WOOD JOINER'S HANDBOOK

Contents

Introduction

PART I JOINERY FUNDAMENTALS

PART II JOINERY TECHNIQUES

PART III JOINERY APPLICATIONS

Metric Equivalency and Conversion Charts
Index

Index

Alignment, splines for, 51
Angle braces, 217
Angled tenons, 98
Angles
   blade-tilt, 198, 199
   butt-hopper, 198, 200-201
   calculations for, 71-72
   mitre, 67, 70, 192-193
   mitre-gauge, 72, 198, 199
Applied mouldings, 157

Balancing of joints, 13
Band saw
   dovetail cutting method, 113, 114
   lap joints cutting method, 142
   tenon making method, 107
Barefaced tenon, 97
Barefaced tongue-and-groove, 88
Bead, 148
Beaded joint, 206--207
Bevels, 14
Bin-spacing story stick, 112
Biomorphic joints, 233-237
Birdsmouth joints, 220
Biscuit splines, 53-55
Blade-tilt angle, for mitred-hopper joint, 198, 199
Blind dovetail, mitred, 127
Blind dowel joints, 45-47
Blind groove, 50
Blind mortise-and-tenon mitre,61-62
Blind stub tenons, 249
Bold-outline dovetail, 229-231
Box joints (finger joints)
   description of, 129-130
   for drawer construction, 172
   half-blind, 134
   locking, 133
   making, 207-208
   mitred end pins, 134
   for splicing, 195-196
   on table saw, 131-133
   variations in, 133-134
Brace joints, 218
Bracket feet, for leg making, 177
Bridle joints
   for leg joints, 176-177
   making, 145-146
Brush, for gluing, 11
Build-up joints, 233
Butt-hopper angles, 198, 200-201
Butt joints
   counteracting shear stress in, 8
   dowel-reinforced, 174-175
   hand-tool techniques for, 21-22
   for leg making, 174-175
Butterfly joints, 231

Cabinetmaking
    carcass joints for, 163-168
    drawer joints for, 168-173
    leg joints for, 173-177
Carcass pinning, 164-165
Case butt, hand-tool techniques for, 25-26
Case construction, 163-166
Chinese furniture joints, 238-242
Chisel
    for dado cutting, 31
    for dovetail joint making, 39-41
    for mortise-and-tenon making, 32-33
    mortising, 101-102
Chopping the mortise, 34, 36
Clamp, tabletop end, 100
Clamping, of panel butt joints, 23-24
Cleavage stress, 10
Cogged dovetail, 223-225
Cogged joints, 144-145
Combined stresses, 10
Compound mitres
    face, 63-64
    mitre angle chart for, 70
    for polygons, 69-71
Compressional stress, 8
Coopered joints, 68-69, 202-205
Coped half-lap, 212, 213
Copedjoints, 154-155.190,191
Coped muntin joint, 212, 213
Coping saw, 42
Corner-post joints, 217
Cove, 148
Curved dovetails, 226-228
Curved joint lines, 235-237

Dado(es)
   definition of, 15
   for drawer construction, 170
   plywood,l80
   radial-arm saw method for, 77
   self-wedging, 82
   stopped,80-81
   table saw method for, 76
Dado and groove joints, handtool techniques for, 30-31
Dado blades
   for rabbets, 75-76
   for tenon making, 106, 107
   types of, 16-17
Decorative joints, 222-237
Depth stop, 15
Disc sander, 59
Double-dado joints, for drawer
       construction, 171-172
Double-dovetail half-lap, 144, 145
Double-lap blind dovetail,126-127
Double rabbet, 81
Double tenons, 98
Dovetail gauge, 111
Dovetail jigs, 19-20
Dovetail mortise-and-tenon mitre, 62
Dovetail rabbet, 86-87
Dovetail-spline joint, multiple, 136-138
Dovetailed half-lap, 142-143
Dovetailed tenons, 99-100
Dovetails
    for carcass corner joints,165-166
    Chinese method for, 241-242
    correction of defects in,127-128
    curved, 226-228
    decorative variations, 223-232
    double-lap blind, 126-127
    for drawer construction, 169
    end-to-end, 195, 196
    full-blind, 126-127
    grooves and, 120-121
    half-blind, 122-126, 169
    hand-cutting variations, 41-42
    hand-tool techniques for, 36-42
    impossible, 226
    Japanese, 251
    layout tools for, 111-112
    layout variations, 109-111
    machine techniques for,112-120
    mechanical locking in, 9
    mitred blind, 127
    outlined, 228-231
    pins and tails, spacing of,109-111
    plywood, 181, 182
    rabbets and, 120-121
    sliding, 82-86
    three-way, 231-232
Dowel centers, 47-48
Dowel joints, blind, 45-47
Dowel pegs, for locking box joint, 133
Dowel pins, for joint reinforcement, 44-45
Dowel-reinforced butt joint,174-175
Dowel-reinforced tenon, 155-156
Dowelling jigs, 48-49
Dowels
   horizontal boring for, 48
   for joint reinforcement, 43--44
   pegged joint assembly, 45
   for reinforcement, 8-9
   as wedges, 99
Draw boring, 93
Drawer bottoms, 173
Drawer-lock joints, for drawer construction, 171-172
Drill press, for mortising,100-102,103-104

