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entailles à enfourchement sur champs

English translation: notched joints / dovetailed joints

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:entailles à enfourchement sur champs
English translation:notched joints / dovetailed joints
Entered by: B D Finch

04:10 Dec 5, 2018
French to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Construction / Civil Engineering /
French term or phrase: entailles à enfourchement sur champs
I'm translating some 1950s French architectural correspondence relating to prefabricated wooden houses and the specifications are rather technical, so I'd really appreciate some guidance!

This sentence is about the external walls: "Ces madriers superposés sont assemblés à leurs extrémités par des entailles à enfourchement sur champs et des entailles à chartrains sur plat."

Does anyone know the English term for "entailles à enfourchement sur champs"?

Any advice much appreciated.
Sarah Walls
Australia
Local time: 18:44
dovetailed joints
Explanation:
I now think that it's wrong to ignore "sont assemblés à leurs extrémités par des entailles à enfourchement sur champ" this must mean the ends of the planks and so they are dovetailed. See an example of this for a timber wall here:

http://www.thelogconnection.com/log_notch_tail.html

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Note added at 1 day 13 hrs (2018-12-06 17:39:02 GMT)
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Also, tongue and groove is usually "rainure et languette" in French.

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Note added at 2 days 5 hrs (2018-12-07 09:54:02 GMT)
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@Asker
That's a good point and, as dovetailed joints are a particular type of notched joint, it might be safer to call them notched joints. If you had any pictures, that would clear it up. Dovetailing does make the joints stronger for components that aren't principally working in tension.
Selected response from:

B D Finch
France
Local time: 10:44
Grading comment
All the contributions were most helpful but in the end I went with "notched joints". Many thanks and happy festive season!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3dovetailed joints
B D Finch
1tongue and groove (on edge)
Maurice Thibaux


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
tongue and groove (on edge)


Explanation:
This seems to be the most common method, as used in flooring. It is confusing because it says "à leurs extrémités" (ends?.. not edge?). But I am guessing it means that the entailles are grooves not halving or half-lapped. Enfourchement is usually (forked or slot) mortice and tenon, but that's for the "end" of boards (not the edge, which is the smaller lengthwise face). Tongue and groove means the tongue is inserted in the groove (enfourchement).

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Note added at 5 hrs (2018-12-05 10:06:07 GMT)
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It would be clearer with a picture.

Maurice Thibaux
Local time: 18:44
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 20
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1 day 13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
dovetailed joints


Explanation:
I now think that it's wrong to ignore "sont assemblés à leurs extrémités par des entailles à enfourchement sur champ" this must mean the ends of the planks and so they are dovetailed. See an example of this for a timber wall here:

http://www.thelogconnection.com/log_notch_tail.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 13 hrs (2018-12-06 17:39:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Also, tongue and groove is usually "rainure et languette" in French.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 5 hrs (2018-12-07 09:54:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

@Asker
That's a good point and, as dovetailed joints are a particular type of notched joint, it might be safer to call them notched joints. If you had any pictures, that would clear it up. Dovetailing does make the joints stronger for components that aren't principally working in tension.

B D Finch
France
Local time: 10:44
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 915
Grading comment
All the contributions were most helpful but in the end I went with "notched joints". Many thanks and happy festive season!
Notes to answerer
Asker: That is a really helpful link! Actually, the wooden houses in question are Scandinavian chalets. I think you are right about the references being to the ends of the logs and not the edges -- but how do you know the phrase refers to dovetailing rather than either of the other two styles illustrated? Just very curious.

Asker: Sorry, I was just referring to the logs in your picture. I have translated "madriers" as "planks", and alas, there are no pictures. So maybe "notched joints" is the safest option. Thank you.

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