100 Wood Joints · the complete reference

Every joint worth knowing, from a glued butt to a wedged through tenon, a 槍角榣, 走馬銀, 腰掛継ぎ and a split-ring truss connector. Each one has its own diagram showing the actual cut geometry, a strength rating, how it is cut, where it belongs and how it fails.

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wood / long grainexposed end graincontrasting piece (spline, key, wedge, loose tenon)joint interface & glue linefastener– – – dashed = hidden inside

Chinese names are the established terms where they exist (燕尾榣, 榳角榣, 走馬銀, 金輪継) and a descriptive translation where there is no fixed term. The diagrams are hand-drawn technical schematics showing cut geometry — deliberately not photographs.

Butt & Reinforcedlong grainend grain
01

Butt Joint

對接

Two boards simply placed end-to-face at 90° (or end-to-end).

EasyDetails →
Butt & Reinforcedscrews run into end grain — the weak directionlong grain
02

Screwed Butt Joint

螺絲對接

A butt joint reinforced with screws (or nails) driven through the face of one board into the end grain of the other.

EasyDetails →
Butt & Reinforceddowellong-grain glue inside the hole — real strength
03

Dowel Joint

圓木榫接

Holes are bored in both pieces and a fluted dowel bridges the joint.

ModerateDetails →
Butt & Reinforcedcompressed wafer, swells to lockmostly alignment — only moderate strength
04

Biscuit Joint

木片接

A lens-shaped compressed beech wafer is glued into matching slots cut in both pieces.

EasyDetails →
Butt & Reinforcedangled screw bites long grain, not end grainpocket
05

Pocket-Screw Joint

斜孔螺絲接

An angled pilot hole (the pocket) is bored into one board, so the screw passes through it and drives into the long gra.

EasyDetails →
Butt & Reinforcedspline grain crosses the jointbridges two end-grain faces with long-grain glue
06

Splined Butt Joint

嵌條對接

A groove is cut in both mating faces and a separate strip — the spline — is glued in, bridging the two pieces with gen.

ModerateDetails →
Butt & Reinforcedbarrel nutunscrews — the knock-down joint
07

Cross-Dowel (Barrel Nut) Joint

橫銷螺母接

A bolt passes through one member into a barrel nut captured in a cross-drilled hole in the other.

ModerateDetails →
Mitres45°end grain glued to end grain — the weak corner
08

Plain Mitre

斜接

Both boards are cut at exactly 45° so the corner closes with no end grain showing on the outside faces — the classic p.

EasyDetails →
Mitresspline grain runs across the jointturns a weak mitre into a structural corner
09

Splined Mitre

嵌條斜接

A mitred corner with grooves cut straight across the joint from the outside.

ModerateDetails →
Mitresdovetail-section keys lock the mitre as well as glue it
10

Keyed (Feather-Key) Mitre

燕尾鍵斜接

Instead of a straight spline, dovetail-shaped keys are let into slots cut across the mitre.

HardDetails →
Mitresmitre only on the outsidehalf-lapclean mitre out front, long-grain glue face behind
11

Half-Lap Mitre (Mitred Half-Lap)

半搭斜接

The outer corner is mitred, but the joint behind it is a half-lap: each piece loses half its thickness so they overlap.

HardDetails →
Mitres3rd memberevery face mitred — always reinforced inside
12

Three-Way Mitre

三向斜接

Three members meeting at one corner — a leg and two rails — each mitred so the joint reads as a single clean three-way.

ExpertDetails →
Mitresoutside: plain mitredashed = the dovetails hidden inside the corner
13

Secret Mitred Dovetail

暗燕尾斜接

A dovetail is cut inside a mitred corner, so the interlock is completely hidden: the outside shows a plain mitre, and .

ExpertDetails →
Mitres30° to squaremitre angle = 180° ÷ number of sides
14

Segmented (Polygon) Mitre

多邊形斜接

Boards mitred at an angle other than 45° to make a ring — hexagonal, octagonal, or the segments of a turned bowl.

ModerateDetails →
Laps, Halving & Bridlehalf thicknessremovedfaces stay flush — all gluing surfaces are long grain
15

Half-Lap Joint

半搭接

Each piece has exactly half its thickness removed at the mating area, so the two overlap flush top and bottom.

EasyDetails →
Laps, Halving & BridleB cut awayA cut awayeach board loses half its thickness where they cross
16

Cross-Lap (Cross-Halving)

十字搭接

Two boards crossing at 90° in the same plane, each notched to half its thickness so they interlock flush — the classic.

EasyDetails →
Laps, Halving & Bridlenotch, half the through boardthe notch captures the end — it cannot slide out
17

Tee Half-Lap (T-Halving)

丁字搭接

One board's end laps onto the middle of another — a T rather than a corner.

