Woodwork Joints | by William Fairham
To be successful in woodwork construction the possession of two secrets is essential - to know the right joint to use, and to know how to make that joint in the right way. The woodwork structure or the piece of cabinet-work that endures is the one on which skilful hands have combined to carry out what the constructive mind planned. And it is just here that the present Volume will help, not alone the beginner who wishes preliminary instruction, but also the expert who desires guidance over ground hitherto unexplored by him.
| Title | Woodwork Joints |
| Author | William Fairham |
| Publisher | J.B. Lippincott Co |
| Year | 1920 |
| Copyright | 1920, J.B. Lippincott Co |
| Amazon | Woodwork joints |
Woodwork Joints: How they are set out, how made andwhere used; With four hundred illustrations and index
Revised Edition
The woodworker Series:
"Woodwork Joints", "Cabinet Construction", "Staining And Polishing", "Woodwork Tools", "Practical Upholstery", "Wood Turning", "Woodcarving", "Timbers For Woodwork", "Furniture Repairing And Re-Upholstery", "Household Repairs And Renovations", "Carpentry For Beginners", "Kitchen Furniture Designs", "Bureau And Bookcase Designs", "Light Carpentry Designs", "Doormaking".
Editorial Foreword- To be successful in woodwork construction the possession of two secrets is essential - to know the right joint to use, and to know how to make that joint in the right way. The woodwork structure or th...
- The Glued Joint
- The glued joint in its various forms is in use in every country in the world, and is frequently met with in mummy cases and other examples of ancient woodwork. Alternative names under which it is know...
- Glueing
- The better the glue penetrates into the pores of the wood, the stronger the joint will be; for this reason timber of the loose-fibred variety, such as pine, etc., will hold up at the joint better than...
- Supporting The Joint
- The jointed boards should not be reared up against a bench leg or wall without having any support in the centre, as dotted line at Fig. 5 , because in all probability they will fracture before the g...
- Applications Of The Joint
- The following show various applications of the butt or glued joint: - Fig. 7. - (A) Glued Slip, (B) Glued Moulding. Fig. 14. - Carcase Wing-pieces Glued on. Fig. 7 A shows a mahogany ...
- The Halved Joint
- T he halved joint is frequently known as half-lapping, and sometimes as checking and half-checking. In the majority of cases it is made by halving the two pieces,i.e., by cutting half the depth of the...
- The Halved Joint. Continued
- The joint lettered B in Fig. 28 is a Cross Halving Joint where each piece runs through the other. Fig. 39 shows this joint separated, and Fig. 40 shows a similar joint separated where the joint is m...
- Setting Out The Halved Joint
- Although at first sight the halved joint may appear to be a very easy item of construction, it requires much care and attention in marking out and sawing. Fig. 62 shows the two pieces which form the j...
- Sawing
- Lay the work on the cutting board as at Fig. 67 ; or, if you prefer, put the work in the vice. Carefully saw down the work until youjust touchthe gauge line. Do not press heavily with the saw; use it ...
- Joints Other Than A Right Angle
- If the halving joint is at an angle similar to the sketch shown at Fig. 69 , great care will have to be exercised in the use of the chisel, owing to the change in the direction of the grain of the woo...
- The Bridle Joint
- A bridle joint is often defined as the reverse of a mortise and tenon, and is chiefly used in the carpentry and joinery trades. The name probably originated from the fact that it bears some resemblanc...
- Setting Out And Marking
- It is a safe rule, when setting out a bridle joint, to divide the thickness of the timber into three equal parts. This will leave the timber on each side of the tongue equal to the thickness of the to...
- Gauging
- After squaring all the shoulder lines round the timber with the knife and try square, the mortise gauge should be set so as to strike the two gauge lines marked G, Figs. 83 and 84, at one operation. ...
- Boring Away Waste
- Examine Fig. 84 ; the shaded portion in the centre has to be cut away, and it will greatly facilitate the removal of this waste piece by boring a hole with a twist bit at the position shown. The twist...
- Cutting The Shoulders
- With regard to working the piece B, Fig. 81 , place the wood against the bench stop or in the vice, and taking up a 34-in. chisel carefully cut away a small channel, as shown at Fig. 88 ; treat...