Edge butt, hand-tool techniques for,24-25
Edge half-laps, 143-145
Edge mitres
   coopered joints, 202-205
   hand-tool techniques for,27-28
   making, 68-69
   splined, 51-52
   variations on, 64-65
Edging, plywood, 182-183
End-to-end dovetails, 195, 196

Face-mitre variations
   blind mortise-and-tenon mitre,
      61-62
   compound face mitres, 63-64
   dovetail mortise-and-tenon
      mitre, 62
   feather spline, 59-60
   four-way mitre, 62-63
   mitred half-lap, 60-61
   mitring boards of differing widths, 63
   open-mortise mitre, 61
   router-mitred mortise-and-tenon, 62
Face mitres
   hand-tool methods for, 26-27
   power-tool methods for, 68
Fasteners, for particleboard,187-188
Feather spline
   description of, 59-60
   multiple joints, 134-136
Fence
   auxiliary, 75
   for plate-joining machine, 55
   router, 77, 105
   for table saw, 131
Field, 149
Fillister plane, 15, 36, 158
Finger joints. See Box joints
Flat panels, 158
Four-shouldered tenon, 97
Four-way mitre, 62-63
Foxtail wedges, 92-93
Frame-and-panel joinery. See also
    Frame making; Panels
    coped joints, 154-155
    dimensional changes and, 147-148
    dowel-reinforced tenon,155-156
    softwood ground for, 160-161
    terminology for, 148-150
    wall panelling joints, 160-162
Frame butt, hand-tool techniques for, 25
Frame making
   applied mouldings for, 157
   methods for, 150, 151
   spline joints for, 156-157
Full-blind multiple splines, 138

Glazing, 212-214
Glue blocks, 188-189
Glue bullets, 187
Glue-line ageing, 11-12
Gluing technique
   basic, 10-12
   for mortise-and-tenon joint, 90
   for panel butt joints, 23--24
Grain direction, 13
Grooves. See also Dado and groove joints; Tongue-and-groove joints
   blind, 50
   cutting with table saw, 76
   definition of, 15
   for splines, 49-50
   for stopped joints, 80-81
Guards, 7

Half-blind dovetais
   for drawer construction, 169
   hand-cut, 122, 123
   router-cut, 122-126
Half-lap tenons, for leg making,175
Half-laps
   advantages of, 139, 140
   coped,212,213
   curved, 235
   dovetailed, 142-143
   edge,143-145
   Japanese, 244
   on router, 141, 142
   on table saw, 140-141
   variations in, 142-143
Half-pins, 36-40
Hammer-head joints, 195,196-197
Hand-tool techniques
   for butt joints, 21-22
   for case butt, 25-26
   for dado and groove joints,30-31
   for edge butt, 24-25
   for frame butt, 25
   for mortise-and-tenon joint,32-36
   for panel butt joints, 22-24
   for rabbet joints, 28-29
Haunched mortise-and-tenon joint, 89
Haunched tenon, 96-97
History of joinery, 4
Hopperjoints, 197-202
Horizontal boring, 48
Horizontal boring machine, 103
Humidity, joints and, 11-12

Impossible dovetails, 226
Inlaid joints, 232-233
Inserted tails, 232
Interlocking tenons, for leg making, 175-176

Japanese joinery
   for furniture, 238-239
   for timber framing, 242-251
Jig saw, dovetail cutting
      techniques, 113
Jigs
   dovetail, 19-20
   dowelling, 48-49
   Keller, 19, 116-118
   Leigh. See Leigh jig
   router, 77-78
Joiner, terminology of, 4
Joinery, rules of thumb, 12-13
Joint failures
   of mortise-and-tenon joint,89-90
   short-grain, 13
Joint reinforcement
   blind dowel joints, 45-47
   dowel centers, 47-48
   with dowel pins, 44-45
   dowelling jigs for, 48-49
   by dowels, 43-44
   horizontal boring for, 48
   pegged joints, 45
   by reinforcement blocks, 55
   splines for, 48-51
Joint surface, for gluing, 11
Jointer
   description of, 17-18
   for edge mitres, 59
   for rabbet cutting, 79-80
   for tenon making, 108
Joints, basic, 21. See also specific
       basic ioints

