WOOD WORKING

JOINTS

Part 1
TYPES OF WOOD JOINTS

TENON
TYPES OF WOOD JOINTS
MORTISE & TENON
ADVANTAGES:
Neat and very strong.

Large surface area for gluing.

It cannot wobble.

Is difficult to pull out.

Most of the joint is hidden in

the timber.

DISADVANTAGES:
Can be fairly difficult to mark
out and cut.

Poor resistance to tension,

especially if badly fitted.
CONSTRUCTION APPLICATIONS
OF
MORTISE & TENON
JOINT
 Pegged (or pinned) tenon
the joint is strengthened by driving a
peg or dowel pin through one or more
holes drilled through mortise side wall
and tenon common in timber framing
joints

Loose tenon
a tenon that is a
separate part of
the joint, as
opposed to a
fixed tenon that is
an integral part of
one of the pieces
to be joined.
Tusk tenon
a kind of mortise and tenon
joint that uses a wedge-shaped
key to hold the joint together.
 TYPES
OF
MORTISE & TENON
JOINT
MORTISE - a cavity cut into a timber to receive a tenon. There are several
kinds of mortise

Open mortise
a mortise that has only three sides.

Stub mortise
a shallow mortise, the depth of which depends on
the size of the timber; also a mortise that does not
go through the workpiece (as opposed to a
"through mortise").
Through mortise
a mortise that passes entirely through a piece.

Wedged half-dovetail
a mortise in which the back is wider, or taller, than the front, or opening. The space
for the wedge initially allows room for the tenon to be inserted; the presence of the
wedge, after the tenon has been engaged, prevents its withdrawal. It is sometimes
called a "suicide" joint, since it is a "one-way trip".
Through-wedged half-dovetail
a wedged half-dovetail mortise that
passes entirely through the piece.
TENON - a projection on the end of a timber for insertion into a mortise.
Usually the tenon is taller than it is wide. There are several kinds of tenon:

Stub tenon
short, the depth of which depends on the size of the timber; also a tenon that is
shorter than the width of the mortised piece so the tenon does not show (as
opposed to a "through tenon"). SEE STUB MORTISE

Through tenon
a tenon that passes entirely through the piece of wood it is inserted into, being
clearly visible on the back side. SEE THROUGH MORTISE

Loose tenon
a tenon that is a separate part of the joint, as opposed to a fixed tenon that is an
integral part of one of the pieces to be joined.

Biscuit tenon
a thin oval piece of wood,
shaped like a biscuit
Pegged (or pinned) tenon
the joint is strengthened by driving a peg or dowel pin through one or more holes
drilled through mortise side wall and tenon; this is common in timber framing joints

Tusk tenon
a kind of mortise and tenon joint that uses a wedge-shaped key to hold the joint
together. SEE WEDGED TENON

Teasel (or teazle) tenon

a term used for the tenon on top of a jowled or
gunstock post, which is typically received by the
mortise in the underside of a tie beam. A common
element of the English tying joint.

Top tenon
the tenon that occurs on top of a post.
SEE STUB TENON
Hammer-headed tenon
a method of forming a tenon joint when
the shoulders cannot be tightened with
a clamp.

Half shoulder tenon

An asymmetric tenon with a shoulder on
one side only. A common use is in
framed, ledged and braced doors.
DOVETAIL JOINT
made up of alternating
tenons and grooves that
narrow and then become
wider, giving them a dovetail
shape.

provide a very strong joint

and give great strength
making them ideal for
drawers.

often used for cabinets,

shelves, and boxes.
SLIDING DOVETAIL is a method of joining two boards at right angles, where
the intersection occurs within the field of one of the boards that is not at the end.

This joint provides the interlocking strength of a dovetail. Sliding dovetails are
assembled by sliding the tail into the socket.

It is common to slightly taper the socket, making it slightly tighter towards the rear
of the joint, so that the two components can be slid together easily but the joint
becomes tighter as the finished position is reached.
 BOX / FINGER JOINTS

made up of alternating tenons and grooves on

each of the boards that are to be joined.

one of the strongest joints for producing

rectangular structures.

most commonly used in making boxes and

drawers.
Box joint
Finger joint
Decorative finger joint
Finger joint
MIscellaneous finger joint