Woodwork Joints

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TRADITIONAL WOODWORK JOINTS
BUTT JOINT LAP JOINT BRIDLE JOINT DOWEL JOINT MITRED JOINT FINGER JOINT DOVETAIL JOINT DADO JOINT
GROOVE JOINT TONGUE & GROOVE JOINT MORTISE & TENON JOINT BIRDSMOUTH JOINT CROSS LAP SPLICE JOINT

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01. BUTT JOINT
A butt joint is a technique in which two pieces of wood are joined by simply placing their ends together without any special shaping. The name 'butt joint'
comes from the way the wood is joint together. The butt joint is the simplest joint to make since it merely involves cutting the wood to the appropriate length
and butting them together. It is also the weakest because unless some form of reinforcement is used (see below) it relies upon glue alone to hold it together.
Because the orientation of the wood usually presents only one end to long grain gluing surface, the resulting joint is inherently weak
REINFORCED BUTT JOINT
1. Nailed butt joint
· Most common form of the butt joint.
· Members are brought together and are nailed to hold them in place.
· A technique of skew-nailing is applied so that nails are not parallel to resist the pulling apart of the joint.
· Rarely used in furniture making.
Use for:
- Framing in building construction, such as platform framing
- Basic or temporary box / cabinet / frame making
- Wooden toys
2. Bracket or Plate Fixing
· To Hide Butt joint - Right-angle or T-bracket is added
Strengthen the joint.
· Brackets - Are thin, metal plates, screwed into wood
·Aesthetically not good - Only suitable in hidden areas.
· A small triangle of plywood can be used and is
screwed over the joint at the corners.

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3. Screwed Joint
· A very simple and strong type of butt joint
· A screwed joint is often seen as less aesthetically pleasing than a dowel or biscuit joint,
but with a bit of extra work, the screw heads can easily be hidden.
· The screws should be at least twice as long as the thickness of the member they are passing through.
· The screw holes can be countersunk to allow the screw heads to be sunk below the surface, or
a counter-bore can be used to create a deeper hole which can then be filled with a plug of wood
or dowel. This can then be glued and sawn off flush to create an almost seamless finish.
Use for:
• Frame joinery (e.g. face frames, web frames, door frames)
• Cabinet carcase construction (carcase sides to top and bottom, fixed shelving/partitions)
4. Dowel Reinforced Joints
· If you have ever put a piece of flat pack furniture, you have probably seen a dowel reinforced butt joint.
· With flat pack furniture, the holes for the dowels are pre-drilled, but if you are making the joints yourself,
you will need to drill them yourself.
· A device called a dowelling jig can help you in getting the holes accurately lined up (accuracy is
essential with this type of joint).
· Drilling the holes slightly smaller than the diameter of the dowel you are using is important in getting
a strong joint.
· Dowel reinforced joints can simply be glued, but you can also drive a screw in through one member and
into the end of the adjoining member to further increase strength.
Use for:
• Frame joinery (e.g. face frames, web frames, door frames, table legs to aprons, chair legs)
• Cabinet carcase construction (e.g. carcase sides to top and bottom, fixed shelving/partitions)
• Panel assembly (for alignment)
5. Knock-Down Fasteners
· Knock-down fasteners usually consist of cam dowels locked by cam locks, also known as conformat fasteners, installed in adjacent members.
· The members are brought together and the joint is secured by turning the cam-lock.
· This type of fastener is very popular in flat-pack furniture, and is designed to be assembled and unassembled several times.
Used for:
· Cabinet making depending on type of fastener

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6. Biscuit Reinforced Joints
· Not as common as the dowel reinforced joint - Are more commonly found in cabinet making and frame making.
· Biscuit - a small oval of treated and dried wood which fits into a corresponding slot cut into the area of the butt joint.
· Cutting the slots for the biscuit can be done with a biscuit joiner.
· Are popular as they require less accuracy and creates a strong joint – used with glue
Use for:
• Frame joinery (e.g. face frames, web frames, table legs to aprons, chair legs)
• Cabinet carca se construction (e.g. carcase sides to top and bottom, fixed shelving/partitions)
• Panel assembly (for alignment)
• Attaching face frames to cabinets
• Bottom
Edge to edge Butt joint reinforced with biscuits Edge to face butt joint reinforced with biscuits End to edge frame butt joint reinforced with biscuits
End to face butt joint reinforced with biscuits

