Any seasoned woodworker will tell you, joinery is one of the most basic and essential concepts to master in woodworking. Whether you’re building a cabinet, a load-bearing table, or simply putting together a basic picture frame, choosing an appropriate, sturdy joint is crucial to creating a quality product.
In a lot of cases, joints are load-bearing, and knowing how to assemble a strong, well-crafted joint can literally make or break your piece. In this guide, we’ll go over 17 basic sturdy wood joints and when to use them, so you can be on your way to becoming a truly successful woodworker.
Joinery For Absolute Beginners
There are lots of complex ways to attach two pieces of wood, some of which are more aesthetically pleasing than others. To begin, we’ll look at a series of options that are especially suitable for beginner woodworkers. These methods don’t require a lot of complicated knowledge about design structure and are easy to assemble.
1. Basic Butt Joint
The Butt joint is by far the easiest and simplest way of joining two pieces of wood. It is formed by simply butting, or placing the ends of two pieces of wood together at right angles. Unfortunately, because this is the simplest joining technique, it is also the weakest.
Unlike many of the other methods we’ll cover, the butt joint does not have any inherent structural integrity. It depends completely upon the strength of the glue to keep the project together. And because the orientation of the two pieces requires connecting a long grain surface to an end grain, you can usually break the joint apart with your bare hands.
If you like the simplicity of this method, but want to add some additional strength to your piece, there are a variety of reinforcements you can use to add an extra level of durability. Fasteners, nails, and screws can all be added onto the pre-glued joint to provide strength and longevity.
Butt joints are perfect for simple projects such as rustic picture frames or miniature design models. They are also used in a lot of wall framing on construction sites where speed and efficiency is a lot more important than how the piece looks.
2. Mitered Joints
A mitered joint simply refers to a type of joint that is created at an angle. A mitered butt is exactly like the basic butt, only instead of gluing two pieces of wood together at a 90 degree angle, you simply cut the ends of the wood at a 45 degrees and then glue these pieces together. There are also other variations that utilize different angles.
The benefits of the mitering are primarily aesthetic. Joining the wood at an angle does not add a ton of additional strength, but it does result in a much more polished, aesthetically pleasing look. Unlike the basic butt, the mitered butt does not leave any end grain showing, giving you a nice, flush finish.
Because mitering is a primarily aesthetic choice, you’re better off reserving this joint for picture frames and aesthetic wall decor.
The best results for mitered butts are achieved by cutting the wood using a drop saw as opposed to a hand saw or jigsaw. This will help you achieve the perfectly straight edges that are necessary for the mitered joint’s clean lines.
3. Half Lap Joints
A half-lap is a type of joint where half the thickness of each of the two pieces of wood is removed. When the pieces are joined, the boards meet flush with one another.
The disadvantage of this method is that removing thickness from each of the wood boards weakens them. However, the half-lap allows for wood to be joined along two sections of face grain, each of which has a substantial amount of surface area for gluing. Therefore, the half-lap is a lot stronger than even dowel or screw-enforced butt joints.
The most common use for half-laps is in building cabinet door frames, constructing workbenches or outdoor furniture, and setting up internal framing such as an inner skeleton for a wooden dresser.
The mating surfaces remain flush, making this a great option for rustic, or utility furniture. But the half-lap leaves end grain exposed on both sides, making it a poor choice for any projects where aesthetics play an important role.
4. Mortise and Tenon
From the outside, the mortise and tenon looks a lot like a simple butt joint. However, it actually consists of a tenon, or protruding piece of wood, that inserts into a mortise, or recess in another piece. The wood is thereby wedged together in addition to being glued at the edges.
This method is one of the strongest in joinery and has been used to put together large and heavy pieces for centuries. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to master as a beginner. A router must be used to cut away the excess wood in order to leave a rectangular tenon, and a perfectly matching mortise must be cut with a plunge router.
While it may be hard to get a perfect mortise and tenon on the first try, it’s worth practicing, as this will soon become one of your go-to joints for all of your furniture projects. The mortise and tenon is best for any time you need to join wood at 90 degree angles, such as for chair legs or heirloom tables.
One helpful tip for beginners is to always make the mortise about 1/8th of an inch longer than the tenon projects. This leaves just enough room for the glue, allowing you to get that perfect registration between the two pieces.
5. Bridle Joint
The bridle joint is very similar to the mortise and tenon, with one major distinction. Unlike the mortise and tenon, the protrusion and cuts in the bridle run the length of the end of the wood, as opposed to occupying a small space on the surface. Bridle joints are often easier to cut because they don’t require a router.
The bridle is therefore much stronger than the mortise and tenon, although slightly less aesthetically pleasing, as it leaves the cuts exposed on both sides. It also gets stronger when compressed, making it a great option for framing and load-bearing furniture projects such as bench and table legs.