- Chiselling Away Waste
- Fix your wood firmly in any suitable manner, vice or otherwise, and, holdingyour chisel tilted as at Fig. 90 , pare away the blacked portion 1; then pare away the blacked portion 2; after which hold t...
- The Tongued Andgrooved Joint
- The tongued and grooved joint is used in one form or another throughout the whole of the woodworking trades, covering, as it does, a great variety of work from the laying of flooring boards to the con...
- Cabinet-Work Joints
- With regard to tongued and grooved joints which apply more particularly to the jointing of cabinet work, Fig. 93 is produced by planes which are specially made for the purpose. One plane makes the ton...
- Loose Tongues
- There are two methods of jointing with loose tongues, viz., the use of the cross tongue, Fig. 103 A, and the use of the feather tongue, Fig. 103 B. Cross tongues are the stronger when glued in their...
- Corner Joints
- Fig. 112 shows both a single loose tongue and a double solid tongue. Both are methods used to connect circular cornered work, such as a counter end, to the front framing. Fig. 112. - Single Loo...
- Ploughing
- When grooves have to be worked in the edge or face of a board to receive tongues, the process is generally called ploughing, and it is usually accomplished by a special tool called a plough (or, as i...
- Tongueing
- The grooves having been completed, the tongues have to be made. Fig. 123 shows a sketch of a board and the method of marking out cross tongues (A) and feather tongues (B). The usual procedure for ma...
- Tongueing Planes
- Fig. 124 shows the end view of a tongueing plane for working matched joints out ofthe solid. The method of holding and using the plane is similar to the directions given for using the plough. The part...
- The Mortise And Tenon Joint
- A mortise and tenon joint is the method of joining timber by working a solid rectangular projection in the one piece and cutting a corresponding cavity to receive it in the adjoining piece. The projec...
- Barefaced Tenons
- Fig. 127 illustrates the joint in its simplest form and shows a tenon having only one shoulder. This is called a barefaced tenon, and it willbe noticed that the portion which carries the mortise is th...
- Wedges
- Fig. 136 shows the method of cutting wedges which are to be used to wedge the tenons; this avoids waste of material. Some workers cut the wedgesfrom the pieces left out of the haunching of the lock ra...
- Sprocket Wheel
- At Fig. 139 are shown the guide bar and chain of a chain-mortising machine, two enlarged links of the chain being indicated at A. The chain is similar in construction to the driving chain of a bicycle...
- Long And Short Shouldered Joint
- Fig. 143 shows a haunched mortise and tenon joint having a long and short shoulder. This is a fairly common joint in framed partitions for offices, framing for greenhouses, tool sheds, etc., and is a ...
- Mitred And Moulded Joint
- Fig. 148 shows a type of joint largely used in light cabinet work. The method of mitreing the moulding and tenoning the stile to rail is indicated. Twin Tenons ( Fig. 149 ). - The method of tenonin...
- Pinning
- Fig. 150 shows the tenoning of the inside end of a wardrobe to the top of the carcase. This is also called pinning. The tenons should be wedged diagonally. The tenons and the distance between the teno...
- Top Rails
- At Fig. 151 is shown the method of joining the top rails to the post of a tool shed or similar outhouse. The two rails, which are at right angles toeach other, are half-lapped and mortised; the tenon ...
- Roof Joints
- Fig. 160 shows the method of tenoning the principal rafter to the king post, whilst Fig. 161 illustrates the tenoning of the struts to the king post, and the king post to the tie beam. Both these exam...
- Drawbore Pinning
- At Fig. 162 is seen the method of securing a tenon by drawbore pinning, employed when it is not convenient to obtain the necessary pressure by using a cramp. The joint is made in the usual manner, and...
- Sash Bars
- Fig. 165 shows how to tenon a moulded sash bar to the rebated cross rail. In this illustration both shoulders of the moulded bar are shown square, but in the best class work these shoulders may be sli...
- Table Framing
- Fig. 167 indicates the framing of a rail to a dining-table leg. In cases similar to this the tenons run into the leg and almost touch each other.They are therefore mitred on the end as shown in the in...
