Identifying wood, finish and joinery

[simonsig]

Dear Woodwork Forum,


I need help identifying three things in this photo:

1) What is that kind of corner called and how are the pieces joined together?

2) What kind of wood is it?

3) What finish has the wood been treated with?


Thank you,
Simon

[elanjacobs]

1) What is that kind of corner called and how are the pieces joined together?
It's a mitred corner. The upright panels are glued to the middle panel with something for alignment; could be dowels, biscuits, loose tongue, rebate... Many different ways to get the same outcome.


2) What kind of wood is it?
Plywood. Possibly Birch.


3) What finish has the wood been treated with?
Dunno, might just be a simple polyurethane varnish.

[kph]

Hi
This joint is called a 'birds mouth' and is very popular for two reasons. One, if there is any movement to the mitre, it is hidden and secondly so there is no sharp corner to damage. Its usual to paint the 'birds mouth' black, not only to highlight the corner but to further hide any movement to the mitre join.
The material is rotary cut birch and the finish is most probably oil.
I fitted out an entire office complex with this detail in Sweden many years ago (1998) and at the time was very popular.

Kevin

[GraemeCook]

Hi
This joint is called a 'birds mouth' and is very popular ......



It is very different from two quite different joints that I know that are called birdsmouth joints or birdsbeak joints.


Shipwrights or Spar Makers version:

This is a self-aligning method of laying up the battens to make a wooden mast or boom for a yacht. After the glue cures the spar is planed down to the white circumference.

488870



Roof carpenters version:

This is used to attach roof rafters to top plates.

488874


Your Version:

I cannot visualise how you would have put plywood wheets together to form that birdsmouth joint. From Simon's photo it seems that the it could be as simple as some butt joints or it may be more complex.

Could you explain in a little more detail, please.

[GraemeCook]

488875


Sorry, Gremlins.

This is the Shipwrights or Sparmakers version of the birdsmouth joint that should have appeared in my previous post.

[kph]

Hi
Ok I have translated the Swedish to English (Faglarmun) which is the term used for that joint style. I have also seen this term used in many languages and here in Australia. Like all definitions and terminology there is different interpretations. Remember this is furniture and when a designer needs to reference something different, they sometimes borrow a terminology from elsewhere.
The architects that I still do commissions for still refer to this joint as a 'birds mouth' detail.

Anyway as long as the client knows what they are getting and its clearly defined call it what you want.

Kevin