Dowels showing on hand-made furniture?
Discussion
Chaps.
Some advice would be appreciated.
I was after an AV unit and wasn't able to find anything 'ready made' anywhere so I found a company who would build what I wanted in wood to my design.
Unit was designed and was ordered just before xmas (I won't name the company as, up until now, they have been great) but the unit was built this week and I received some pictures this morning from the company showing my completed unit before they ship it up to me next week.
One of the pictures:
I am more than slightly unhappy about the dowels showing on the top of the unit, the furniture maker said that this is standard practice (and looking on an internet forum that contains pictures of other units this company has built shows dowels visible) and that although the dowels were cut from the same wood that was used to make my unit the reason for them being darker is that I am seeing the end of the grain rather than the side.
This AV unit was/is expensive (around £600) and I wondered if any of you chaps had a view on this?
Some advice would be appreciated.
I was after an AV unit and wasn't able to find anything 'ready made' anywhere so I found a company who would build what I wanted in wood to my design.
Unit was designed and was ordered just before xmas (I won't name the company as, up until now, they have been great) but the unit was built this week and I received some pictures this morning from the company showing my completed unit before they ship it up to me next week.
One of the pictures:
I am more than slightly unhappy about the dowels showing on the top of the unit, the furniture maker said that this is standard practice (and looking on an internet forum that contains pictures of other units this company has built shows dowels visible) and that although the dowels were cut from the same wood that was used to make my unit the reason for them being darker is that I am seeing the end of the grain rather than the side.
This AV unit was/is expensive (around £600) and I wondered if any of you chaps had a view on this?
oobster said:
This AV unit was/is expensive (around £600) and I wondered if any of you chaps had a view on
this?
Well until you post more pictures, we're mainly restricted to a view from the top! this?
Serioulsy though, it look good, don't get your knickers in a twist about something so unnoticeable. You're only 'seeing' them now becuase you're not seeing the whole thing in situ.
Piersman2 said:
You're only 'seeing' them now becuase you're not seeing the whole thing in situ.
I'm not so sure, there's quite a few there and on a £600 bit of kit I'd expect better. Even Ikea can manage to drill only part way through the board. Then you can glue the dowel and the top surface is clean. Mark. said:
I'm not so sure, there's quite a few there and on a £600 bit of kit I'd expect better. Even Ikea can manage to drill only part way through the board. Then you can glue the dowel and the top surface is clean.
But then Ikea kit will fall to bits if you try to move it knock into it. Thing is, what can you do anyways? Not buy it?
Piersman2 said:
Thing is, what can you do anyways? Not buy it?
Well, yes, I suppose that is one option I could go down. I've made a deposit (through payal with my credit card) so I guess there could be some method of having the deposit refunded if the manufacturer starts play silly buggers, but thats not a road I want to go down at the moment. Builder has already arranged delivery - I live outwith their normal coverage area so he has had to get a driver to bring it up to me next Wednesday. If I go down the route of having the unit altered then that will have to be cancelled but more importantly the builder wants to charge me for the alterations, even though he didn't explain there would be dowels showing.
I had previously seen the images on the internet forum of other AV furniture they've built to order, but the images are fairly small + other people have picked darker woods or stains so the dowels were not so noticeable. Of course, I now notice them on the forum now that I am looking for them!
I suppose it's all done to expectations, you obviously expected something else but did you specially mention joints to them? If not then all they'll say is "this is how we do everything"
I would have expected something better than just dowels though - an invisible tongue and groove perhaps, or a sexy dovetail perhaps.
I would have expected something better than just dowels though - an invisible tongue and groove perhaps, or a sexy dovetail perhaps.
Dowels are a poor mans joint and TBH at £600 for something that big, they won't be top cabinet makers. If I was you, I would ask them to re-make it using proper cabinet joints. If they don't have a dovetail saw, at best, or a router jig at worst, walk on. If you don't want to waste your deposit, another option would be to veneer over the top to hide them. If done well, you wouldn't know it was veneered.
I agree with the OP...I think that's pretty poor. Though it does depend to an extent I suppose on how complicated the AV cabinet is....if it's a series of shelves forming cubicles for his gear without any draws cupboards etc I think it's really bad....if it includes the latter and is thus a bit more complicated it's still poor....
We've got a mix of furniture in our home....some IKEA, some John Lewis and some bespoke furniture depending on where it is and what it's life expectancy is. None of it has dowels showing through and I know the IKEA and John Lewis stuff has plenty of dowels in it as I put most of it together! The custom made stuff has proper joinery in it where it's visible...all the drawers have dovetail joints etc.
We've got a mix of furniture in our home....some IKEA, some John Lewis and some bespoke furniture depending on where it is and what it's life expectancy is. None of it has dowels showing through and I know the IKEA and John Lewis stuff has plenty of dowels in it as I put most of it together! The custom made stuff has proper joinery in it where it's visible...all the drawers have dovetail joints etc.
Big Al. said:
Being a reasonable wood butcher I would not have expected to see "exposed" dowels used on such thick timber
UNLESS I'd asked for them in the finished design IMHO.
I'd agree with this - if the wood was much thinner I could see that you might have a need for the dowels to be the full thickness of the wood, but there is no need for the dowels to be what, an inch long?UNLESS I'd asked for them in the finished design IMHO.
Of course, they may be screw cover plugs, which thinking about it is more likely. They would drill through, sink the screw and cover with a plug, which you would use the same timber for. If this is the case, it is an accepted method of hiding screws, but not as a good joint in thick timber like that. ( Which looks like cherry? ) If it really is solid, EXPECT movement.
That's a pretty big cabinet so I guess the price isn't bad....I assume that's not solid timber given the size/price ? If it is it's bloody cheap.
Regardless given the depth of the wood the dowels showing is inexcusable.....if it's not solid they should be able to re-veneer it for you pretty easily.
Regardless given the depth of the wood the dowels showing is inexcusable.....if it's not solid they should be able to re-veneer it for you pretty easily.
Solid Beech (so I am told anyway). Dimensions are 150 x 50 x 50, so yes - fairly hefty.
Never been to the company or met the owner, so my decision to purchase from them was based on other happy people posting pictures of their finished units on another internet forum.
I am being deliberately vague on details that would potentially identify the company due to PH 'naming and shaming' rules.
Never been to the company or met the owner, so my decision to purchase from them was based on other happy people posting pictures of their finished units on another internet forum.
I am being deliberately vague on details that would potentially identify the company due to PH 'naming and shaming' rules.
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