historical Origin And Design Inspiration

A Western saloon is a kind of bar particular to the Old West. Saloons served such customers as fur trappers, cowboys, soldiers, gold prospectors and miners, and gamblers. The first saloon was established at Brown"s Hole, Wyoming, in 1822, to serve fur trappers. The popularity of saloons in the nineteenth-century American West is attested to by the fact that even a town of 3,000 residents, such as 1883"s Livingston, Montana, boasted 33 saloons . Among the more familiar saloons were First Chance Saloon in Miles City, Montana; the Bull"s Head in Abilene, Kansas; the Arcade in El Dorado, Colorado; the Holy Moses in Creede, Colorado; the Long Branch in Dodge City, Kansas; the Birdcage Theater (also a saloon) in Tombstone, Arizona; and Judge Roy Bean"s Saloon in Langtry, Texas. Many of these establishments remained open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


A saloon's appearance varied from when and where it grew. As towns grew, the saloons became more refined. The bartender prided himself on his appearance and his drink pouring abilities. Early saloons and those in remote locations were often crude affairs with minimal furniture and few decorations. A single wood-burning stove might warm such establishments during the winter months. As travelers made their way West, some of them sold liquor from their wagons, and saloons were often formed of the materials at hand, including "sod houses. . . . a hull of an old sailing ship" or interiors "dug into the side of a hill". As towns grew, many hotels included saloons, pool halls and some stand-alone saloons, such as the Barlow Trail Saloon in Damascus, Oregon, featured a railed porch


By way of entertainment, saloons offered dancing girls, some of whom occasionally or routinely doubled as prostitutes; Faro; poker; brag; three-card monte; and dice games. Other games were added as saloons continued to prosper and face increasing competition. These additional games included billiards, darts, and bowling. Some saloons even included piano players, can-can girls, and theatrical skits.


The earliest known billiard table, in the royal court of Louis XI of France (14611483), was simply lawn brought indoors and placed on a large, everyday table. Rail-bounded, cloth-covered tables specifically for billiards, with wooden beds rail cushions (made of layered felt, or stuffed with straw, soon evolved as the game's popularity spread among French and later other European aristocrats.


The increasing demand for tables and other equipment in Europe was initially met by furniture makers of the era, some of whom began to specialize in billiard tables. By 1840, the table beds were made of slate, as they are to this day in quality tables. English table maker John Thurston was instrumental in this change, having tested the surface since 1826. After experimenting with hair, shredded fabric and feathers as stuffing for the cushions, he also introduced rubber cushions in 1835.


This was not initially a success, as the elasticity would vary with ambient temperature. After attempting to market cushion warmers with only partial success, Thurston was saved by the 1843 discovery of vulcanization by English engineer Thomas Hancock. Thurston used vulcanized rubber in his later cushions, and it is still used today by many manufacturers (some use synthetic materials). Thurston's first set was presented to Queen Victoria.


In the United States, manufacture of billiard tables has been ongoing since at least the mid-19th century. The forerunner of the Brunswick Company began commercial manufacture in 1845. In San Francisco, California, several manufacturers were active by the late 1800s.


Most Designs Used Today Were Conceived Hundreds Of Years Ago By Some Of The Worlds Most Famous Architects And Designers Working For The Aristocracies And The Well To Do Of Their Period.
Many of these architects and designers are as well known as Leonardo da Vinci (renaissance architecture) or Michelangelo,s (baroque architecture) as well as more recently William Morris, John Ruskin (founders of the Arts and Crafts furniture movement in circa 1800 England) Gustave Stickley (founder of the American Arts and Crafts movement in America circa 1900.) Frank Loyd Wright, Charles and Henry Greene to name a few.


Every Successful Creative Enterprise Is Always Built On A Foundation That Was Laid Down By Its Predecessors.
All creative people are dependent upon the groundwork laid down by those who came before them. H. J. Nick, artist and direct descendant of the Marbella brothers, and Scottsdale Art Factory have built on these foundations and have raised the bar of quality even higher. Thus setting a new standard and offering the finest one of a kind handmade furnishings found anywhere in the world in the 21st century.


Today Our Master Craftsman Build All Of Our Products Using The Identical Methods And Materials Of The Historical Period Of Each Furnishings Design Conception.


All 21st Century Designs Are Also Built By Our Master Craftsman Using These Classic Traditional Methods.


Whether We Build Products For Your Modern Dream Home Or Ancient Castle
every element Is always built to future collectable antiquity investment quality standards and will stand the test of time. Destined to become a part of your families appreciating financial net worth as well as a proud to own legacy heirloom.


