DISCIPLINE
Joinery
How wood connects to wood. The choice that decides whether a piece holds for months or for generations. Layout, technique, and tool selection.
12 guides · 11 subtopics
Joinery is how wood gets joined to wood, and the choice of joint shapes everything downstream — the strength of the assembly, the visual character of the piece, the time it takes to build, and whether the joint survives a hundred years of seasonal movement. Mortise-and-tenon, dovetails, dadoes, rabbets, biscuits, dominos, pocket screws — each fits a specific structural and aesthetic problem.
The matching rule is straightforward: match the joint to the load it carries and the eye that sees it. A drawer face is dovetailed because the joint resists the pulling forces a drawer takes for years and because the dovetails read as crafted work. A cabinet face frame is pocket-screwed because the load is small, the joint is hidden, and the speed gain is real. A chair frame is mortise-and-tenoned because no other joint takes that combination of racking and tension. Skipping the match and using one joint everywhere produces furniture that either breaks (pocket-screwed chairs) or wastes hours (dovetailed drawer dividers).
The guides below cover the major joinery families — when each one is right, how to cut them by machine and by hand, and the marking-and-paring discipline that keeps a tight tenon tight after the glue dries.
Dovetails
3 guidesChoosing a Dovetail Jig
Which Type to Buy, When to Use One, and How to Set It Up
A dovetail jig guides your router to cut consistent joints. Compare two types, three budget tiers, and get your setup right the first time.
What Is a Dovetail Joint?
Why They Work, When to Use Them, and How They Compare
Dovetail joints lock two boards with wedge-shaped tails and pins. Learn how they work, the five types, proportions, and when to choose another joint.
What are Mortise, Dovetail, and Mitre Joints?
The Three Joinery Families and How They Combine
Mortise, dovetail, and mitre joints each solve a different problem. Learn what each one resists and how the secret mitered dovetail combines all three.
Mortise & Tenon
1 guideDados & Rabbets
3 guidesDado Cut: What It Is and How to Cut One
Three methods, one for whatever tools you own
A dado cut is a cross-grain channel that holds shelf ends on three sides. Learn to size and cut one with a router, table saw, or circular saw.
Dado Joint With Table Saw: Setup and Technique
Stack configuration, undersized plywood, and troubleshooting
How to cut dado joints on a table saw using a dado stack. Setup sequence, dialing in width for undersized plywood, safety, and troubleshooting.
Choosing a Dado Stack for Your Table Saw
What They Are, What Size to Buy, and How to Use Them Safely
A dado stack cuts flat-bottomed grooves from 1/4" to 29/32" wide in one pass. Learn which size fits your saw, what to buy, and how to set one up.
Pocket Hole & Biscuit
2 guidesIs a Biscuit Joiner Worth It?
What It Does, How to Use It, and Which to Buy
A biscuit joiner cuts slots for oval biscuits that keep boards flush during glue-ups. Honest guide to biscuit sizes, technique, and which model to buy.
Using a Biscuit Joiner Correctly
Technique for Edge Joints, Miters, T-Joints, and Face Frames
Biscuit joints align boards during glue-up and reinforce miters. Sizes, spacing, four configurations, glue-up timing, and six troubleshooting fixes.
Japanese Joinery
1 guideButt & Basic Joints
1 guideHalf-Lap Joints
1 guideTop Tools in Joinery
Common Wood Species
Latest Additions
Is a Biscuit Joiner Worth It?
Beginner
Using a Biscuit Joiner Correctly
Beginner
Cutting Cross Lap Joints With a Circular Saw
Beginner
Dado Cut: What It Is and How to Cut One
Beginner
Dado Joint With Table Saw: Setup and Technique
Beginner
Choosing a Dado Stack for Your Table Saw
Beginner