- Hammer Head Tenons
- At Fig. 171 is shown the method of jointing framing having semicircular or segmental heads. The left-hand diagram indicates the method of wedging the joint so as to draw up the shoulders; the right-ha...
- Clamping
- Fig. 172 shows the method of tenoning drawing boards, desk tops and secretaire falls. This is commonly called clamping. The method is used to prevent wide surfaces from winding. A variation of the joi...
- Dreadnought File
- At Fig. 175 is a sketch of a portion of a dreadnought file. This has superseded the old-fashioned home-made float used to clean out the sides of a mortise. Fig. 175. - Dreadnought File. ...
- Setting Out The Joint
- The principal use of themortise and tenon joint is in the construction of various types of framing, such as door and window frames. In one or other of its many and varied forms it may be classed as th...
- Removing Haunching
- After removing the mortise hole, the small portion which is called the haunching will require to be removed with a chisel. This calls for no special remark, as it is clearly shown in Figs. 187 and 18...
- Interlocking Chair Joint
- A joint designed with a view to strengthening the construction of chairs at the point where they are weakest is shown in Fig. 189 . The joint is an interlocking one so arranged that, once the chair is...
- The Dowelling Joint
- Dowelling is the term generally given to the method of jointing timber and other materials by wooden or metal pegs, which are called dowels. For cabinet-making and similar work straight-grained beechw...
- Frame Dowelling
- Fig. 203 shows one corner of a frame with long and short shoulders, such as occurs when the upright is rebated through its entire length. The holes in both pieces are bored for the dowels before they ...
- The Scarf Joint
- The method known as scarfing is used for the joining of timber in the direction of its length, enabling the workman to produce a joint with a smooth or flush appearance on all its faces. One of the ...
- The Hinged Joint
- One of the most common forms of hinged joint in use to-day is that formed by using the butt hinge, and many troubles experienced by the amateur, such as hinge-bound, stop-bound, and screw-bound...
- Sawing For The Recess
- After marking out for the hinge, as shown at Fig. 224 , take a fine-toothed saw (a dovetail saw is considered the best) and saw down as shown at Fig. 225 , care being taken not to cut beyond the gaug...
- Stopped Hinged Joints For Box Work
- Fig. 227 is a section through a small box similar to a lady's work-box (the back of the box in the illustration is enlarged in thickness to clearly show the position of the hinge). In this case the k...
- Types Of Hinges
- Fig. 229 is an elongated variety of the butt hinge, known in the trade as strap hinge, desk hinge, or bagatelle hinge. As its name indicates, it is used on folding bagatelle tables, small writin...
- Centre Or Pivot Hinges
- Fig. 235 is a centre or pivot hinge, used on the top and bottom of wardrobe doors, more particularly the interior door of a three-winged wardrobe where the method of fixing is confined to the cornice ...
- Rising Butt Hinges
- Fig. 236 is the rising butt hinge, used on dining and drawing-room doors, so that when the door is opened the door rises sufficiently to clear the thickness of the carpet. This hinge has also an advan...
- Acute Angle Hingeing
- Fig. 237 is a sectional plan of a corner cupboard showing a good method of hingeing the door. The insetashows an enlarged view of the corner carrying the hinge, also the adaptor piecec, which is fitte...
- Inside Hingeing
- When a door is being hunginsidethe carcase (that is, not hingedoverthe ends) it is permissible, in the case of light work, to let the whole thickness of the hinge into the door; and when screwing the...
- Outside Hingeing
- Fig. 240 illustrates the portion of a door frame and carcase end when the door is hung on the face of the carcase. The correct method of letting in the hinge is shown in the enlarged section ( Fig. 2...
- Fall Fronts
- Fig. 242 is a sectional view of a fall front writing bureau fitted with centre or pivothinges and arranged so that the edges form a stop when the desk front is turned to a horizontal position. The pos...
- Fly Rail
- Fig. 243 is a sketch of a small table with the top removed. A revolving fly rail is shown pivoted upon a piece of 14-in. wire. The object of this fly rail is to form a support to the small hing...