We Are A "One Stop Shop".
Many of our clients commission furniture For every room, doors, gates, built-in cabinets, lighting and hardware for their entire project. For Example: We are capable of starting with your entrance door design style or personalized carving coat of arms, family crest or business logo and bring this design in a tastefull elegant way in to you interior and exterior lighting fixtures, entrance doors, Interior doors, cabinets, structural elements, entrance gates or furnishings for every room. Making your home a unique piece of your families tradition and legacy.


Many of the worlds finest builders, architects, interior designers, as well business and home owners choose Scottsdale Art Factory. Due to our large flexiable American work force and our ability to manufacture coinciding with construction deadlines.
Note: We do not import or out source allowing us total control of our supreme quality as well as your production requirements.

Product Details As Shown

As Shown: Custom Pool Table, H. J. Nick Original Color: Medium Walnut Semi Gloss - Light To Medium Distress - 48"W X 96"L X 32"T. The legs are hand carved into a log design from solid blocks of wood, lodge-style pool table with hand carved wilderness scene running all four sides. You can select art work from any of the many carvings seen in the catalog or simply provide our design department with an idea and they will take it from there. The rustic table also has 10" diameter solid legs with hand chiseled details enhancing the table"s rustic appearance.

This Log Style Pool Table Will Never Warp, Bow Or Shake and Is Built To Stand The Test Of Time



Let's Compare



Most log pool tables are built with semi cured lumber taken directly from the forest. Most of these tables are not structural even though it would lead one to believe they were at first blush. Most makers of natural log pool tables ask that you put supports from under side to floor to support the weight of the slate or they some times use a 1/2' slate bed to keep the weight down.
The reason is usually the joinery. Plus these natural logs will usually shrink from 20% to 35% more once they are in the environment of your home. This allows the slip joints to shrink and almost always bow and twist. Also if the weight of your slate playing bed were also being supported by these semi cured logs it would add additional bowing and warping

This of course makes most of these natural log pool tables, that appear like quality, eventual firewood.



Construction: The heavy framework of the body is built up in what is technically known as mortis and tenon construction - various kinds of hardwoods tongued and grooved together and double cross in set on the outside and inside, the outer woods being handsomely grained. The legs are built up in the same way. No major frame parts bolt on all of our tables. Most table construction is better than the original.


Cushion Rails: 1 3/4" thick x 3 3/8" with facing complete 2 1/4" x 4 1/8". Compound construction built up of various kinds of hard woods of different grains. Plain solid corner blocks covering joint bolt heads. Cap rails 7/8" x 3 7/8" on upper surface and covered with Walnut Cherry or Rosewood 1 4/" thick. Solid hardwood corners. Ivory or mother of pearl diamond sights. Inlaid cushion bolts covered by what is known as blind cushion rails. Also inlaid name plate. Eight rail bolts one each side and 4 on each end of 4 1/2 x 9' table and 10 rail bolts on each side and 5 on each end of x 10' table.


Slate Bed: Best quality Italian slate , 3 pieces to the set. The joints are made with brass dowels and sockets with no screw holes in playing surface. Thickness of slate either 1" - 1 1/2" or 2"


Cushions: The cushions furnished with this table, unless otherwise specified, are our celebrated Match Game perfect angle custom.


Pockets: The pocket irons are the No. 6 style which are countersunk in the ends of the cushion rails by means of a brass socket. Black cover leathers reinforced at point of contact giving extra durability. Best quality red trimming leather and green fringe. No. 10 best quality green worsted or hand made leather pockets, as may be preferred.


Order Over Size Or Regulation size, with a playing field of 44"W X 88"L and features a full 1"- 2" thick, three piece, oversized Italian slate bed. The 5 3/4" wide rails are created from cherry wood and have hand beveled edges and beautiful inlaid mother of pearl diamond sights. The highest quality K-66 profile cushions and tournament spruce felt (other colors available), have been used in creating this piece. Decorative beveled skirt edging complements all four sides. Special mar proof leveling feet have been used to insure accurate leveling. All the wood surfaces are finished with 10 process of hand rubbed finish. This item is shipped to your location ready to be set up and leveled by a qualified professional.


All our tables exceed the equipment standards specified by the Billiard Congress of America. It is regulation size, with a playing field of 44"W X 88"L and features a full 1" thick, three-piece oversized Italian slate bed. The 5 3/4" wide rails are created from cherry wood and have hand bevelled edges and beautiful mother of pearl inlaid sights. The highest quality K-66 profile cushions and tournament wine felt (many colors available) have been used in creating this piece.


The pockets and baskets are designed to B.C.A. specifications and are created from the highest quality, fine grained leather with braided tassels. The base is designed from solid matching hardwoods.


