BASIC WOOD JOINTS

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 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. It is
also the weakest because unless some form of reinforcement is used (see below) it
relies upon glue alone to hold it together.
LAP JOINT
A lap joint is one of the many joints used to join two pieces of wood together. With
this type of joint, this is done by overlapping the wood and fastening them together.
DADO JOINT
A joint created by fitting the end of one piece of wood at a right angle into
a groove cut across the width of another, to a depth of half its thickness.
RABBET JOINT
A rabbet is a recess or groove cut into the edge of a piece of wood. When viewed in
cross-section, a rabbet is two-sided and open to the edge or end of the surface into
which it is cut.
TOUNGE AND GROOVE JOINT
Tongue and groove is a method of fitting similar objects together, edge to edge, used
mainly with wood, in flooring and similar constructions. Each piece has a slot (the
groove) cut all along one edge, and a thin, deep ridge (the tongue) on the opposite
edge. The tongue projects a little less than the depth of the groove. Two or more pieces
thus fit together closely.
FINGER/BOX 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.
MITER JOINT
A miter joint sometimes shortened to miter, 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.
DOWEL JOINT
The dowel joint is assembled in the same way that you would screw a regular joint
together only pieces of dowel are glued and inserted into holes instead of screws.
By using pieces of dowel over screws the joint becomes much stronger and can be
turned into an appealing feature.
DOVETAIL JOINT
The dovetail joint is commonly used to join the sides of a drawer to the front. A
series of pins cut to extend from the end of one board interlock with a series of tails
cut into the end of another board. The pins and tails have a trapezoidal shape. Once
glued, a wooden dovetail joint requires no mechanical fasteners.
MORTISE AND TENON JOINT
The basic mortise and tenon comprises two components: the mortise hole and the
tenon tongue. The tenon, formed on the end of a member generally referred to as a rail,
is inserted into a square or rectangular hole cut into the corresponding member. The
tenon is cut to fit the mortise hole exactly and usually has shoulders that seat when the
joint fully enters the mortise hole. The joint may be glued, pinned, or wedged to lock it
in place.
 LAP TONGUE &
GROOVE

DADO

DOVETAI
L

MITER

BUTT
DOVETAI
L

FINGER RABBET