It is a good idea when learning woodworking to learn how to make solid joints between two pieces of wood. Here are three basic joints that you will be using in woodworking.
The Butt Joint.The butt joint is the simplest woodworking joint. It consists of two pieces of wood that are butted together, then joined with nails, screws or glue. For beginners, this is a
good joint to use, since it does not require expensive equipment or in-depth knowledge of woodworking.
Although a butt joint does offer a quick finish, there is a downside. A butt joint does not offer very much structural strength. If a butt joint is required to bear very much weight, the nails could soon pull out.
The Dowel Joint.A dowel joint is a good choice for joining two flat pieces of wood together to form a larger flat surface.
To make a dowel joint, take two pieces of wood the same length, and decide which side will be the top, and which will be the bottom of each piece. Mark the top side of each piece of wood so that you remember which side is which.
Clamp the two pieces of wood together, bottom side to bottom side. Make sure that the two surfaces along which you plan to join the pieces of wood are even with each other.
Draw a line down the middle edge of each surface to be joined. Be sure that the line is the same on both pieces of wood, so that the joint will be nice and even. Once the line has been drawn, use a set square to mark lines across the brain of the wood. The intersections of the lines will show where the dowel holes are to be drilled.
Be sure to use enough dowels for your work. The heavier the load that is to be carried, the more dowels should be used. Two is the minimum, and a good rule of thumb is one dowel per foot.
Once the lines have been drawn, drill holes at each intersection. Use a drill bit that matches the diameter of the dowel being used, to ensure a tight fit. You can take a long dowel, and cut pieces as needed, or you can buy dowels specifically made for dowel joints. Drill your holes just over half as deep as the length of the dowel being used.
After your holes are drilled, unclamp the two pieces of wood. Glue the dowels into the holes on the first piece of wood. Then run some glue along the full length of the second piece of wood, making sure to get some glue into the holes.
Push the two pieces of wood together, making sure that the top sides of both pieces are facing up. Clamp the two pieces tightly overnight. You may want to also clamp the pieces to a flat surface to make sure that they do not warp while the glue dries.
The Slotted Tenon JointTypically, the slotted tenon joint is used to fix shelves into the walls of a shelving unit. It is also often seen to fix a back panel in a cabinet, or the bottom in a drawer.
In a slotted tenon joint, only one piece of wood needs to be worked on to create a strong, tight joint. That piece of wood has a slot cut into it that is the same width as the second piece of wood. The second piece is then pushed into the slot to make a strong joint.
Commonly, the slot is cut into the first piece of wood using a router. A chisel can be used, but it will take much longer, and the slot will not be as neat and even. For thinner grooves, a circular saw can be used. Just set the depth of the cut so that the wood is not cut all the way through. You just need to cut a slot in the wood. When you cut the slot, whether with a router or a circular saw, be sure you don't cut the slot too wide. You can always widen it if it is too narrow, but you can't narrow it if it is too wide.
These are just three of many joints that you can use to fasten pieces of wood together. The advantage of these three, is that they do not take a lot of specialized equipment, and they do not require extensive knowledge of wood working. There will be time enough for you to learn other joints later as you become more skilled. Right now, let's get to your first project.