All Our Finishes Are Hand Rubbed Furniture Finishs or Patinas Our finish process includes five to ten coats of hand rubbed furniture quality clear oils or water based non-toxic lacquers. It is applied, cured, rubbed and re-applied depending upon whether your order is Limited Edition or old growth Original works. Every surface of this product is fine finished including the under sides and hidden areas. These doors are built to investment family heirloom quality and are finished to be virtually maintenance free and will stand the test of time. You may choose the natural color or from over 400 standard stain colors, or computer color match to any stain color from a sample you provide. Most of our finishes are water based and earth friendly. You may order any single color or texture finish at no extra charge. Fine Finish Information: Important details about our finish process: patinas, sealants and wood finishes.


More Product Historical And Detail Information

Cushions (also sometimes called "rails", "rail cushions", "cushion rubber", or "bumpers") are located on the sides of the tables rails. There are several different materials and design philosophies associated with cushion rubber. The cushions are made from an elastic material such as vulcanized (gum or synthetic) rubber. The chiefly American jargon "rail" more properly applies to the wooded outer segments of the table to which the cushions are affixed. The purpose of the cushion rubber is to cause the billiard balls to rebound off the rubber while minimizing the loss of kinetic energy.


The profile of the rail cushion, which is the cushion's angle in relation to the bed of the table, varies between table types. The standard on American pool tables is the K-66 profile, which as defined by the BCA has a base of 1-3/16 inches and a nose height of 1 inch [1]. This causes the balls' rebound to be somewhat predictable during game play.


On a carom table, the K-55 profile is used (with a somewhat sharper angle than pool cushions). K-55 cushions have cloth, usually canvas, vulcanized into the top of the rubber to adjust rebound accuracy and speed


Finally, snooker tables use the K-66 profile, like pool tables, but the cushion is an "L" shape. This is mostly[clarify] because snooker uses balls of a smaller diameter and smaller pocket entrances than does pool.


Cloth Billiard cloth (sometimes erroneously called felt) is a specific type of cloth that covers the top of the table's "playing area". Both the rails and slate beds are covered with 21-24 ounce billiard cloth (although some less expensive 19oz cloths are available) which is most often green in color (representing the grass of the original lawn games that billiards evolved from), and consists of either a woven wool or wool/nylon blend called baize.


Most bar tables, which get lots of play, use the slower, thicker blended cloth because it can better withstand heavy usage. This type of cloth is called a woolen cloth. By contrast, high quality pool cloth is usually made of a napless weave such as worsted wool, which gives a much faster roll to the balls. This "speed" of the cloth affects the amounts of swerve and deflection of the balls, among other aspects of game finesse. Snooker cloth traditionally has a directional nap, upon which the balls behave differently when rolling against vs. toward the direction of the nap.


Carom billiards tables Or Pocketless carom billiards tables are used for such games as three-cushion billiards, straight rail, balkline, artistic billiards and cushion caroms. Regulation carom billiards tables are rectangles, with the bed of the table (the playing surface) measuring 10 feet by 5 feet (though 9 ft by 4.5 ft are increasingly common).


The slate bed of carom billiard tables are often heated to about 5 degrees C (9 deg F) above room temperature, which helps to keep moisture out of the cloth to aid the balls rolling and rebounding in a consistent manner, and generally makes a table play faster. A heated table is required under international carom rules and is an especially important requirement for the games of three-cushion billiards and artistic billiards.


Heating table beds is an old practice. Queen Victoria of England (1819-1901) had a billard table that was heated using zinc tubes, although the aim at that time was chiefly to keep the then-used ivory balls from warping. The first use of electric heating was for an 18.2 balkline tournament held in December 1927 between Welker Cochran and Jacob Schaefer, Jr. The New York Times announced it with fanfare: "For the first time in the history of world's championship balkline billiards a heated table will be used...


Our Factory Designers Are Expert At Manufacturing Our Products And Are Not Salesman.

Our Factory Designers Are Instructed Educate To Allow A Informed Decision

It Is Our Experiance, Customers Informed And Educated Make SAF Their Choice

More Product And Finish Information

Every surface of this product is fine finished including the under sides and hidden areas. You may choose the natural color or from over 400 standard stain colors, or color match to any stain color from a sample you provide. Most of our finishes are water based and earth friendly. You may order any single color or texture finish at no extra charge. Fine Finish Information: Important details about our finish process: patinas, sealants and wood finishes.

Hand Carving Information: Important details about the kind of carving you can expect when you order from Scottsdale Art Factory.