- Draught Screens
- Fig. 244 illustrates the end elevation and plan of a draught screen which is constructed of a light framework and covered with baize or American cloth. The reversible double-folding hinge ( Fig. 230 ...
- Finger Joint Hinge
- Fig. 245 is a finger joint - a movable interlocking joint used to support the leaf of a Pembroke table. The small portion is screwed to the table rail and the shaped bracket swings out to support the ...
- Knuckle Joint Hinge
- Fig. 246 is a similar type of joint to the above, and is called the knuckle joint. This arrangement of hingeing allows the table leg to swing in an angle of 180 degrees and is much neater in its appea...
- Open Joint Hingeing
- The next three illustrations apply more particularly to the hanging of the ordinary household door. Fig. 247 is termed open joint hanging, from the fact that when the door is open a certain amoun...
- Close Joint Hanging
- The method known as close joint hanging ensures the joint at the hanging stile being in close proximity to the hanging rail; this is shown at Fig. 249 . The first member of the architrave moulding i...
- Shutting Joints
- This chapter deals with the joint made by the upright rail of a door frame which carries the lock, or handle, generally called the slamming stile. Many and varied are the methods used to make a drau...
- The Dovetail Joint
- Nothing definite is known as to the origin of dovetailing, but a quaint and pleasing little story which is well worth repeating runs as follows: A farmer had called in the local joyner to do sundry ...
- Through Dovetailing
- One of the simplest forms of the dovetail joint is shown in Fig. 267 , where two piecesof timber are joined by the method known as through dovetailing. This method is used in everyday practice for j...
- Lap-Dovetailing
- Fig. 270 is an example of lap-dovetailing, such as is used where a drawer side joins with the drawer front. It is not permissible to allow the end grain of the timber to show at the front of a drawer,...
- Angles
- A most important point in the construction of a dovetail is to avoid having the angles of the pins and tails too acute. An inclination of one in eight is considered correct; no hard and fast rule need...
- Squaring
- Another important point to remember is that the drawer sides must be true and squared to an exact length and planed up to thickness; otherwise the finished drawer will be in winding and out of truth. ...
- Sawing The Dovetails
- After marking out the pins on the drawer sides, we proceed with the next operation, that is, sawing the dovetails ready for chopping out the waste material. The drawer side is taken and firmly secured...
- Frame Dovetails
- Fig. 284 is a sketch of a constructional frame such as is used for building up a cornice or plinth. At the joint marked A an edge barefaced dovetail is shown. From the separated sketches of the joint ...
- Blind Lap-Dovetailing
- At Fig. 285 is shown a type of blind lap-dovetailing. This makes a good, sound joint, but it has the disadvantage of showing a small portion of the timber of the front rail end-way of the grain. Joint...
- Housed And Mitred Dovetail
- Fig. 286 is another form of dovetail - commonly called a housed and mitred or rebated and mitred dovetail. In this instance we see that a small portion is mitred at top and bottom edges, and when used...
- Dovetail Keying
- Fig. 289 is a method used to prevent wide boards such as signboards, wide and shaped pediments, etc., from casting or warping. It iscalled dovetail keying. Beyond calling attention to the fact that th...
- Other Varieties
- At Fig. 292 we have an everyday method of jointing circular-fronted cabinet door frames. Great care must be taken in setting out and making, or a twisted frame will result. Fig. 292. - Bow-fronte...
- Dovetailing Template
- Many workers who are constantly engaged upon dovetail joints make a small wooden template, as shown at Fig. 304 . This template is generally of hardwood, such as beech or walnut. The method of obtaini...
- Chisel Work
- After marking out, as shown at Fig. 303 , place the wood on the bench and proceed to chop away the centre portion in the following manner. Hold the chisel on the bevel and cut out a small piece to for...
- Saw Work
- Take a marking awl, or a knitting needle which has had its end sharpened, and mark the lines of the dovetail in a similar manner to that shown at Fig. 307 . Remove the piece A, Fig. 305 , and the lowe...
- Drawers
- When dovetailing drawers or boxes it is necessary to square up the ends of all the stock and gauge them, as shown at Fig. 273 . This illustration shows how to gauge the lines on a drawer side; the dov...