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7.Butt joint with pocket-hole screws
· Pocket-hole joinery or pocket-screw joinery
- Involves drilling a hole at an angle - usually 15° - into one work-piece and then joining it to a second work piece with a self-tapping screw.
Used for:
• Frame joinery (e.g. face frames, web frames, door frames)
• Attaching face frames to cabinets
Benefits
• Because the screws act as internal clamps holding the joint together, glue is unnecessary (but usually recommended) for most common joints. If glue is
used, clamping is not required because of the ‘internal clamps’ holding the joint together while the glue dries.
• Requires only one hole to be drilled, eliminating the need to precisely line up mating work-pieces, as is required with dowel and mortise and tenon joints.
• Does not require any complex mathematics or measurements, such as those used in mortise and tenon joints.
• Because pocket-hole joinery doesn't require access to the inside of the joint, quick repairs are possible without completely disassembling the joint. Fixing a
squeaky chair or strengthening furniture requires only the drilling of additional pocket holes, and the use of screws to pull the two pieces together.
Drawbacks
• Pocket-hole joints break at considerably lower weights than more traditional joinery.
• A broken pocket-hole joint "likely can’t be repaired".

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02. OVERLAP JOINT / LAP JOINT
• Is a joint between two pieces of metal in which the edges or ends are overlapped and fastened together to produce a continuous or flush surface.
• Full-lap and half-lap joints are the most commonly used joints.
- Full-lap technique - No material is removed from any of the parts and the resulting joint is the combined thickness of the two.
- Half-lap joint - some material is removed from each of the members and the joint is the thickness of the thickest part.
If the two members have similar thicknesses, only half is removed from each.
• A lap joint may be temporary or permanent.
- Temporary joints may be used - In most engines and other forms of machinery where replacements are required or when two parts of the
machine are joined together to achieve a particular task. This uses brackets and fastening components such as bolts, screws, nails and rivets.
- Permanent joints are formed using brazing, welding, soldering, flame joints and adhesives.
Advantages of lap joints include:
• Easy to prepare (does not require cut faces to be parallel or perfectly flat)
• Can be formed between two dissimilar metals, such as aluminium and copper
• Accommodates different thicknesses (thinner piece must be welded on top)
• Thin material such as diaphragms and foils can be joined
Disadvantages include:
• Some instances of lower tensile strength
• Less rigid than the base materials since the weld may act as a pivot
• Overlaps may be undesirable for mechanical or aesthetic reasons.
• Micro-cracks and cavity defects may occur if wrong welding speed is used.
• Corrosion and fatigue cracking may occur on the shielded areas due to moisture retention
Lap joints are widely used in woodworking, plastics and metals. They are used to enable the fabrication of regularly and irregularly shaped parts,
sheets & also when longer parts are required. Typical applications include aircraft fuselages and the advanced structural frames for cars and motorcycles.

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End lap
· Also known simply as a pull lap - it is the basic form of the lap joint and is used when joining members end to end either parallel or at right angles.
· In corner situation it is called a corner lap and is used in framing.
· Half lap - Are parallel – also known as half lap splice - Is an alternative to scarfing when joining shorter members end to end.
· Both members in an end lap have one shoulder and one cheek each.
Use for:
• Internal cabinet frames
• Visible frames when the frame members are to be shaped.
Cross lap
• The main difference between this and the basic half lap is that the joint occurs in the middle of one or both members, rather than at the end. The two
members are at right angles to each other and one member may terminate at the joint, or it may carry on beyond it. When one of the members terminates at
the shin, it is often referred to as a tee lap or middle lap. In a cross lap where both members continue beyond the joint, each member has two shoulders and
one cheek.
Use for:
• Internal cabinet frames
• Simple framing and bracing
Dovetail lap
• This is a lap in which the housing has been cut at an angle which resists withdrawal of the stem from the cross-piece.
Use for: Framing applications where tension forces could pull the joint apart
Mitred half lap
• The mitred half lap is the weakest version of the joint because of the reduced gluing surface.
Use for: Visible framing applications where a mitred corner is desired
Half lap joint terminology Corner half lap joint Oblique halving joint