Colorized Carving. You can order any carving colorized. In order to achieve a colorized carving, multiple stain colors are used. The stains are hand applied and blended with an artistic eye to achieve an enhanced natural appearance.


Our Heritage: Marabella brothers come to America.


All Iron Is Coal Fired, Hammered By Master Blacksmiths The Old Fashioned Way And Patina Finished. At Scottsdale Art Factory, we take pride in our traditional, superior quality workmanship and craft our products from only the finest Iron. Our master blacksmiths have been classically trained, and utilize old world techniques such as coal firing, anvil hammering and hand forging to create the finest handcrafted hardware available anywhere. All of our iron work is hand patina finished by heat applying iron oxides to achieve a natural patina finish that will stand the test of time.



Nothing is Drop Forged. We create works The Old Fashioned Way using solid hand forged Iron, (drop forging is a poor quality, casted copy of a hand forged iron work of art).


Master Blacksmithing: The kind of hand forged metal work you can expect when you order from Scottsdale Art Factory.


Patina Finish As Shown: Various Colors Of Hand Applyed Iron Oxide Patinas. Our beautiful patina finishes are hand applied using a special patented process where oxides are bonded into the metal at over 1000 degrees. This permanent finish beautifies with age. S.A.F. does not paint or faux finish any of our iron creations. Paint fades, chips and cracks over time and patinas last forever. No Drop Forged Casted Copies. No Paint Or Powder Coated Finishes. limited edition or original works. Every surface of this furnishing is finely finished including the undersides and hidden areas.


Each item is finished to be virtually maintenance free and to age with grace. All steel parts are hand patina finished the old fashioned way by iron oxide hand applied with high temperature heat. We never powder coat or faux paint our steel, it has been proven paint and powder coating methods do not hold up over time. You may choose from many natural iron oxide colors. Our patina finishes are water based and earth friendly. You may order any single color or texture finish at no extra charge.
Fine Finish Information: Important details about our finish process: patinas, sealant and wood finishes.


Order Hand Forged Matching Furnishings Of Any Design.



Our Guarantee: We Guarantee Each Item "Forever" " No Questions Asked, backed by over nine decades of fine craftsmanship.


Our Price Guarantee: Why you may purchase hand made custom at production prices.


Scottsdale Art Factory carries on the American Arts And Crafts Movement of the 21st century, in the same way William Morris and John Ruskin (founders of the Arts and Crafts furniture movement in circa 1800 England) inspired Gustave Stickley (founder of the American Arts and Crafts movement) in America circa 1900. Frank Loyd Wright, Charles and Henry Greene (inspired architects of the ultimate cottages such as the Gamble House in Pasadena California) are credited with raising quality standard to its highest level in their day. All of these great master craftsman also inspired the Marabella Brothers in the early 20th Century (founders of SAF circa 1913).


Every creative enterprise is always built on a foundation that was laid down by its predecessors. Creative people are also dependent on the groundwork laid down by those who came before them. H. J. Nick, artist and direct descendant of the Marbella brothers, and Scottsdale Art Factory have built on these foundations and have raised the bar of quality even higher. Thus setting a new standard and offering the finest one of a kind handmade furnishings found anywhere in the world in the 21st century.


Our Heritage: Marabella brothers come to America.


See Our Blog More about the history of Scottsdale Art Factory and the American furniture movement of the 21st century.



More Information You Should Understand Before Making Your Furnishing Choice



High Quality Is All About How its Built And The Material It Is Made From - Understanding Joinery And Terminology



These Joints Have Been Proven For Thousands Of Years

Natural Materials Master Craftsmanship Cannot Be Replaced By Mass Production Methods

"We Still Hand Build To Investment Quality Like They Used To"


The Joinery, Material And Craftsmanship Determine Quality


Solid Wood Mortise And Tenon Joints, Simple And Strong

Mortise and tenon, simple and strong. The mortise and tenon joint has been used for thousands of years by woodworkers around the world to join pieces of wood, usually when the pieces are at an angle close to 90°. Although there are many variations on the theme, the basic idea is that the end of one of the members is inserted into a hole cut in the other member. The end of the first member is called the tenon, and it is usually narrowed with respect to the rest of the piece. The hole in the second member is called the mortise. The joint may be glued, pinned, or wedged to lock it in place. This joint is also used with other materials and, for example, is a traditional method for Stonemasons and Blacksmiths.


A mortise is a cavity cut into a timber to receive a tenon. There are several kinds of mortises.

Open mortise - A mortise that has only three sides. (See bridle joint).


