Joinery

Joinery hints, tips, and tricks to help you build better projects.


How to Cut Half-Blind Dovetails by Hand | Woodsmith

How to Cut Half-Blind Dovetails by Hand | Woodsmith

Learn how to cut half-blind dovetails by hand with this step-by-step guide. From laying out the tails to fitting the … Read More

How to Make Mortise and Tenon Joints in 3 Simple Steps

How to Make Mortise and Tenon Joints in 3 Simple Steps

You don't need an expensive mortising machine to make strong, accurate mortise-and-tenon joints. With a drill press, table saw, and … Read More

Spline Joinery: 3 Ways to Build Stronger Woodworking Joints

Spline Joinery: 3 Ways to Build Stronger Woodworking Joints

Discover three practical ways to use spline joinery in your woodworking projects. Learn how splines help align panel glueups, simplify … Read More

How to Cut a Mortise: 4 Ways to Make a Mortise and Tenon Joint

How to Cut a Mortise: 4 Ways to Make a Mortise and Tenon Joint

Learn four reliable ways to cut a mortise using chisels, a drill press, plunge router, or table saw — and … Read More

Build a Saw Till with Hand-Cut Twisted Dovetails

Build a Saw Till with Hand-Cut Twisted Dovetails

Put your hand-cut joinery skills to the test with this unique saw till. Compound-angle twisted dovetails create eye-catching corners, while … Read More

How to Hand-Cut Dovetails: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Hand-Cut Dovetails: A Step-by-Step Guide

Hand-cut dovetails are a hallmark of fine woodworking, and learning to cut them is easier than you might think. Follow … Read More

Cutting Grooves and Dadoes

Cutting Grooves and Dadoes

There are few joints I use as regularly as grooves and dadoes. Not only do they provide mechanical strength to … Read More

How to Cut Stub Tenon & Groove Joints on a Table Saw

How to Cut Stub Tenon & Groove Joints on a Table Saw

Learn a simple table saw method for cutting centered grooves and perfectly fitting stub tenons for cabinet doors and other … Read More

How To Cut Through Dovetails on Your Table Saw

How To Cut Through Dovetails on Your Table Saw

Allow me to persuade you to transform your dovetailing by making a table saw jig, first. The jig does more … Read More

Review: Grex P635 Pin Nailer

Review: Grex P635 Pin Nailer

The first tool on the list is the P635, a pneumatic pin nailer from Grex sized for 23-gauge headless pins … Read More

Hole-Sawn Tenons

Hole-Sawn Tenons

Tenoned dowels make for unique stretchers and legs on a variety of projects. Creating that tenoned end requires this method. Read More

Pocket Hole Joinery Guide

Pocket Hole Joinery Guide

One example that meets both of those aphorisms is pocket hole joinery. The technique offers a short learning curve and … Read More

Drawer Joinery: 3 Easy Ways to Build Strong Drawers

Drawer Joinery: 3 Easy Ways to Build Strong Drawers

There’s more than one good way to build a drawer. Compare three practical drawer joints for different projects, then learn … Read More

How to Cut Finger Joints with a Router Jig

How to Cut Finger Joints with a Router Jig

This clever router jig makes finger joints surprisingly easy. Arrange the keys to create the pattern, rout one half of … Read More

Shop-Made Router Table Hold-Down for Straighter Cuts

Shop-Made Router Table Hold-Down for Straighter Cuts

A board that lifts away from the router table can leave a groove with an inconsistent depth. This simple plywood … Read More