There are many types of wood joints that can be used for different purposes. Some key wood joints include butt joints which simply join the ends of two pieces together, biscuit joints which use an oval piece to reinforce a butt joint, and mortise and tenon joints which are very strong and join two pieces at a 90 degree angle. Other common joints include dovetail joints which are the strongest for joining wood end grain to end grain, finger joints which are similar but with straight pins, and tongue and groove joints which provide a strong connection along the long edge of boards. Each joint has advantages for strength, durability and application, though some require more time and skill to execute.

1. TYPES OF WOOD
JOINT
Reymond E. Maliberan

2. Wood Joints
Advantages
• − Give strength
• − Long lasting
• − Decorative
• − Resist forces well
Disadvantages
• − Time-consuming
• − Require skill – difficult to make
• − Special tools needed

3. Butt Joint
• One of the most simple joints,
this is simply putting the ends
of two pieces together.
• It joins the end grain of one
piece to the long grain of
another and the two pieces
are glued together.
• These joints typically only use
glue to hold the pieces
together, so they are fairly
weak and can be broken just
using your hands.

4. Biscuit Joint
• A reinforced version of the
butt joint.
• This joint uses a “biscuit” to
connect the two pieces.
• A biscuit is an oval-shaped
piece usually made with
compressed wood and is
placed in corresponding
mortises.
• Glue is then used to secure
the pieces

5. Bridle Joint
• This joint is similar to a mortise
and tenon, but with more open
holes in the wood.
• The end of one piece of wood
is cut into a tenon shape and
the other piece of wood is cut
into a mortise, so that the two
pieces that can be fitted
together to form a corner.
• This joint can be used to create
legs or to help create frame
pieces when it’s being shaped.
• This is a strong joint with good
durability.

6. Dado (Joinery)
• A dado is nothing more than
a square-grooved slot on
one board where another
board will fit.
• Similar to tongue and groove
joinery
• This is a commonly-used
wood joint for connecting
plywood.

7. Dovetail Joint
• A form of box joint where
the fingers are locked
together by diagonal cuts.
• The strongest method for
joining two pieces of wood
with the grain going in the
same direction.

8. Finger Joint
• Similar to the dovetail joint
• The finger joint also has a
series of pins along an edge
that are interlocked together
using glue.
• The difference is that the
finger joint pins are straight
instead of angled.
• This joint isn’t as strong as
the dovetail, but it is fairly
easy to make.

9. Lap Wood Joint
• The lap wood joint combines
two pieces of wood by
cutting away half the
thickness of the pieces.
• This joint is typically used
when the two pieces have
the same thickness.
• The portion of wood cut
away will fit into the
corresponding cutout on the
other piece.

10. Mortise and
Tenon
• One of the strongest
• The mortise and tenon is
used to attach two pieces of
wood at a 90-degree angle.
• The mortise part of the joint
is a hole or cavity cut into
one piece of wood.
• The tenon is typically around
⅓ the thickness of the piece
of wood.

11. Pocket Hole
• A strong joint that uses a
pocket hole that is cut into
one piece of wood with
another pilot hole that
allows a screw to be driven
into the adjoining piece of
wood.

12. Rabbet Joint
• The rabbet joint is simple and
straightforward.
• A cut is made into the end of a
piece of wood to create a
“step.”
• This joint is in a variety of
woodworking projects.

13. Tongue and
Groove
• Joining two boards square to
one another along a long
edge, one can simply butt the
joint together and hold it with
fasteners.
• The tongue and groove joint is
much stronger
• Provides more adjoining
surface areas, which is
particularly useful.