Stub mortise or "suicide" joint - A shallow mortise, depth depends on the size of the timber; also a mortise that does not go through the work-piece (as opposed to a "through mortise"). the back is wider, or taller, than the front, or opening. The space for the wedge initially allows room for the tenon to be inserted, the presence of the wedge, after the tenon has been engaged, prevents its withdrawal. Sometimes called a "suicide" joint - since it is strictly a "one way trip".


Through wedged half-dovetail - A wedged half-dovetail mortise that passes entirely through the piece.


A tenon is a projection on the end of a timber for insertion into a mortise. Usually the tenon is taller than it is wide. There are several kinds of tenons.


Stub tenon - A short tenon; depth depends on the size of the timber; also a tenon that is shorter than the width of the mortised piece so the tenon does not show (as opposed to a "through tenon").


Tusk tenon - A kind of mortise and tenon joint that uses a wedge-shaped key to hold the joint together.


Through tenon - A tenon that passes entirely through the piece of wood it is inserted into, being clearly visible on the back side.


Teasel tenon - A term used for the tenon on top of a jowled or gunstock post, which is typically received by the mortise in the underside of a tie beam. A common element of the English tying joint.


Top tenon - The tenon that occurs on top of a post.


Feather tenon - A round-shouldered machined fillet or feather which is glued into a machine (router) made slot or mortise on each side of the joint.


Generally the size of the mortise and tenon is related to the thickness of the timbers. It is considered good practice to proportion the tenon as 1/3rd the thickness of the rail, or as close to this as is practical. The haunch, the cut away part of a sash corner joint that prevents the tenon coming loose, is one third the length of the tenon and one sixth of the width of the tenon in its depth. The remaining two-thirds of the rail, the tenon shoulders help to counteract lateral forces that might tweak the tenon from the mortise, contributing to its strength. These also serve to hide imperfections in the opening of the mortise.


Mortis And tenon is an ancient joint and has been found joining the wooden planks of the "Khufu ship", a 43.6 m long vessel sealed into a pit in the Giza pyramid complex of the Fourth Dynasty around 2,500 BC. It has also been found in archeological sites in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. The 30 sarsen stones of Stonehenge were dressed and fashioned with mortise and tenon joints before they were erected between 2600 and 2400 B.C.



Finger Joint - Box Joint - Comb Joint

The finger joint - (Also known as "box joint" or "comb joint") is made by cutting a set of complementary rectangular cuts in two pieces of wood, which are then glued. To visualize a finger joint simply interlock the fingers of your hands at a ninety degree angle; hence the name "finger joint." It is stronger than a butt or lap joint, and often forms part of the overall look of the piece.


The history of the finger joint is believed to have begun with wooden produce boxes or crates in the days before modern, man-made materials. Finger joints were originally cut by hand with saws and sharp chisels. In modern times they are easily and quickly made with a table saw or router and a jig or fixture, which can be shop-made or purchased from a specialty woodworking supply store. A finger joint jig typically consists of a moving fence with an indexing pin that is used to evenly space out the cuts. The fence is moved over a cutting blade making a cut that is then moved over the indexing pin so the next cut can be made.


The strength of a finger joint comes from the long-grain to long-grain contact between the fingers, which provides a solid gluing surface. The number of contact points also allows for more gluing surface as opposed to a butt joint or a rabbet joint.



The Dovetail Joint Pre Dates Written History As Shown On This Romanian Church

A dovetail joint or simply dovetail is a joint technique most commonly used in woodworking joinery. Noted for its resistance to being pulled apart (tensile strength), the dovetail joint is commonly used to join for example the sides of a drawer to the front. A series of pins cut to extend from the end of one board interlock with a series of tails cut into the end of another board. The pins and tails have a trapezoidal shape. Once glued, a wooden dovetail joint requires no mechanical fasteners.


The dovetail joint pre-dates written history. Some of the earliest known examples of the dovetail joint are in furniture entombed with mummies dating from First Dynasty of ancient Egypt, as well the tombs of Chinese emperors. The dovetail design is an important method of distinguishing various periods of furniture.


Dovetails can be cut by hand or by machines, often with an electric router and using one of a range of commercially available jigs or templates. Although it is technically a straight forward process, hand-cutting dovetails requires a high degree of accuracy to ensure a snug fit and so can be difficult to master. The pins and tails must fit together with no gap between them so that the joint interlocks tightly with no movement. Thus the cutting of dovetails by hand is regarded as a mark of skill on the part of the craftsperson.



It Takes A Master Craftsman To Hand Cut Perfect Joints

The angle of slope varies according to the wood used. Typically the slope is 1:6 for softwoods and a shallower 1:8 slope for hardwoods. Often a slope of 1:7 is used as a compromise - perhaps using a dovetail template for marking out.