Kashigi-Oire joint, 248
Keller dovetail jig, 19, 116-118
Kerf bent corner, 186
Kickback, 75

Knives, 14, 32
Knuckle joints, 208, 209
Kumiko, 244

Lap joints
    advantages of, 139
    band saw for, 142
    half-laps. See Half-laps
    for splicing, 194
    unsupported, for plywood, 183-184
Layout
   for mortise-and-tenon joint, 33-34
    technique for, 12-13
Layout tools, 13-14
Leg attachment, Chinese method
      for, 240-241
Leg joints, for cabinetlmaking, 173-177
Leigh jig
   for cogged dovetail, 223-225
   for dovetail cutting, 118-119
   features of, 20
   for half-blind dovetails, 126
   for hopper joint, 201-202
   for rabbets and dadoes, 78
   for sliding dovetail making, 85
   for tenon making, 108
Liquid plastic splines, 187
Lock mitre, 65-67
Loose tenons, 100

Marking gauge, 14, 38, 42
Measurement, reference face for, 12
Mechanical joints, 205-210
Mechigai-koshikake-kama-tsugi, 238
Metal-working milling machine,
      for mortising, 103
Metric equivalency chart, 252
Mitre angles, 67, 70, 192-193
Mitre gauge, 58-59
Mitre-gauge angle, 72, 198, 199
Mitre joints
   Chinese methods for, 241-242
   dovetail mortise-and-tenon, 62
   four-way, 62-63
   hand-tool techniques for,  26-28
   mitring boards of differing widths, 63
   outside corner, 190-191
   with plywood, 179-180
   for regular polygons, 65-67
   three-way, 193
   variations of
      face-mitre variations, 59-64
      power-tool methods, 56-59
Mitred blind dovetail, 127
Mitred end pins, 134
Mitred half-lap, 60-61, 212, 213
Mitred half-pin, 120-121
Mitred-hopper-joint angle chart, 197-198
Mitred sticking, 150, 152
Mitred tenons, for leg making, 175
Mitring curved mouldings,191-192
Moisture content of wood, 12
Mori-nomi, 243
Mortise-and-tenon joints. See also Tenon
    carcass pinning, 164-165
    Chinese method for, 239-242
    curved, 237
    dimensional change and, 12, 93-94
    hand-tool techniques for, 32-36
    Japanese, 248
    for leg making, 175-176
    mechanical locking for. 91-93
    power-tool methods, 100-108
    proportions for, 32
    strength of, 10, 89-91
    tabletop end clamp, 100
    variations of, 94-96
       power-tool methods, 100-108
       for sash joints, 210-211
       in timber framing, 217-221
Mortise-and-tenon mitre,
       dovetail, 62
Mortise gauge, 14
Mortising, a round leg, 176
Mortising chisels
   Japanese, 243
   mortise making techniques, 32-33,101-102
Mortising gauge, 33-34
Moulding joints, 190-193
Mouldings, applied, 157
Mullion, 149
Multiple-spline joints, 134-138
Muntins, 211

Nickers, 15,30-31

Oblique tenons, 98
Odd-angle mitres, 192-193
Offset tenons, 98
Oire mortise and shoulder joint, 248
Open-mortise mitre, 61
Oriented strand board (OSB), 186
Outside corner mitres, 190-191
Ovolo, 148, 154

Panels
    construction of, 166-168
    cutting methods, 157-158
    definition of, 149
    flat, 158
    plywood,159-160
    raised, 158-159
    for wall panelling joints, 161
Particleboard
    joint reinforcement for, 187-189
    types of, 186
 Pegged joints, 45
 Pegs, for mortise-and-tenon joints, 93
Pilasters, 162
Pilots, 18
Planes
    for raised panel making, 158-159
    types of, 15
Plate splines
    description of, 53-55
    plywood, 181
Plow plane, 15
Plywood
   characteristics of, 178-179
   dadoes, 180
   mitre joints, 179-180
   panels of, 159-160
   rabbet joints, 180
   tusk tenons, 184
Polygons, compound mitres for, 69-71
Polyvinyl acetate glue (PVA), 12, 90
Post-and-panel construction,167-168
Power mitre box, 56-57
Power-tool methods. 
       See under specific power tool or joint
Protective equipment, 7
Push sticks, 7