- Machine-Made Dovetails
- As a general rule machine-made drawer and box dovetails show both the pins and the tails of exactly the same size. The reason is obvious after an inspection of Fig. 314 , which shows the position in w...
- Dovetail Grooving
- The dovetail housing joint should first be carefullymarked out with a marking knife, so as to cut across the fibres of the wood. For obtaining the bevel on the edge of the wood a joiner's bevel may be...
- The Mitred Joint
- Although mitreing is used in everyday woodwork, it comes last in our list of regular joints simply because it has been partly dealt with in almost every previous chapter. For example, we have mitre ha...
- Mitreing
- The term mitreing is generally used to denote the type of joint used at the corner of a picture frame; or where two pieces of wood are bevelled away so as to fit each other, as the skirting or plinth ...
- Finding The Angle
- For straight mitres, the mitre joint line is found by bisecting the angle, as shown in the various examples, and the following instructions are given to enable the reader to follow the diagram ( Fig....
- Sawing Block
- For sawing mouldings, etc., to their approximate shape, a home-made sawing block is generally used, as shown at Fig. 324 . Two pieces of wood are glued one on the top of the other, the required angle ...
- Planing
- After sawing the piece to approximately the correct angle, it is necessary on high-class work to plane the cut end so as to give a perfect finish and enable a glued joint to be made. This may be accom...
- Curved Mitres
- We now come to what are probably the most difficult of all mitres, viz., curved mitres, and the writer well remembers in his apprenticeship days his first experience of attempting to fit the mouldings...
- Mitreing A Moulded Door Frame
- Fig. 333 illustrates the method of mitreing the moulded portion of a door frame where the joint is dowelled, not tenoned. A small wooden template is made out of beech or other hardwood, having its end...
- Joints For Curved Work
- Fig. 335 shows a circular frame made up in two thicknesses, the segments being screwed to each other and the joints crossed in two layers. This is a very strong method, and it is used for making circu...
- Lamination
- If we apply to the dictionary for the word lamination, we find that lamellar structure is the arrangements in thin plates or layers one over the other, usually having the end joints alternating, and...
- Miscellaneous Joints. Weather Boards
- For outdoor buildings, such as garages, garden sheds, toolhouses, etc., weatherboarding is often preferred to ordinary matchboarding, chiefly because of the facility with which it throws off the rai...
- Ladders
- Fig. 344 illustrates the method of fastening the rung (or stave) of a ladder to the side. At A the common method is shown, the stave being simply driven into the hole and wedged. At B a much better b...
- Hinged Cornice Poles
- Fig. 345 shows a hinged joint for cornice poles and should be of interest to those who are frequently removing from house to house. The joint will adapt itself to fit any bay window (even a square ba...
- Veneer Keying
- Fig. 346 illustrates the method of strengthening the corners of boxes which are made of 14-in. or 38-in. timber, by securing the corners with veneer keys. The box is mitred and glued in ...
- Muntin And Skirting Joint
- In the case of panelled rooms it is usually necessary to scribe the muntins (or uprights) to the skirting. The method is shown in Fig. 347 . The bead moulding of the skirting is only partly removed, ...
- Cot Joint
- At Fig. 348 is shown an interesting joint used largely in the making of Indian cots. The illustrations indicate how the cross bar and end bar are mortised into the leg. A turned hardwood peg fits into...
- Sideboard Pillars
- Sideboard Pillars, etc. ( Fig. 349 ). - For economy, sideboard pillars are sometimes built up as indicated, the shaft, the base, and the swell being made up of three distinct pieces. Turned pins...
- Notched Joints
- Fig. 350 is a notched joint, where two joists, or scantlings, cross each other, the object of the joint being to prevent the joists moving from their position without materially weakening them. For ...
- Birdsmouth Joints
- Fig. 354 is a birdsmouth joint, a simple joint which can be readily made by the handsaw, used when a spar fits on the wall plate. A nail is shown securing it in position. Fig. 355 shows the birds...