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Corner half lap joint with double dovetail Cross halving joint Oblique cross halving joint
Cross halving joint with housed corners T half lap joint Tee halving joint
Blind half lap joint Edge half lap joint Full-half lap joint

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Dovetail half lap joint Dovetail halving with shoulder Stopped dovetail half lap joint
Half lap joint with one side dovetailed Stopped half lap joint with one side dovetailed Mitered half lap joint
Carpentry tie half lap joint Cross rail and upright halved joint Halved joint on barrow wheels

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Halved moulded joint Interlocking cross half lap joint Keyed dovetail half lap joint Three member half lap joint

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03. BRIDLE JOINT
• Bridle joints are very similar to the mortise and tenon joint but the difference is in the size of the mortise and tenon. Because these joints still have a
mortise and tenon they are still very strong and fairly attractive.
• The difference in the bridle joints mortise and tenon is in the length of the tenon and the depth of the mortise. The tenon on this joint is as long as the
depth of the timber it is being inserted into and the mortise is cut the whole depth of the timber.
• This allows the two pieces to lock tightly and you can also see the end grain of the tenon unlike on the mortise and tenon joint which makes it a little less
attractive.
Angled bridle woodworking joint Bridle woodworking joint at corner of frame Mitre bridle woodworking joint
Oblique angle bridle woodworking joint Oblique bridle woodworking joint Simple bridle woodworking joint
Stopped bridle woodworking joint Table leg bridle woodworking joint to rail

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04. DOWEL JOINT
• Dowel joints are very strong and attractive if they are, like all other joints constructive well. Dowel is also very useful for greatly increasing the strength of
weaker woodwork joints such as the butt joint.
• This type of joint is secured with an adhesive and a small piece of dowel. Construction also requires nothing more than a drill and some accurate
markings.
• Dowels are round wooden pins of small diameter used to strengthen (reinforce) a joint. They can be bought readymade and can be used instead of nails
or screws, or instead of mortising, dovetailing, etc. They should be dipped in glue and driven at a tight fit into holes made for their reception. Dowels may
be made at the bench by the plane, or they may be turned. When planed, they will be improved in section if driven through a round hole in a piece of steel.
They are supplied by the trade, of all ordinary diameters and lengths.

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05. MITRED JOINT
• It is a joint made by bevelling each of two parts to be joined, usually at a 45° angle, to form a corner, usually a 90° angle.
• For woodworking, a disadvantage of a miter joint is its weakness, but it can be strengthened with a spline. There are two common variations of a splined
miter joint, one where the spline is long and runs the length of the mating surfaces and another where the spline is perpendicular to the joined edges.
Edge miter joint Edge miter joint reinforced with biscuits Edge miter joint reinforced with dowels
Edge miter joint reinforced with spline End miter joint End miter joint reinforced with biscuits
Frame miter joint reinforced with biscuits Frame miter joint reinforced with dowels Frame miter joint reinforced with spline

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End miter joint reinforced End miter joint reinforced Frame miter joint Feather spline miter joint
With Dowels with spline
06. FINGER JOINT
• A finger joint, also known as a comb or box joint, is a woodworking joint made by cutting a set of complementary rectangular cuts in two pieces of
wood, which are then glued. To visualize a finger joint simply interlock the fingers of your hands at a ninety degree angle; hence the name "finger joint."
It is stronger than a butt joint or lap joint, and often contributes to the aesthetics (appearance) of the piece.
• Alternate names include box-pin joint or box joint.
Box woodworking joint Finger woodworking joint Decorative finger woodworking joints. Miscellaneous finger woodworking joints

