Effects of selected factors on spruce dowel joint stiffness

Joints are used to join furniture parts, and they represent a critical part of the structure of furniture. The quality of joints is greatly affected by the accuracy of their execution. When designing furniture, it is important to carefully consider the type of joint used so that it can hold all the joined elements together. Under loading of the joined structures, internal forces develop, which can lead to failure of the joints. This study investigated the elastic stiffness of spruce (Picea abies L.) dowel joints. The effects of selected factors such as the type of loading (compressive versus tensile), the size of the dowels (one-half versus one-third of the thickness of the joined elements), the type of adhesive used (polyvinyl acetate versus polyurethane), and annual ring deflection were examined. Spruce dowel joints exhibited the highest elastic stiffness values with a higher-diameter dowel glued with PUR adhesives and subjected to compressive loading. The impact of annual rings was not a significant factor. Finally, the reference type joints were compared with other commonly used types, such as three types of mortise and tenon joints (simple, haunched, and dovetail).