Joinery

Eliminate the trial and error of spacing biscuits in narrow rails. This jig lets you quickly determine the right size and number of biscuits for each joint.

Learn how to make a rule joint from this free video.

To make the best use of rabbets, you need to know the various ways to cut them, when to use each method, and how to make the cuts effectively.

These simple techniques will ensure that your jointer really earns its keep. You'll not only appreciate this workshop workhorse more, you'll get better results and great production, too.

Joinery makes or breaks a project. That's why woodworkers decide on the joints they'll use early on in the planning stages. Here's a sampling of popular joints, some simple, some more difficult.

Smooth unattractive edges using one reader's unconventional method of removing biscuits.

We all know that chamfer bits work great for easing exposed edges. But did you know that with them you can cut dead-on miters with little setup involved? Here's how.

Perhaps no other joint has more strength or better looks than a corner joined by through dovetails. But here's a much simpler joinery process that comes pretty close.

Plywood and melamine-coated particleboard have plenty of advantages over solid stock, but you do need to cover their unsightly edges.

Using scraps, build a T-square biscuit joiner to make woodworking even easier.

Simple dovetail jigs, such as the one shown here, help you make tight-fitting half-blind dovetails quickly and easily.

Get a grip-instead of using pushlocks with jointers and shapers, try something with a little more grasp.

Can't afford a jointer yet? Here's one great alternative.

See more in-depth joinery techinque and feature articles from the editors of WOOD magazine.

Although you can build drawer joints using any number of methods, we think lock-rabbet joints like the ones you'll find in this story make sense for attaching the sides, fronts, and backs of most drawers.

Before the advent of cardboard boxes, manufacturers joined the sides of thin wooden boxes with these joints because they were strong and fast to make. Today, box joints have taken on practical and decorative roles in projects ranging from jewelry cases to hope chests.

Eliminate the guesswork when it comes to figuring out where the biscuit slot should go. Follow these simple steps and you'll avoid making careless mistakes.

A no-nonsense alternative to jigs and machines.

Try this method for securing joints without buying an expensive jig.

Miss a spot and your project loses style points. Here's what to do before and after glue-up.

Use this handy, easy technique to see if your disc-sander table adjustments are squared. It's a quick way to make your disc-sanding superior.

Staved or segmented construction figures in a lot of projects, from ornamental bowl turnings to porch pillars. A question we often hear is: What miter angle (or bevel) do I need? Another recurring question is: How long (or wide) should I make the pieces? Finding those answers is relatively easy. Here's how to do the math.

To turn a wobbly chair into a sturdy one, first you have to disassemble it. Use these methods to conquer dowels that don't want to budge.

We shed some light on how to use these tricky bits.

Watch Bob Wilson's Wood Joint Torture Test I and II in these free video.