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07. DOVETAIL JOINT
• The dovetail joint is one of the hardest if not the hardest woodwork joint to construct and as its name suggests the joint consists of pins that look like
dovetails which interlock into slots.
• This pin and slot combination gives the joint great strength and aesthetics but it requires good precision and accuracy during the construction of the
joint or it may become loose and it can be unattractive.
• The pins are glued into the slots and a nail on each pin can be inserted to help keep the dovetail joint strong and square until the glue dries.
• These joints are most commonly found on the front of drawers or on boxes such as a wooden tool box because of its great strength and very attractive
look if the joint has been well constructed.
• There is usually a three pin setup but more or less pins can be used depending on how much strength and aesthetics is needed.
Anatomy of a through dovetail joint Dovetail joint angles Space between tails and pins
Through dovetail joint for boxes Through dovetail joint on carcase work Blind dovetail joint

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Lap dovetail joint for drawers Blind secret mitre dovetail joint Corner through dovetail joint
Dovetail spline joint Dovetailed keys joint for wide surfaces Through sliding dovetail joint
Half sliding dovetail joint Stopped sliding dovetail joint

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08. DADO JOINT
• A dado (US and Canada), housing (UK) or trench (Europe) is a slot or trench cut into the surface of wood. When viewed in cross-section, a dado has
three sides. A dado is cut across, or perpendicular to, the grain and is thus differentiated from a groove which is cut with, or parallel to, the grain.
• A through dado involves cuts which run between both edges of the surface, leaving both ends open. A stopped or blind dado ends before one or
both of the cuts meets the edge of the surface
• Dados are often used to affix shelves to a bookcase carcase. Combined with a rabbet (rebate) on an adjoining piece, they are used to make the rabbet
and dado joint, sometimes used in case goods.
Through dado joint Stopped dado joint Blind dado joint
Tongue and dado joint Dado and rabbet joint Double dado joint

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09. GROOVE JOINT
• In joinery, a groove is a slot or trench cut into a member which runs parallel to the grain. A groove is thus differentiated from a dado, which runs across
the grain.
• Grooves are used for a range of purposes in cabinet making and other woodworking fields. Typically, grooves are used to house the panels in frame and
panel construction and the bottoms of drawers. For more structural construction, grooves are created along the sides and/or ends of panels, such as in
tongue and groove construction. Applications include roofing, siding and flooring.
• A groove may be through, meaning that it passes all the way through the surface and its ends are open, or stopped, meaning that one or both of the
ends finish before the groove meets edge of the surface
• A groove can be cut by the following methods:
- electric router using a straight or rebate bit
- circular saw with multiple passes (depending on width and depth)
- dado set in a single pass
- spindle moulder (wood shaper)
- hand saw and chisel
- router plane

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10. TONGUE AND GROOVE JOINT
• A tongue and groove joint is a unique woodwork joint that is attached edge to edge with two or more pieces of timber. It is made with one edge
consisting of a slot that runs down the entire length of the timber and a tongue which fits into the slot.
• This groove and tongue feature creates a reasonably strong and aesthetically pleasing joint that can be used in areas such as floorboards, lining boards,
wood panelling and table tops.
• The tongue with a grove feature is easy to attach together because of its simplicity and it allows for a tight fit that has plenty of surface area for
adhesives.
• These joints can be very difficult to make without the right woodwork machinery.
• Because of the many types of timbers readily available with this particular type of joint it is probably best to buy what you need than to try and make the
joint because it is much simpler than attempting to make the joint which requires great tools, machinery and skill.
Tongue and groove joint Double tongued and grooved joint Tongue and groove joint for nailing
Tongue and groove joint with bead Tongued Grooved and Veed joint – chamfer Tongued Grooved and Veed joint - radius

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Tongued Grooved and Veed joint - radius with bottom Dovetailed tongue and groove joint Double dovetailed tongue and groove joint

