Wood joints — a basic overview
The classic joints and when you use them
The joint is the heart of good carpentry. The right joint gives strength, durability and a neat result — the wrong one gives creaks, slop and breakage. Here are the classics you encounter again and again.
| Assembly | Used for | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Tap and hole | Frames, chairs, tables | Very strong |
| Dovetailing | Drawers, cash work | Strong + decorative |
| Notgang | Backs, bottoms, sheets | Good for sheets |
| Fer og not | Boards side by side | Keeps surfaces flat |
| Laminated assembly | Quick corpus collection | Quick, precise |
§How to choose
Think about load, visibility and time. If the joint must bear much, you choose tap and taphul or zinc plating. If it should be invisible, you hide it. If it should go fast and precisely, dowels or lamellae could be the way.
§Practice on test pieces
Before you make the joint in the right piece, make a trial piece in the same wood species. It reveals whether dimensions and fit work before you cut into the expensive material.