Joinery For Intermediate Woodworkers
Next we’ll take a look at a few joinery techniques that are a little more complicated and sometimes require special jigs and tools to set up. These methods often lead to stronger and more structurally sound projects, but they can be a little bit tricky for first timers.
6. Tongue and Groove
The tongue and groove is the most commonly used edge-to-edge joint in flooring. It consists of a thin slot or groove carved into one edge piece, and a corresponding ridge, or tongue, running along one side of the other. Typically, the grooves are cut into the length of the boards so that each piece fits neatly into the other.
Unlike a lot of the options we’ve seen so far, the tongue and groove is nailed together. Nails are typically inserted through the tongue, and the grooved side is then fitted overtop to conceal the nailing, resulting in a clean surface.
Tongue and groove joints are used for woodworking projects that require flat surfaces. They are effective in constructing bespoke tabletops, hardwood flooring, wooden panelling, and even intricate and beautiful parquetry.
One of the many benefits of this joint is that it allows for wood shrinkage, making it a particularly good option for flooring or other projects where longevity is important.
7. Pocket Screws
Another type of joinery that does not utilize glue is the pocket-hole method. First, an angular slot is cut into one piece of wood, in the middle of which a pilot hole is drilled. A screw is then drilled through the pilot hole and into the second piece of wood, with the screw head resting nicely in the well of the slot.
This method is great for attaching pieces of wood with different grain orientations or for work in cabinetry where strength is the primary consideration, as the angle of the screws helps create a highly durable connection.
The one downside is that a great deal of precision is required in drilling the pilot hole and cutting the slots. For this reason, it is usually only made with a special jig and drill bit that might not be accessible by absolute beginners.
8. Dowel Joint
Dowel joints are formed in a similar manner to the mortise and tenon. The major difference is that the dowel itself is a completely separate cylindrical piece that is then inserted into round recesses in both of the connecting pieces of wood.
To create this joint, you will need to drill aligning holes in each piece of wood and then glue the dowels into each piece. Although this sounds simple enough, precision is critical, and you will need good centering tools and skills in order to pull it off.
This method is suitable for handiwork crafts and bespoke woodworking where visible screws and nails are undesirable. It is also used in many wood-lathe projects.
You can even use dowels to create a more bohemian look by choosing a contrasting wood to create exposed dowel detailing.
9. Cross lap joints
Cross lap joints are very similar to half-lap joints, only they serve to join to pieces of wood at right angles and are often strong enough on their own that they can be combined without the use of any additional hardware or glue.
They also have a much sleeker finish than the half lap because the edges are completely flush and the exposed joinery actually adds a level of style and beauty that is not present in the half lap.
For this reason, cross laps are popular in log cabins, gazebos, and other larger structures like work benches and exposed frames. They are no more complicated to make than the simple half-lap, but their application in large-scale projects is what makes them more of an intermediate technique.
10. Biscuit Joint
The biscuit joint is essentially a reinforced butt joint with wooden biscuits glued into slots in the wood. These biscuits are small, oval-shaped pieces of compressed wood. Multiple biscuits are placed in corresponding cuts in the wood pieces to add additional strength to an otherwise unstable connection.
Biscuits are great for plywood projects and casework, but they are too complicated for most beginner woodworkers. They require a special biscuit joiner in order to make specially sized mortises, which can be quite confusing to work with. This article on Craftsmanprotools reviews some of the best ones you can use.
Additionally, the thinness of the biscuit itself makes it difficult for inexperienced woodworkers to handle.
11. Dado Joints
A dado is a groove that is carved into the surface of the wood, typically perpendicular to the grain, through which another piece of wood can be inserted. There are two main types of dado joints: the through dado and the stopped dado. In the through dado, the groove runs the full width of the surface and sometimes requires additional glue or supports to hold the adjoining board in place.
The stopped dado is similar to the the through dado, only the groove stops in the middle of the plank before it reaches the full width of the wood. It provides all the same benefits as the through dado, but is almost always fully self-supporting and produces a much cleaner finish.
With the reliability of modern tools, stopped dados have almost entirely replaced through dados in cabinetry and bookshelves. Also known as blind or hidden dados, they hide the joint connection at the front of the finished project and can be cut just as easily with a table saw or router.
Dados are most commonly used in shelving, drawers, bookcases, and cabinets. For example, a dado can be carved into an empty bookcase, and an entire board of wood can be inserted into the groove to create a shelf.
Decorative Joinery
In addition to all the functional techniques we’ve already gone over, there are hundreds more methods that serve primarily aesthetic purposes. Here are three of our favorite joinery techniques that can be used to add unique details and beauty to your woodworking designs.
