The Amana Difference
We take special pride in our construction techniques, which are extraordinary by today's standards. Our Amana Furniture artisans take pains to match grain patterns and coloring. This loving attention to the nuances of the wood continues from the workbench to the finishing room.

The Splined Miter
With this corner joint, we miter the ends of two pieces of lumber to a 45-degree angle. We then cut a thick groove in each mitered end, and we glue a spline the width & length of the groove into the grooves. When set, this is one of the strongest, most attractive ways to secure corners. The splined miter is rare in today's furniture industry. At Amana Furniture we use it on all our bases.



The Dovetail
Named for its flared cuts, the dovetail is the best way to join two pieces of wood along their width. The neatly cut dovetails interlock on each piece. Fitted together, they resist enormous lateral strain, making this the strongest drawer joint possible. For added strength, we dovetail both the drawer front and back.



Center Guide
From solid wood, we hand make the two-part center guide on our drawer bottoms. We affix a precisely grooved flat rail to the bottom of the drawer, then we join the matching guide rail to the front and back rails of the drawer opening. This careful handcrafting ensures a smooth glide and perfect fit.



Double Mortise & Tenon
A tenon is the notched projection on one end of a rail. The mortise is the cavity cut out of another piece of wood to match the tenon. At the Amana Furniture Shop, we use a double mortise and tenon to increase the gluing surface. This makes a much stronger joint than the single mortise & tenon or dowels commonly used by other manufacturers.


Frame & Panel Construction
On doors and many cabinet sides, we construct the frame with a groove along the interior edge that a beveled panel fits into. This allows an imperceptible play between the groove and panel to accommodate natural expansion & contraction of the wood, ensuring stability in the frame's glue joints. For added stability, we secure the frame corners with blind mortise & tenon joints.