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11. MORTISE AND TENON
A mortise and tenon joint is one in which the rectangular end (the tenon) of one piece fits into a rectangular hole (the mortise) of the same size, in the
other piece. Mortise and tenon jonts are made in a number of different types.. The blind mortise and tenon is the most common. It is used extensively in
cabinetmaking for joining rails to legs or stiles, and in many other constructions well. When properly designed, proportioned, and well made, mortise and
tenon joints are strong and neat in appearance.
Tenon and mortise terminology
Tenon terminology Mortise terminology
Through mortise and tenon joint Corner through mortise and tenon joint Blind mortise and tenon joint
Corner blind mortise & tenon joint Angled haunched mortise and tenon joint Angled haunched barefaced mortise and tenon joint

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Application of haunched tenon joint to door frame End wedged through tenon and mortise joint Wedged through tenon and mortise joint
Barefaced blind tenon and mortise joint Haunched tenon and mortise joint Interlocking tenon & mortise joint for seat
rails of chair to leg
Long and short shouldered tenon and mortise joint Loose tenon and mortise joint Open through tenon and mortise joint - Bridle joint

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Round tenon and mortise joint Tenon and mortise joint with mitered face Tusk tenon and mortise joint
Twin tenon and mortise joint Twin tenon and mortise joint for thick timber Tenon and mortise joint reinforced with dowel
Tenon and mortise joint for fencing Skewed tenon and mortise joint Self wedging tenon and mortise joint

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12. BIRDS MOUTH JOINT
• In light frame construction, a birdsmouth joint or bird's beak cut is a woodworking joint that is generally used to connect a roof rafter to the top plate of
a supporting
wall. It is an indentation cut into the rafter which consists of a "seat cut" (the face of which rests on the top plate) and a "heel cut" or "plumb cut" (the face
of which lies parallel to the supporting wall), forming a shape resembling a bird's mouth. The indentation should not extend unsupported on the interior
in order to maintain the structural integrity of the rafter because the unsupported section can split along the grain of the wood. The joint is generally
fastened with nails by toe-nailing the rafter from the side into the top plate below.
• The depth of a rafter cut varies - as a general rule, no more than 1/3RD
of the depth of the rafter should be removed, in order to maintain structural
integrity.
13. CROSS LAP JOINT
• A joint, as between two boards in which the ends or edges are overlapped and fastened together, usually so as to produce a flush or continuous surface.

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14. SPLICE JOINT
• A splice joint is a method of joining two members end to end in woodworking. The splice joint is used when the material being joined is not available
in the length required. It is an alternative to other joints such as the butt joint and the scarf joint. Splice joints are stronger than unenforced butt joints
and have the potential to be stronger than a scarf joint.
• Splices are therefore most often used when structural elements are required in longer lengths than the available material. The most common form of
the splice joint is the half lap splice, which is common in building construction, where it is used to join shorter lengths of timber into longer beams.
Types of splice joints
There are four main types of splice joints: Half lap, Bevel lap, Tabled, and
Tapered finger.
1. Half lap splice joint
• The half lap splice joint is the simplest form of the splice joint and is
commonly used to join structural members where either great strength is not
required or reinforcement, such as mechanical fasteners, are to be used.
• The joint is cut as for a half lap.
2. Bevel lap splice joint
• The bevel lap is a variation of the half-lap in which the cheeks of the
opposing members are cut at an angle of 5° to 10°, sloping back away from
the end of the member, so that some resistance to tension is introduced.
• This helps to prevent the members from being pulled apart.
3. Tabled splice joint
• The tabled splice joint is another variation of the half lap. The cheeks are
cut with interlocking surfaces so that when brought together the joint resists
being pulled apart.
4. Tapered finger splice joint
• The tapered finger splice joint requires a series of matching 'fingers' or
interlocking prominences to be cut on the ends of opposing members.
• The joint is brought together and glued, with the fingers providing substantial glue surface.
• This joint is commonly used in the production of building materials from smaller off-cuts of
timber. It is commonly found in skirting, architrave, and fascia.
• The joint is usually made by machine.