In the previous show we started talking about the various methods of joinery that are available to us as woodworkers. As I mentioned in episode 17 choosing the right method of assembling a project often has more to do with a woodworkers personal preference than just about anything else. We need to remember that chances are there's always more than one way to join components in a project, the question is just a matter of how much strength is needed at the joint and does the joint stay consistant with or maybe even add too the look that you wanted for your project. It's important to remember that each joint has some sort of limitation, whether the limitation has to do with the amount of stress that can be beared down on it or the amount of time and experience it takes to create it successfully. For this second half of the joinery talk, we're going to be introduced to the dado joint, the finger joint, the lap joint, mortise and tenon joints and the dovetail joint.

When done correctly the dado joint provides not only a great deal of strength to a project but also acts as a guide for keeping pieces together during assembly. The dado joint is made up of two components, a groove cut in the face of the first piece and the second is the mating piece that sits in that groove. The basic version of the dado is the "through dado". A through dado is nothing more than a dado inwhich the groove is cut from the back edge to the front edge and the mating piece just sits in the dado. The next type of dado is the stopped dado. The stopped dado can give a project more of a finished look vs. the somewhat more utilitarian look of the through dado. The third type of dado is the blind dado. The blind dado is made up of a groove that is completely cut inside the face of the piece.

Finger joints are most commonly associated with boxes or even drawers. The many interlocking fingers of the joint provide a great deal of extra gluing surface which contributes to the strength of the joint. As the name implies this joint is made up of numerous interlocking fingers. Most people use the table saw along with a jig to make them. There are numerous homemade jigs out there so it's really easy to find one on the internet.

The next joint is the family of lap joints. Lap joints are commonly found in frame construction either at the corners or in the middle of a piece where two or more components cross each other. This family of joints is very simple to construct. The first type is the shiplap joint. The next lap joint is the half lap. The strength of the joint is found in the shoulders that are cut when making it, the shoulders are vital in decreasing any racking that may occur when stress is applied to the joint.

Mortise and tenon joints have been around forever, very common in all sorts of traditional furniture building and even timber framing. They are a very strong joint for joining components at right angles to each other and are especially great for where a joint needs to capable of sustaining a great deal of stress. The joint is made up of two main components, the mortise and the tenon. The mortise is a deep groove and the tenon is a tongue that fits inside that groove.

The last family of joints is the dovetails. A very traditional joint, often associated as a trademark of craftsmanship. There are two parts to the joint the tails and the pins, often seen in box construction, small boxes and large chests the traditional dovetail is the through dovetail. The through dovetail is characterized by the interlocking joint of wedge like cuts seen on the face of one board and the endgrain of its mating piece. For drawer construction and some box construction the halfblind dovetail is very popular.

So, that was a lot of information thrown at you, huh? Well as I'm working on this episode I realize that I think we need to breakdown a few of this joints a little bit more, especially those that are basic and vital to construction. So I think that we're going to devote a few shows to covering a specific joint so that we can understand how to create it.

Thank you again for all the emails and keep them coming. Straight grains and sharp blades, Matt.

Thanks for checking out another episode of the show, it's really great to see all the listeners coming back or visiting for the first time. This episode is the first half of a two part episode. I thought about making one long show, but I think too much information all at once is just too much. Joinery is a very vital part of the design process and when used correctly can add a lot to a piece. Just as the right wood species can make a big difference between a simple everyday utilitarian object and a family heirloom, the right joinery can do the same. Not to mention that choosing the wrong type of joinery could also result in a piece that falls apart when put into use. So it's vital that we understand our choices and are aware of their limitations. Just like a certain style of furniture appeals to certain people, certain types of joinery appeal to certain woodworkers. When it comes to joinery, just like in many other aspects of woodworking, beauty is in the eye of the woodworker.

For today's episode I turned to a book that has been a valuable resource in my shop. The book is called 'CLASSIC JOINTS WITH POWER TOOLS' written by Yeung Chan a leading furniture designer, craftsman and teacher. Published by Lark Books. Yeung Chan broke down the various joints in his book into eleven categories covering the most basic joinery to the some rather advanced types, not to mention the various ways to make them with several different tools, so let's take a look at them.

The first joint we'll cover is the butt joint - this is the most basic joint in the book. It's made up of two boards, butted up againest each other, hence the term butt joint. The butt joint can be either an edge to edge, an edge to face or even an mitered edge to mitered edge. The strongest butt joint is made when the grains run parallel with each other thus long grain to long grain. The best feature of the butt joint is that if you can match the grains of the two boards and are able to mill them straight and flat, the joint line can disappear and give the illusion of one wide board.

The next joint to talk about is actually a modified version of the butt joint it's the tongue and groove joint. The basic form of the tongue and groove joint is the edge to edge construction. Proportions are very important in making the joint strong, as a rule of thumb it's best to make the tongue and its corresponding groove about 1/3rd the width of the stock you're using. For example, 3/4 inch stock would look best with a 1/4 inch tongue and groove, also it's important that the depth of the tongue and it's groove should be the same as the width. So that same 1/4 inch wide tongue should also be 1/4 inch long. The joint should fit snug but not so tight that it splits the corresponding groove, depending on the application of the components a snug fit maybe all you need, glueing the joint could be an option rather than a requirement.

Next up is the rabbet joints. Cut either on the end or along an edge, the joint is essentially a step cut made into one edge while the adjoining edge is then fit into the step cut. By having the stepped cut where the corresponding component can rest a much stronger joint is created. The basic form of the rabbet joint is the corner rabbet, one end or edge is step cut to accept the entire thickness of the mating board. The stepped cut provides a lot of surface for applying glue and thus can be a strong joint.

Thanks for listening and sending me your questions and comments, I greatly appreciate it. Until next week, take care and straight grains and sharp blades.