Woodworking Joinery Types

The butt joint is the most basic woodworking joint. Commonly used when framing walls in conventional, stick-framed homes, this joint relies on mechanical fasteners to hold the two pieces of stock in place. Learn how to build a proper butt joint, and when to use it on your woodworking projects.

A mitered butt joint is basically the same as a basic butt joint, except that the two boards are joined at an angle (instead of square to one another). The advantage is that the mitered butt joint will not show any end grain, and as such is a bit more aesthetically pleasing. Learn how to create a clean mitered butt joint.

The half-lap joint is where half of each of the two boards being joined is removed, so that the two boards join together flush with one another. This type of joint can obviously weaken the strength of the two adjoining boards, but also is a stronger joint than butt joints.

When joining two boards along a long edge, one can simply butt the joint together and hold it with glue. However, the tongue and groove joint is stronger and provides more glue surface. Learn how to create consistent tongue and groove joints.

The mortise and tenon is a classic woodworking joint. These joints have been used since the early times of woodworking, and are still among the strongest and most elegant methods for joining wood. Learn methods for creating tight, beautiful mortise and tenon joints.

Another method for joining boards along the edges (like the tongue and groove joint) is to cut slots and use beechwood biscuits to hold the boards in place. This is a very common modern woodworking joint, relying on glue and the swelling of the beechwood biscuit to hold the boards in place. Learn how to cut consistent slots and get reliable results from biscuit joinery.

Pocket Joinery involves cutting a slot and pre-drilling a hole at an angle between two boards before connecting the two with a screw. This pre-drilling is most commonly accomplished with a simple commercial jig. Pocket joints work great for cabinet face frames and other similar applications where a lot of strength is not needed. Learn the steps to creating pocket joints.

A dado is nothing more than a slot in one board where another board will fit. This is a commonly-used joint for connecting plywood, such as building cabinetry. Learn how to properly cut a dado, and when to use one.

Another common cabinetry joint is the rabbet. A rabbet is basically a dado cut along the edge of a board. Rabbets are often used at the back of cabinets and other similar assemblies for attaching the back to the sides of the box, adding a considerable amount of strength to the assembly. Learn how to cut clean rabbets and when to use them.

Of all woodworking joints, the through dovetail may be the most revered. A classic through dovetail is beautiful and very strong, and adds a touch of class to any piece. There are a few methods for creating through dovetails. Learn the keys to a quality through dovetail joint.