The first steps in fitting a cross-lap joint, useful for framing or furniture construction, are to square and face-mark the pieces, as shown in Fig. 29 at A, and find the middle point of each or the middle point of the joint, if it is not to be central. Through each point square a line with your knife.

Lay one piece on the other as shown at B, guiding the upper one against a square. Then remove the square and mark points at each side for the width. Square a line across the wood at the points you have just marked, as at C, and also halfway across each edge. Both this step and that shown at B must be followed out on both of the pieces. Set your marking; gage for approximately one-half the thickness of the wood and mark the edges of both pieces, working from the face side as at D.

Either use a backsaw for cutting the joint, first chiseling a V-shaped groove to start the blade, or clamp a piece of wood to the stock as a guide and cut snugly against it with a fine handsaw as at E. An expert woodworker does not need this aid, as he can run a fine saw against a knife line by eye with great precision. The saw cut must be accurate so that no trimming will have to be done. Make a cut or two in the waste wood to aid in chiseling. Hold the work with a waste piece behind it as shown at F and use as wide a chisel as possible to remove the waste wood.

The finished joint shown at G should go together without forcing. The joint may be laid out in other ways, but this is a safe, easy method for beginners.