Quarter-sawn lumber, 23

Rabbet mitre, 64-65
Rabbet plane. 15, 29, 36
Rabbeting bit, 78-79
Rabbets
   dadoes and grooves. power-tool metbods for, 73
   double, 81
   dovetail, 86-87
   for drawer construction, 179
   hand-tool techniques for, 28-29
   jointer method for, 79-80
   plywood, 180
   radial-arm saw method for, 76
   shaper method for, 80
   in shiplap joint, 82
   stopped,80-81
   table saw method for, 73-76
   for wall panelling, 161
Radial-arm saw
   dado making method, 77
   rabbet making method, 76
   for raised panel making, 159
   tenon making method, 107
Radius corners, plywood,
      185-186
Rafter-peak joints, 220
Rails, 149, 150, 212
Raised panels, 149, 158-159
Reinforcement blocks, 55
Revolving brackets, 208-209
Right-angled spline, 52
Round tenons, 100, 101, 176
Router
   for blind spline grooves, 50
   for coped joints, 154-155
   for curved joint lines, 236-237
   description of, 18-20
   dovetail cutting on, 116-120
   for grooves in dovetail splines, 136-138
   for half-laps, 141, 142
   for mortising, 105
   for rabbet making, 77-78
   for raised panel making, 159
   for sliding dovetail, 84-85
   for tenon making, 108
Router-mitred mortise-and-tenon, 62
Router plane, 15, 31
Router table, 19, 79, 119-120
Rule joints, 205-206

Safety, 6-7. 116, 131
Saga-Kama joint, 250
Sanding,l2-13
Sash joints, 210-214
Scallop-and-pin joints, 173
Scarf joints
   Japanese, 247
   making of, 193-195
Scribed joints, 152-154
Sculptured joints, 233-235
Secretary fall joints, 207
Self-wedging dado, 82
Shaper
   for rabbet making, 80
   for raised panel making, 159
   for spline groove making, 50
Shaper locked mitre, 65, 67, 179
Shear stress, 8-9
Shiplap joint, 82, 180
Shoji, 242, 243
Shokunin, 242
Shooting board, 22
Short-grain failures, 13

Shrinkage
   of mortise-and-tenon joint, 94, 95
   scribed joint and, 152-153
Sill joints, 218
Skeleton-frame construction, 166
Sliding dovetails
   for drawer construction. 170
   for leg making, 177
   techniques for, 82-86
   variations of. 241-242
Sliding mitre table, 57-58
Sockets, in box joint, 130, 132
Softwood ground, 160-161
Sokozarai-nomi, 243
Solid-corner blocks
   particleboard, 189
   plywood, 181-182
Splayed shoulders, 98
Splicing joints, 194-197. 219, 242
Spline joints
   for frame making, 156-157
   plywood, 181
Splines
   for alignment, 51
   description of, 49-51
   for particleboard, 187
   plate or biscuit, 53-55
   for reinforcement of edge mitres, 51-52
   right-angled. 52
Spur, 14
Squares. 14
Stack dado blade, 16
Step mortiser. 100-102
Stick, 148, 149
Sticking
   definition of, 148, 210
   mitred, 150, 152
Stiles. 149. 150, 212
Stopped joints, 80-81
Stress, types of, 8-10
Stretcher, 9
Stub tenons, 250

Table saw
   box joint cutting with, 131-133
   dovetail cutting techniques,
   half-laps on. 140-141
   making stopped joints on. 81
   rabbet making, 73-76
   for raised panel making, 159
   safety tips for, 131
   for tenon making, 105-106
   for tongue-and-groove joint, 87-88
Tabletop end clamp, 100
Templates, for curved joint lines, 236-237
Tenoning machine, 105
Tenons. See also Mortise-and-tenon joint
   angled. 98
   barefaced, 97
   cutting, 35-36
   divided, 93-94
   double, 98
   dovetailed, 99-100
   dowel-reinforced, 155-156
   four-shouldered, 97
   haunched,96-97
   loose, 100
   mitred, 175
   oblique, 98
   offset, 98
   round. 100, 101
   stub. 249
   for timber framing. 221
   tusk, 98-99
Tensional stress, 9-10
Three-way dovetail joint, 231-232
Three-way mitre angles, graphic method for determining, 214
Three-way mitres, 193
Timber framing, 4
   Japanese techniques for, 244-251
   method for, 214-221
   terminology for, 216
Tongue-and-dado joints, for
      drawer construction, 171
Tongue-and-groove joints
   barefaced, 88
   making. 87-88
   plywood, 180-181
Tongue-and-lap joints, for drawer construction, 171-172
Tools. See specific rools
Tripod-leg joint, 209--210
Tusk tenons. 98-99. 184

Universal plane, 15
Unsupported lap joint, for
      plywood, 183-184
Urea formaldehyde glue (UF), 12, 90

Veneer, for correction of dovetail defects, 127-128

Wall panelling joints
   assembly of, 161-162
   making of, 160-162
Wedges. for mortise-and-tenon
     joints, 91-93
Wobbler dado blade, 16-17
Wood
   cell structure of, 147-148
   grain direction of, 13
   moisture content of, 12