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General
Woodworking
Basic Joints
Plywood + Curves
Covering Edges + Panels
Doors
Shelves
Drawers
Not Wood
Chairs + Upholstery
Resources
Basic Joints
Basic Joints | Butt Joints | Rail Joints | Middle Rail Joints | Rail-To-Frame Joints | Panel-To-Frame Joints | Frame Joints | Middle Frame Joints | Back Panel Joints | Demountable Joints | Joining Rails To Legs | Joining Legs To Furniture | Demountable Legs | Joining Legs To Upholstered Furniture | Joining Metal Legs To Wood Top | Metal Leg End Fittings | Wood Leg End Fittings
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This is one of the simplest and most frequently used joints.
Rabbet joint
Similar to the preceding method, but less used because it is more difficult.
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Dowel joint
A common method, often used where the total area is large.
Mortise and-tenon joint
This joint is less commonly used than the one at the left.
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Flooring is usually made this way. It is also practical in furniture work.
Feather joint
This is one of the most practical ways of joining parallel planks.
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Loose tongue and groove
With edges rounded or beveled, this joint is often used in wall paneling.
Sh¡plap joint
This method is used extensively for siding on houses. It is easy to make a watertight joint in this way.
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Tongue-and-groove joint used in drawing board
The transverse rail is used to prevent warping.
Wedge mortise and tenon
This method is used when work is to be exposed to the weather.
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Straight joint with wedges
Straight joint with dovetail wedge
This is a good method to use with a straight joint, particularly for outside work.
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This joint exposes more of the wood grain to contact with the glue, and is, therefore, stronger than a right-angle butt joint.
B—Dowel butt joint
The dowels strengthen the joint. Glue is used with all of these joints.C—Fork butt joint
A good joint is obtained because the surfaces are held naturally in contact, permitting firm glue adhesion.
D—Double dovetail butt joint
This joint is used where the joint is subject to strain.E—Tension scarf joint
This joint is held in place by wooden wedges, and is used more commonly in house carpentry than in cabinet making.
The right angle butt joint is not often used in furniture work for practical reasons: It is not strong, glue will not adhere easily to its surfaces, and the joint is always visible.
The execution of rail joints is of great importance, because these are the basic structural elements in furniture framework.
Various types of straight rails and transverse rails may be used to form various types of frames, and an appropriate joint must be selected for the type of work to be done. You must consider the thickness of the straight and transverse rails, the quality of wood, and the position of the frame —whether visible or concealed. A middle rail may be added to the straight and transverse rails for extra support. The series of joints illustrated will show the various types and explain the characteristics of each.
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End half-lap joint
This joint is easily constructed, but unless reinforced with pins and bolts or screws it is not very durable. It is used mostly in repair work.
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Dowel joint
Another joint commonly used in repair work.
Through mortise-and-tenon joint
This is a joint often used by the amateur craftsman.
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This joint is easy to make and is used for ordinary furniture work.
Rabbet mort¡se-and-stub-tenon joint
This is the most widely used joint in the furniture field. It has all the requisites of a perfect joint.
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Double mortise and tenon with miter rabbet
This joint can be used where work is exposed to the elements.
Through mortise and tenon with groove and miter on the inner edge
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This joint is intended to be covered by veneer. The wedge prevents the joint from showing through the veneer.
Dowel miter joint
This joint is used in every type of work.
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Open mortise and tenon with miter
Miter with blind mortise and tenon
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This joint is easy to make and is often used by the amateur craftsman.
Miter mort¡se-and-tenon joint
This is a very strong joint, used for work exposed to humidity.
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Miter tongue joint
This is very common in standard production.
Miter stub tongue joint
Same as miter tongue, except that feather joint is invisible.
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Lap tee joint
This simple joint is often used by the amateur; also in repair work.
Dowel joint
This is a good general purpose joint.
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Through mortise and tenon
The addition of the wedge makes this a very strong joint. It is used in work exposed to weather.
Blind mortise and tenon
This is an easily made and widely used joint.
