Upper School Visual Arts Students Practice Bowties

Using carpenter squares, bevel gauges, the bandsaw, the drill press, and chisels, 9th-grade Woodworking students measured or marked out bowties. No, not the kind you wear!

Teacher Charlie Brooks is leaning into his students’ curiosity about both design and workshop machines by delving into bowtie joints, often called butterfly joints but also called dovetail keys, Dutchman joints, or Nakashima joints. Designed to prevent cracking wood from cracking or spreading further, this type of joint is often used in contemporary furniture for its aesthetic appeal (think: George Nakashima!). 

The class also chiseled out a practice workpiece which will eventually house their bowtie joint. They were thrilled to put their training into practice—especially with the bandsaw—as they began to design their larger project: creating a cutting board using recycled materials from previous projects such as leather and the cut bowties.