When being cut by hand, there are two schools of thought as to whether the pins or the tails should be cut first. For pins first, the pins are laid out and cut by the chosen method, then the outline of the pins is transferred to the face of the tail board. For tails first, the tails are laid out and cut and then the outline is transferred to the end grain of the pin board. Each has advantages and it is a personal choice as to which is chosen.


Hand cut dovetails can often be distinguished from machine-cut dovetails by the width of the pins. It is possible to have pins that are almost triangular when cut by hand that are not possible when cut with a router, owing to the thickness of the router bit's shank. These narrow pins are known as London Pins.


A through dovetail joint (also known as plain dovetail) joint, where the end grain of both boards is visible when the joint is assembled. Through dovetails are common in carcass and box construction. Traditionally, the dovetails would have often be covered by a veneer. However, dovetails have become a signature of craftsmanship and are generally considered a feature, so they are rarely concealed in contemporary work.


A half-blind dovetail is used when the craftsman does not wish end grain to be visible from the front of the item. The tails are housed in sockets in the ends of the board that is to be the front of the item so that their ends cannot be seen. Half-blind dovetails are commonly used to fasten drawer fronts to drawer sides. This is an alternative to the practice of attaching false fronts to drawers constructed using through dovetails.


The sliding dovetail is a method of joining two boards at right angles, where the intersection occurs within the field of one of the boards, that is not at the end. This joint provides the interlocking strength of a dovetail. Sliding dovetails are assembled by sliding the tail into the socket. It is common to slightly taper the socket, making it slightly tighter towards the rear of the joint, so that the two components can be slid together easily but the joint becomes tighter as the finished position is reached.


The full-blind dovetail obscures the mechanics of the joint altogether. This variant is used in fine work when the craftsperson requires the strength of a dovetail but without the visual intrusion of the interlocking pins and tails. Two versions of this joint are the secret double-lapped dovetail and the full-blind mitered dovetail. The former presents a very thin section of end grain on one edge of the joint, whilst the latter does not. When used in drawer construction, a "full-blind dovetail" is known as a "French dovetail."


Some of these ancient joints and has been found joining the wooden planks of the "Khufu ship", a 43.6 m long vessel sealed into a pit in the Giza pyramid complex of the Fourth Dynasty around 2,500 BC. It has also been found in archeological sites in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. In traditional Chinese architecture, wood components such as beams, brackets, roof frames and struts were made to interlock with perfect fit, without using fasteners or glues, enabling the wood to expand and contract according to humidity. Archaeological evidence from Chinese sites show that by the end of the Neolithic, mortise and tenon joinery was employed in Chinese construction. The 30 sarsen stones of Stonehenge were dressed and fashioned with mortise and tenon joints before they were erected between 2600 and 2400 B.C.



Butt Joint

A butt joint is a joinery technique in which two members are joined by simply butting them together. The butt joint is the simplest joint to make since it merely involves cutting the members to the appropriate length and butting them together. It is also the weakest because unless some form of reinforcement is used (see below) it relies upon glue alone to hold it together. Because the orientation of the members usually present only end grain to long grain gluing surface, the resulting joint is inherently weak.



Bridle Joint

A bridle joint is a woodworking joint, similar to a mortise and tenon, in that a tenon is cut on the end of one member and a mortise is cut into the other to accept it. The distinguishing feature is that the tenon and the mortise are cut to the full width of the tenon member.


The corner bridle joint (also known as a slot mortise and tenon) joins two members at their respective ends, forming a corner. This form of the joint is commonly used to house a rail in uprights, such as legs. It provides good strength in compression and is fairly resistant to racking, although a mechanical fastener or pin is often required. The bridle joint is very popular in workbench construction.



Butterfly Joint

A Butterfly joint is a type of joint used either to hold two or more wooden boards together or to keep two halves of a board that have already started to split from splitting further. They may also be used to stabilize the core of a knothole, preventing it from dropping out over time. A butterfly joint 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.



Coping Or Scribing Joint

Coping or scribing is the woodworking technique of shaping the end of a moulding or frame component to fit the contours of an abutting member. Most English speaking countries outside the US use the terms scribe and scribing. Coping is commonly used in the fitting of skirting and other moldings in a room. It allows for clean joints between intersecting members when walls are not square to each other. The other method of fitting these moldings that is commonly used is the mitre joint but this technique relies upon the walls being at 90° to each other for neat results.


Coping is only ever used for internal corners. External corners are always mitered. The main reason that scribed joints are used is that timber shrinks in width far more than it does in length. By using a scribed joint rather than an internal mitre joint the effect of shrinkage is minimized. Also it is possible to arrange the scribed joints pointing away from the most common viewpoint (usually the doorway of a room) and so present the best appearance.


