Types of Woodworking Joints

It’s easy to fall in love with biscuit joints—they’re so fast and easy. At least they are when you get the hang of them. If you’re new to biscuit joinery, you can learn here how to do the four basic woodworking joints. Even if you already own a biscuit joiner (or plate joiner—same animal), I’m sure you’ll pick up a tip or two.

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 dado is a common woodworking joint, one particularly well-suited for building cabinets. Learn to cut them and when to use one in your projects. The dado is a common woodworking joint, one particularly well-suited for building cabinets.

Dovetail joints are commonly used to build boxes, drawers, and cabinets. The shape of the "tails and pins" in the joint make it nearly impossible to break. Glue is used to strengthen the joint but no screws or fasteners are necessary.

The finger joint is a simpler version of the dovetail joint, and both are used to hold the sides of a box together solidly, whether it is a big blanket chest or a little drawer. The finger joint doesn’t lock the pieces together like its fancier cousin, but it certainly makes a strong joint when you add glue.

There's a reason the mortise and tenon joint has been used for thousands of years—it can be carved using basic woodworking tools and it'll last for ages.

What makes it precise is the design of the pocket hole jig that guides the drill bit into the wood at a specific angle to produce an engineered hole to house the screw head. After the pocket hole is drilled, a specially designed fastener is used to assemble the joints.

A rabbet is an essential woodworking cut for making corner joints or insetting panels—learn the basics of cutting rabbets with a table saw or router. A rabbet is an essential woodworking cut for making corner joints or insetting panels—learn the basics of cutting rabbets with a table saw or router.

Tongue and Groove Woodworking Joints One of the more popular woodworking joints is the edge-to-edge joint, called tongue and groove. One piece has a slot (groove) cut all along one edge.