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This method is used to strengthen the frame where it will be subjected to unusual strain.
Oblique dovetail joint
Same as dovetail stub except that tongue runs through and joint is in oblique position.
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This joint is difficult to make and is used only for precision work.
Double dovetail joint
The principle here is the same as in a single dovetail joint. Both systems are used for joints subject to great strain.
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Mortise and tenon with rabbet
Here is one way of joining rails to form a panel.
Mortise and tenon with m¡tered rail and frame
Another mortise and tenon variation.
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Note that mortise and tenon are reduced in width.
Double mortise and tenon
This mortise and tenon has many uses for cross-rail joints. The rail is mortised from both sides.
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Cross-lap joint (1)
This easily made joint is one of the most commonly used.
Cross-lap joint (2)
Here is another application of the cross-lap principle.
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Dowel joint
This is one of the easiest joints to make.
Mortise-and-tenon joint
This method gives good results.
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This method is used at points of unusual strain.
Double mort¡se-and-tenon joint
This is a particularly strong joint.
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The wedge presses the rail and panel tightly together, making a very solid joint.
Exposed dowel joint
Similar to the exposed wedge joint, except that the dowel does not tighten the panel against the rail.
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Panel in rabbet with cove molding
This variation shows another type of molding.
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Beveled panel in dado groove
The beveling of the panel permits greater stability, and keeps the panel from rattling.
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The molding is attached with screws or nails after the panel is in place.
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This is a simple method of joining a panel and frame. The frame must remain independent of the panel.
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Panel lock joints
The panel and frame are independent members.
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Butt joint with corrugated fasteners or chevrons
Joining frame members is one of the most important phases of furniture construction. Solid wood sections have a tendency to shrink, and that shrinkage causes cracks in the direction of the grain. Select a joint suitable to the character of the work and to the strength required for the finished piece.
In large furniture that will be difficult to move, it is advisable to use joints that can be easily re-assembled (sometimes referred to as demountable joints). The frame will probably have to be constructed with special bolts or dovetail joints. Several ways this can be done are shown on pages 35 and 36.
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Dowel joint
Rabbet joint with glue and nails or screws
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This joint is seldom used because of its tendency to crack at the edges.
Butt joint with cord or leather
This joint is used in special construction, such as children's furniture.
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Milled corner joint
The closed edges of this joint prevent the cracks which often occur with the box corner joint. This one is commonly used in drawer construction.
Lock butt joint
This is an excellent joint to use where accurate fitting is required.
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Dowel miter joint
Both amateur craftsmen and carpenters find many uses for this joint.
Feather miter joint
This joint is more commonly used in mass production than by craftsmen.
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Feather joint
The wedge prevents the joint from showing through the veneer.
Miter and rabbet with dowel
This method is common in mass production work.
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Splined miter joint
This joint is commonly used by amateur craftsmen.
Miter with metal clamp
This clamp is easy to apply and gives good results.
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Miter tongue-and-groove joint
This joint is frequently used in commercial furniture.
Lock miter joint
This method is stronger than the miter tongue-and-groove joint.
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This joint is easy to make, and very strong.
Dovetail joint
This is one of the strongest terminal joints.
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When the two sides are to be left exposed, this method can be used to conceal the joint.
Half-blind dovetail joint
This method is used when one side of a joint is exposed, as in drawer fronts.
Middle Frame Joints
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This joint is used in ordinary work, especially if paint will later conceal it.
Dowel joint
This is an easy joint often used by the amateur craftsman.
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Excellent method of joining certain types of woodwork. The mechanics of the joint are not visible from the front.
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When properly glued, this is a good joint.
Dovetail slip joint
Sides joined by this method cannot be pulled apart.
Metal clamp joint
This is a patented clamp, easy to install.
Two methods of attaching back panel
Either method is a good choice for the amateur craftsman.
Back in rabbet joint
Back panel attached with nails or screws.
Back in groove (directly above)
Bottom of panel is held in place with screws.