A scribed joint (right end of sketch) is derived from an internal mitre cut (left end) by cutting along the inside face of the mitre cut at a right angle to the board, typically with a coping saw.


Coping is also commonly used in cabinet making for moldings and frame components. The rails in frame and panel construction are commonly cope cut to fit the profile of the stiles. The technique is also common in the construction of doors and windows.



Rail And Stile

Frame and panel construction (also called "rail and stile") is a woodworking technique often used in the making of doors, wainscoting, and other decorative features for cabinets, furniture, and homes. The basic idea is to capture a 'floating' panel within a sturdy frame, as opposed to techniques like slab drawer fronts which are simply single pieces of material with exposed end-grains. Usually, the panel is not glued to the frame - it is left to 'float' within it so that seasonal movement of the wood comprising the panel does not distort the frame.


Frame and panel construction at its most basic consists of five members: The panel and the four members which make up the frame. The vertical members of the frame are called stiles while the horizontal members are known as rails. A basic frame and panel item consists of a top rail, a bottom rail, two stiles, and a panel. This is a common method of constructing cabinet doors and these are often referred to as a five piece door.


In larger panels it is common to divide the panel into one or more sections. To house the extra panels, dividing pieces known as mid rails and mid stiles or muntins are added to the frame.


Pocket-Hole Joinery, Pocket-Screw Joinery, or Kreg Joinery involves drilling a hole at an angle into one work-piece, and then joining it to a second work-piece with a self-tapping screw. The technique, in addition to doweling, has its roots in ancient Egypt. Egyptians clamped two work-pieces together and bored a hole at an angle from the outside work-piece into the second work-piece. They then inserted a dowel with glue, and cut it off flush with the outermost surface.


A rabbet (also known as rebate) is a recess or groove cut into the edge of a piece of machinable material, usually wood. When viewed in cross-section, a rabbet is two-sided and open to the edge or end of the surface into which it is cut. The spelling rabbet is probably a derivation of rebate, the latter being more common outside of North America. An example of the use of a rabbet is in a glazing bar where it makes provision for the insertion of the pane of glass and putty. It may also accommodate the edge of the back panel of a cabinet. It is also used in door and casement window jambs.


Tongue and groove joint A strong joint, the tongue and groove joint is widely used for re-entrant angles. The effect of wood shrinkage is concealed when the joint is beaded or otherwise moulded. In expensive cabinet work, glued dovetail and multiple tongue and groove are used. Tongue and groove or T&G is a method of fitting similar objects together, edge to edge, used mainly with wood: flooring, parquetry, panelling, and similar constructions. Tongue and groove joints allow two flat pieces to be joined strongly together to make a single flat surface. Before plywood became common, tongue and groove boards were also used for sheathing buildings and to construct concrete formwork.


Solid parquet boards with tongues on the right sides of the boards and grooves on the left sides. Grooves are also visible on the near ends; the far ends are tongued.

Each piece has a slot (the groove) cut all along one edge, and a thin, deep ridge (the tongue) on the opposite edge. The tongue projects a little less than the groove is deep. Two or more pieces thus fit together closely. The joint is not normally glued, as shrinkage would then pull the tongue off. For many uses, tongue and groove boards have been rendered obsolete by the introduction of plywood and later composite wood boards, but the method is still used in good-quality flooring. Plywood may also be tongued all round to fit it flush into a framed structure, and plywood for sub-floors used in platform framing is often supplied with tongue and groove edges.When joining thicker materials, several tongue and groove joints may be used one above the other.


A dado (US and Canada), housing (UK) or trench (Europe) is a slot or trench cut into the surface of a piece of machinable material, usually wood. When viewed in cross-section, a dado has three sides. A dado is cut across, or perpendicular to, the grain and is thus differentiated from a groove which is cut with, or parallel to, the grain. A dado may be through, meaning that it passes all the way through the surface and its ends are open, or stopped, meaning that one or both of the ends finish before the dado meets the edge of the surface.



Dougong Chinese: 斗拱; pinyin: dǒugǒng

Dougong (simplified Chinese: 斗拱; traditional Chinese: 斗拱; pinyin: dǒugǒng) is a unique structural element of interlocking wooden brackets, one of the most important elements in traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian and Singaporian architecture. The use of dougong first appeared in buildings of the late centuries BC and evolved into a structural network that joined pillars and columns to the frame of the roof.


Diagram of bracket and cantilever arms from the building manual Yingzao Fashi (published in 1103) of the Song Dynasty.