- Rafter Joint
- Fig. 356 shows an everyday joint, as used at the juncture of the principal rafter and the tie-beam in roof truss work. A sketch of piece A is shown separated, and it should be noted that the depth of ...
- Pelleting
- Fig. 357 indicates the method of pelleting and screwing the corner of a picture frame. The mitrejoint is first screwed and a pellet of the same timber is made to fill the hole which has been bored to ...
- Patera Covers
- In cases where the style of ornament permits of it, patera covers are used instead of pelleting. Fig. 358 shows the jointing of shaped spandrails, etc., to carcase ends of light portable cabinet work,...
- Buttoning
- The tops of tables, sideboards, etc., should not be fixed with screws in the ordinary way. At the front, screws can be driven upwards through the top rail, but at the sides and back, buttons should be...
- Frames For Oil Paintings
- The method of making joints for frames on which the canvas is stretched for oil paintings is shown at Fig. 360 . They are generally mitred at the corners and fitted with loose wedges. The four parts o...
- Corrugated Steel Fasteners
- It is now many years ago since the steel saw-edge fastener first appeared on the market, but probably 80 per cent. of amateur woodworkers have never yet sampled its advantages. In appearance it res...
- Wall Plugs
- At Fig. 364 four types of wall plugs are shown:a, the ordinary rectangular tapered wall plug to drive between the joints of the brickwork;b, the circular tapered wall plug as used to plug a wall after...
- Slot Screwing, or Keyhole Screwing
- Slot Screwing, or Keyhole Screwing, is a most useful way of joining light woodwork in such a manner that the fixing method is not exposed to the eye. A stout screw is inserted to within 38 in. ...
- Battening
- Battening ( Fig. 367 ). - A good method of joining cross battens to drawing boards and other wide surfaces is shown here. After boring for the screws, slots are cut so as to allow the screws to move ...
- Puzzle Joints
- Puzzle Joints are not only interesting inthemselves, but are often excellent studies in craftsmanship. The majority of them, if to be satisfactory as puzzles, call for very careful setting out and cut...
- Chinese Puzzle
- The ingenious puzzle of the Chinese type shown in Fig. 369 is probably older than many of us could guess, but as it is one that can be made by any woodworker we give full directions as to how it may b...
- Fitting The Puzzle
- The three central bars must first be joined, as those form the skeleton framework of the structure. Fig. 375 shows them in position, but as it is a puzzle in itself as to how they can be got thus some...
- The Key Piece
- When the writer fits up the puzzle he finds that three of the arms may straight away be fitted complete with their three cross parts. These are the ones where the longer cross piece ( Fig. 370 )lies ...
- Undoing The Puzzle
- To take the puzzle to pieces all that is required is to turn the key half round and push the other two cross bars on that arm towards the outer point. The cross bars below may then be removed, and t...
- Cross Puzzle
- Fig. 388 illustrates a six-piece puzzle joint, similar in some respects to Fig. 369 , but very much simpler. Both a back and front view of the piece D is shown for clearness of illustration. The metho...
- Mortising Puzzle
- The ordinary mortising exercise is, after the first two or three attempts, generally voted as uninteresting, but, although the simple puzzle shown in Fig. 389 is practically an exercise in mortising, ...
- Chinese Cross
- Fig. 392 shows a variation of the Chinese cross, which is perhaps the most fascinating of all woodwork puzzles. Take six pieces of hardwood ( Fig. 394 ) and accurately plane and saw them so that each ...
- Diagonal Chinese Cross
- At Fig. 395 is given a sketch of a completed Chinese block or cross puzzle in which the various pieces of wood go together diagonally. Plane up a piece of hardwood (which may be about 14 ins. or 15 i...
- The Woodworker Series
- WOODWORK JOINTS: HOW MADE AND WHERE USED (Revised Edition). With 400 Illustrations and Index. 3/6 net. CABINET CONSTRUCTION (Revised Edition). With 25 Plates, over 300 Illustrations and Index. 3/...
- The Woodworker Monthly
- Price Sixpence A Free Specimen Copy sent on receipt of postcard In this Magazine the man who does bench work at home will find month by month the precise guidance he needs for efficient, economi...
My Books