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Joining Three Pieces
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Top rabbet joint
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Top attached to side with dowels
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Top attached with screw from underside
Bolts or dowels may be substituted for screws.
Demountable joints are useful in many projects, and in bed or large cabinet construction they are indispensable. Many different hardware fasteners are found on the market today; here are some of the most common.
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These are practical for demountable joints, particularly to fasten side rails of beds to headboards and footboards.
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Although these joints are seldom used commercially today, they are still popular with the amateur craftsman.
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Bed fastener
This device can be used for shelves and supports as well as for beds.
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Anchor Nut
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The bolt is inserted in a prepared hole, and the bolt anchor opens to hold it securely in place.
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The "Tee Nut" is driven into a bored hole and the bolt is threaded into it from the opposite side. Components can be readily assembled and demounted. This system is practical for fastening legs to upholstered furniture.
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There are many ways of joining legs to transverse rails, and of attaching legs and rails to the body of the piece of furniture. Great care should be taken in the selection and execution of such joints, so that they will be able to withstand strain. The builder must also consider how the leg tip is to be protected where it is in contact with the floor.
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Dowel joint
This method is suitable for the amateur craftsman.
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Dovetail joint
This is a very strong method of joining legs and rails.
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Here is another excellent method of attaching legs.
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Mortise-and-tenon joint with corner block
The corner block strengthens the joint, and is particularly useful in chair construction.
Variation Leg Joint
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Joints for attaching front legs to seat rails
Left, mortise and tenon reinforced with screws. Right, rabbet joint fastened with dowels. The rabbet joint is the simpler of the two.
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Another joint for front legs and seat rails
The mortise and tenon joint is reinforced with dowels.
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Three-way joint
This is a method of joining the back leg of a chair to the side and back rails of the seat. The joint can be made with either mortise and tenon or dowels. A metal corner is used for reinforcement.
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Corner Block
A practical joint for a chair or furniture base. The leg is removable when held only by the hanger bolt; it can also be glued for permanence. A steel corner brace can be substituted for the wood corner block.
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Screw Fastened To Seat Or Furniture Bottom
Joining rails or frame to seat
After legs and rails have been joined, the assembly can be attached to the rest of the piece by wood screws.
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A metal leg may be fastened to the side panels of furniture with self-tapping screws. If there are two cases side by side, only one leg is required.
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Wedge-and-dowel ¡omr
In method at left, the wedge remains visible. At right, the hole does not run through, and the wedge must be readied, as shown, before the leg is installed.
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Screw joint
This is one of the simplest types of assembly.
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"Knife Thread Insert1"
For light furniture, such as small tables, it is easy to fasten round legs to the top with a "Knife Thread Insert."
1 Manufactured by Rosan, Inc., Newport Beach, Calif.
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Demountable leg with metal corner
This method is often used for kitchen tables.
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Flanged sockets
Legs screwed into flanged sockets are easily detached for shipment.
Joining Legs To Upholstered Furniture
A—Application of front leg to frame: The leg is fastened with a bolt and reinforced with a block on each side.
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B—Application of back to frame: The joint is similar to that used for the front legs.
C—Fastening legs to frame (another method): The joints for front and back legs are similar.
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Joining Metal Legs To Wood Top
A number of methods may be used to join metal legs to a wood top. Several types of ready-made wrought iron legs, not shown here, are also available. Each method is practical, but it is to be noted that all furniture with metal legs has a tendency to be unstable unless there are reinforcing rails between the legs. The longer the legs, the greater the sway.
A—Pipe leg with welded metal plate B—Metal pipe screwed to a plate
C—Metal tube fastened to the top by use of wood stub
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D—Wrought iron legs fastened to furniture by screws
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Several rubber, plastic, and metal caps and glides may be used to cushion the ends of metal legs. All methods shown are fairly common, and can be used both for wrought-iron legs and for tubular legs.
Rubber, plastic tacks, and metal glides are the end fittings most commonly used with wood legs to prevent scratching of floor. Other types largely used include the ferrule metal shoe, metal shoe with adjustable glide, and swivel glide caster.
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