12. Rabbet Joint
The rabbet is a variation of the dado joint in which a groove is carved into the corner or edge of a board. A second board, which is the same thickness of the groove, is then glued into place. Typically, the rabbet is used for box corners in chests and drawers, as well as in the place of a dado joint in bookshelves and cabinets.
Unlike the dado, which is more often used purely for its simplicity and functionality, the rabbet joint combines practical functionality with a visually striking finish.
For example, there are all kinds of different versions like mitered and double rabbets that can be used to create interesting lines and colorful contrasts in handmade wood projects. Try experimenting with different woods and pronounced grain lines to create a really beautiful wooden chest using rabbet joints.
13. Finger or Box Joint
The finger joint, sometimes called the comb joint, consists of a series of rectangular ridges and grooves carved into the edges of two pieces of wood. The alternating ridges and grooves create wooden ‘fingers’ that interlock with each other as the two pieces connect. A thin glue or varnish is typically applied to give the piece additional strength.
The term “finger joint” is often used synonymously with “box joint” because the most common application is in decorative box corners where two sets of finger joints are connected at right angles.
This joinery technique is fairly easy to pull off using a table saw or a wood router and a simple box jig and is a great option for creating well-finished projects such as jewellery boxes, cupboards, and miniature toy boxes.
14. Knapp Joint
The knapp joint, or cove and pin joint, is by far my personal favorite. It’s a type of joint that first originated in Massachusetts and was used primarily in post-civil war, Victorian Era furniture. The joint’s popularity stemmed in part from the fact that it was made using an automated machine as opposed to needing to be carved by hand.
Although it has since fallen out of favor in mass manufacturing, the knapp remains a strong joint with a truly beautiful design that is perfect for desk drawers, wardrobes, and handcrafted jewellery boxes.
If you’re looking to achieve an antique feel, then consider trying out this joinery technique using either hand or power tools.
Dovetail Joinery
Dovetail joinery is a famous wood joinery technique used by woodworkers across the globe. It is similar to the finger joint except that the pins and tails created by alternating ridges and grooves are angled to look like a trapezoid. The wedge shapes of the interlocking piece are so strong that they do not necessarily require glue
The dovetail joint has long been considered the epitome of quality workmanship and the marker of a truly masterful woodworker. Although dovetails are an element of traditional woodworking that was originally carved by hand, modern technology has now made it possible to purchase dovetail jigs and routers that ensure any craftsmen can get perfectly matched pins and tails.
There are so many different variations of dovetails that we felt this technique deserved its own category. In fact, dovetailing is often considered its own independent art form! Here are the three main types of dovetails.
15. Through Dovetail
The through dovetail is the most basic version of the dovetail joint. It consists of two pieces of wood joined at right angles using interlocking pins and tails that can be seen from all of the outside edges.
The fully visible dovetail shapes make this a particularly good option for shadow box frames, boxes, cabinets and other wooden chests where the exposed corners really highlight the beauty and craftsmanship of the interwoven dovetails.
Once you’ve mastered the difficult art of crafting dovetails, try experimenting with different patterns and colors. Choose contrasting light and dark woods like oak and walnut, or alternate the size and shape of your pins and tails to create really beautiful pieces that showcase your skills.
16. Half-blind Dovetail
The half-blind dovetail is an alternative version in which half of the joint is visible while the other exposed sides only display the wood’s natural, flat surface. This is particularly useful in situations in which you only want the joint showing from certain angles.
For example, the half-blind dovetail is frequently used to connect drawer sides to the drawer front. While the interweaving dovetail pattern is visible from the side when the drawer is open, the raw ends of the tails do not show through the front of the drawer. It is also a good option for box lids.
17. Sliding Dovetail
A sliding dovetail is essentially the dovetail version of a dado. In this joint, a dovetail shaped dado is cut into the middle of the wood surface, and a board with a corresponding tail is slid into place in the socket.
Unlike the other dovetails we’ve seen, this sliding joint connects two boards at right angles, where the joint occurs in the middle of the surface of one of the boards as opposed to at intersecting ends. The resulting joint is stronger than a dado and also adds an additional visual touch.
Conclusion
Joinery is one of the fundamental skills every woodworker must master, right alongside cutting, measuring, and working with power tools. When beginning any joinery project, it’s important to know which joints are better suited for certain purposes, be it strength, efficiency, or visual appeal. Hopefully this article will give you some good ideas for your next project.
Did you enjoy this list? Let me know what you thought in the comments and be sure to share this article with all the woodworkers, craftsmen, and amateur DIYers in your life.
Thank you one of the best articles on joints that I have ever read. & the videos were very nice to.