This document describes several common types of wood joints: Dowel joints use dowels inserted into drilled holes for strength. Dado joints cut away wood to hold shelves without fasteners. Rabbet joints cut wood at specific lengths then glue them together. Lap joints overlap cut wood and glue or nail them together. Dovetail joints cut interlocking wood shapes to join drawers strongly. Mortise and tenon joints cut a tenon that inserts into a mortise for a very strong connection. Miter joints at corners can be strengthened with hidden wood splines. Tongue and groove joints insert a tongue into a groove to join flooring or panels edge to edge into a flat surface.

1. Types of Wood Joints
Prepared by: Lim, Mary Wynne Ann S.
BSED – TLE3W1

3. Dowel Joint
 Dowels come in different sizes ¼”, 3/8”, ½” , 5/8” etc.
 These joints are hidden and add strength to the joint.
 Dowel holes are drill and glued and clamped together.

4. Dado
• Dado's are typically used in making book shelves,
they support the shelf without the benefit of any
additional fasteners, any glue or hardware simply
holds the shelf in place.
• Dados may be made with a dado blade on a table
saw

5. Rabbet Joint
This type of joint is made by using the
dado blade.
Each side of wood is cut to a specific
length, then glued or brad nailed to make a
stronger joint.

6. Lap Joint
A lap joint is when two piece are cut on a
dado and glued or nail together to create a
stronger joint.

7. Dovetail Joints
Most commonly used to
attach drawer sides to
drawer fronts, dovetails
joints almost always
indicate quality furniture.
Typically cut using a
manufactured jig to cut
these. Can be done by
hand.

8. Mortise and Tenon
• The mortise and tenon joint is one of the
strongest wood joints.
• Mortise and tenon joint is normally formed by cutting
a square tongue (the tenon) on the end of one piece
of wood and an equal size square hole or slot (the
mortise) in another.

9. Mitre with Wood Spline
Mitered corners make the joint disappear. They
have a clean look, and can be strengthened with
splines. Splines can be either hidden inside the
joint or cut on the outside. I

10. Tongue and Groove
 Tongue and groove or T&G is a method of fitting
similar objects together, edge to edge, used mainly with
wood: flooring, parquetry, panelling, and similar
constructions. Tongue and groove joints allow two flat
pieces to be joined strongly together to make a single flat
surface.
 The effect of wood shrinkage is concealed when the joint is
beaded or otherwise moulded