Dougong was widely used in the ancient Chinese during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 to 476 BC) and developed into a complex set of interlocking parts by its peak in the Tang and Song periods. The pieces are fit together by joinery alone without glue or fasteners, due to the precision and quality of the carpentry. After the Song Dynasty, brackets and bracket sets became more ornamental than structural when used in palatial structures and important religious buildings, no longer the traditional dougong.


Dougong inside the East Hall timber hall of Foguang Temple, built in 857 during the Tang Dynasty



Lost Art ? - We Can Provide The Replacement Parts Made In The Same Hand

In traditional Chinese architecture, wood components such as beams, brackets, roof frames and struts were made to interlock with perfect fit, without using fasteners or glues, enabling the wood to expand and contract according to humidity. Archaeological evidence from Chinese sites show that by the end of the Neolithic, mortise and tenon joinery was employed in Chinese construction. This was when Chinese construction was done with pride.






Lets Compare And Speak Frankly



Due to the vast array of Name Brand American Manufacturers that have in recent years sold out the public for higher profits with out regard for quality. Begining with the use of cheap foreign labor manufacturing along with pressed boards,veneers, and other low quality fake materials duplicating- coping the worlds famous quality designs without good conscience or regard for your future use requirements Not To Mention The Loss Of Your Hard Earned Investment.



Many Unscrupulous Manufacturers Offer Furniture And Doors Made By Methods Shown Below

We "Only" Provide Accurate Facts About These Products . We Also Instruct Our Designers To Provide You Factual Comparison Product Information When Possible With Out Bias Or Hype.




Fact : These Types Of Products Built This Way Will Never Become Heirlooms Or An Appreciable Assets - They Are Simply Furture Yard Sale Or Dumpster Fodder




Below is How Furniture And Doors Etc. Should Never Be Built - Armed With The Facts Is The Only Way We know To Make A Large Investment Decision Such As Your Heirloom Furniture. A Positive Result In Your Best Interest.



Most Sellers Are Simply Omitting Some Important Negative Facts. Most of these furnishings are made up of scarf joints and splice joints and glue in order to design each piece to fit in the shipping crate for the long journey overseas. The joints are then sanded filled and finished to hide the joints. Sometimes particle board is used to make a frame, then a thin hard wood veneered surface is added by a laminating machine. Carvings are usually casted resin to match. Most legs are bolted on in place of true joinery.


If It Was Made To Fit In A Box It Is Never Investment Quality Furniture.
All good quality furniture the box, if any was required, was always built to fit the furniture.


Scarfed Joined, Veneers, Resin Castings Always Means Temporary Or Until The Glues Gives Out.

The scarf joint in woodworking, there are two distinctly different categories of scarf, based on whether the joint has interlocking faces or not. A plain scarf is simply two flat planes meeting on an angle relative to the axis of the stock being joined, and depends entirely on adhesive and/or mechanical fastening (screws, bolts, etc.) for all strength. Structured scarf joint includes hooked, keyed, and nibbed scarfs and are some of the many example of interlocking scarfs, offering varying degrees of tensile and compressive strength, though most still depend on mechanical fastening to keep the joint closed.



Splice Joint

A splice joint is a method of joining two members end to end in woodworking. The splice joint is used when the material being joined is not available in the length required. It is an alternative to other joints such as the butt joint and the scarf joint. Splice joints are stronger than unreinforced butt joints and have the potential to be stronger than a scarf joint. They are more visible than a scarf joint but may be preferred when more strength is required.


Splices are therefore most often used when structural elements are required in longer lengths than the available material. The most common form of the splice joint is the half lap splice, which is common in building construction, where it is used to join shorter lengths of timber into longer beams. The splice joint should never be used in quality furniture or door building.



There Are Many More Government Reports On Foreign Imports


Most cheap imports are useing engineered cores or faux materials such as paste boards, veneers, masonite, MDO plywood, melamine and oriented strand board panels with expensive wood sounding names such as walnut or hickory veneer etc.


The Result Is Never Positive


Source info: EIA US Office P.O. Box 53343 Washington, DC 20009 United States of America info@eia-global.org Tel +1 202 483 6621 Fax +1 202 986 8626 www.eia-global.org


Also using this illegal foreign wood it could also mean bug infestation. certificates of origin as well as de-infestation and are required on all imported woods due to the likely hood of bug infestation such as bed bugs. Click this link below for wood imports - Florida Entomologist report.


University of Florida, IFAS, Fort Lauderdale Research & Education Center 3205 College Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314 Bug Infestation Information Facts: Important details that you should know before you purchase wood imports - Florida Entomologist 89(1) Report.







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