Compare
Pick the job. The notes are speed, strength, and whether the joint shows.
Bookcase shelf
The shelf has to carry weight between two sides.
Dado
Fast, carries the load, and shows on the front edge unless you stop it.
- Speed
- Fast
- Strength
- Furniture
- Shows
- Edge shows
- Tools
- Saw or router
Stopped dado
Same trench, hidden at the front. The shelf needs a matching notch.
- Speed
- Fast
- Strength
- Furniture
- Shows
- Hidden
- Tools
- Saw or router
Sliding dovetail
Locks harder. Do not glue a wide solid shelf for its full length.
- Speed
- Slow
- Strength
- Structural
- Shows
- Edge shows
- Tools
- Router
Carcase corner
Top or bottom meeting a side.
Rabbet
Enough for a back. Light for a corner that gets pulled.
- Speed
- Fast
- Strength
- Light
- Shows
- Flush
- Tools
- Saw or router
Dado and rabbet
A rabbet on the end and a dado in the side, faces flush.
- Speed
- Medium
- Strength
- Furniture
- Shows
- Flush
- Tools
- Saw or router
Through dovetail
The show corner. Both faces reveal the joint.
- Speed
- Slow
- Strength
- Structural
- Shows
- Show
- Tools
- Saw
Drawer front corner
The corner people pull on.
Half-blind
The usual drawer joint. The face stays clean.
- Speed
- Slow
- Strength
- Structural
- Shows
- Hidden face
- Tools
- Saw
Through dovetail
Use it when the corner can show. This sheet is ready — sized here as a 1/2 in side.
- Speed
- Slow
- Strength
- Structural
- Shows
- Show
- Tools
- Saw
Lock rabbet
A practical drawer corner, faster than tails.
- Speed
- Medium
- Strength
- Furniture
- Shows
- Edge
- Tools
- Saw or router
Table apron to leg
A rail meeting a square leg.
Stub mortise and tenon
The stub tenon. Mortise before you taper the leg.
- Speed
- Medium
- Strength
- Structural
- Shows
- Hidden
- Tools
- Chisel or router
Through tenon
The tenon comes through and can be wedged.
- Speed
- Slow
- Strength
- Structural
- Shows
- Show
- Tools
- Chisel or router
Loose tenon
Same idea, with a loose tenon.
- Speed
- Medium
- Strength
- Structural
- Shows
- Hidden
- Tools
- Router or Domino
Tabletop to base
Hold the top down and let solid wood move.
Buttons
Buttons or figure-8s. The right answer for a solid top.
- Speed
- Fast
- Strength
- Furniture
- Shows
- Hidden
- Tools
- Saw and drill
Pocket screw
Fine on a face frame. Wrong across a solid top.
- Speed
- Fast
- Strength
- Light
- Shows
- Hidden
- Tools
- Jig
Panel glue-up
Making a wide board from narrow ones.
Edge glue
Straight edges and glue.
- Speed
- Fast
- Strength
- Furniture
- Shows
- Invisible
- Tools
- Plane
Spline
Alignment plus glue surface.
- Speed
- Medium
- Strength
- Furniture
- Shows
- Hidden
- Tools
- Router or saw