EasyDetails →
Laps, Halving & Bridletail widensthe taper locks the lap against pull-out
18

Dovetailed Half-Lap

燕尾搭接

A half-lap whose mating faces are dovetail-shaped instead of flat.

HardDetails →
Laps, Halving & Bridleopen mortise, shoulder either side — end grain shows on one face
19

Bridle Joint (Open Mortise & Tenon)

夾榫

A lap given a proper tenon: the end of one piece is slotted into an open mortise, with a full-thickness tongue in the .

ModerateDetails →
Laps, Halving & Bridlethe bevel must be shallow for glue areaa scarf is measured as a ratio — 1:8 up to 1:12
20

Plain Scarf Joint

斜接續接

Two lengths are joined end to end on a long shallow bevel to make one continuous piece.

ModerateDetails →
Laps, Halving & Bridletablewedges lock it and pull the scarf up tight
21

Tabled & Wedged Scarf

帶榫楔斜接

A scarf with a step (the table) cut into it and a wedge driven in behind the table.

ExpertDetails →
Housing & Carcasegroove across the grain = a dado; along it = a grooveend grain
22

Dado (Through Housing)

通槽接

A channel cut ACROSS the grain of one board (a dado) to receive the end or edge of another.

EasyDetails →
Housing & Carcaseblind end — never breaks the outer facethe far face stays clean, so the shelf must drop in
23

Stopped Dado

暗槽接

A dado that stops before it reaches the far edge of the board, so the channel never breaks out on a visible face.

ModerateDetails →
Housing & Carcasegroove runs along the grain — a plough groovea solid panel must float: never glue it along its length
24

Groove (Plough) Joint

企口槽接

A channel cut ALONG the grain of a board to receive a panel, a shelf, or a tongue.

EasyDetails →
Housing & CarcaseL-shaped steplocates the pieces and adds glue face — but resists no pull-out
25

Rabbet (Rebate) Joint

裁口接

An L-shaped step cut along the edge of a board so another board can sit into it.

EasyDetails →
Housing & Carcaseone edge, two jointslay both out together or the corner goes weak
26

Rabbet-and-Groove Corner

裁口企口角接

The standard cabinet corner: the side gets a rebate to take the back panel AND a groove to take a shelf or horizontal .

ModerateDetails →
Housing & Carcasetonguethe running tongue keeps the next board flush
27

Tongue & Groove

企口接

A projecting tongue on the edge of one board fits a matching groove in the next.

ModerateDetails →
Housing & Carcaselong grain to long grain — stronger than the wood itself
28

Edge Joint (Glued Panel)

拼板接

Boards joined edge to edge to make a wider panel.

EasyDetails →
Finger & Boxsidefronteach board's fingers pass through the other
29

Through Finger (Box) Joint

指接

Interlocking square fingers cut on the ends of both boards.

ModerateDetails →
Finger & Boxfingers stop shortone outside face stays clean — nothing shows
30

Half-Blind Box Joint

暗指接

A finger joint whose fingers stop short of the far face, so one board's outside face stays perfectly flat and unbroken.

HardDetails →
Finger & Boxmitred corner, fingers behind itlooks like a mitre, holds like a box joint
31

Mitred Box Joint

斜角指接

A finger joint combined with a mitred outer corner.

ExpertDetails →
Finger & Boxrounded finger endsrounded fingers can be left proud — or let a lid pivot
32

Knuckle (Rounded Finger) Joint

圓指接

A finger joint whose fingers are rounded off instead of squared.

ModerateDetails →
Mortise & Tenontenonmortisethrough tenon — its end grain shows on the far face
33

Through Mortise & Tenon

明榫

The tenon is cut on the end of one piece and passes right through a mortise in the other, so its end grain shows on th.

HardDetails →
Mortise & Tenonstub tenonblind mortise — stops insidenothing shows on the outside face
34

Blind (Stub) Mortise & Tenon

暗榫

A mortise that stops before it reaches the far face, with a matching stub tenon.

HardDetails →
Mortise & Tenontenonhaunchthe haunch fills the panel groove and stops the rail twisting
35

Haunched Mortise & Tenon

帶肩榫

A tenon with a short full-thickness extension at its top edge, called the haunch.

HardDetails →
Mortise & Tenonkerf + wedgewedges splay the tenon and lock it — glue is almost optional
36

Wedged Through Mortise & Tenon

楔榫

A through tenon with saw kerfs cut in its end and wedges driven into them.

ExpertDetails →
Mortise & Tenonhidden wedgeswedges are hidden inside — nothing shows on the outside
37

Fox-Wedged (Blind Wedged) Tenon

暗楔榫

A blind tenon that is wedged inside the mortise.

ExpertDetails →
Mortise & Tenonoffset peg hole pulls the shoulder hard homepeg
38

Drawbored Mortise & Tenon

拉銷榫

A through tenon with a peg driven through it.

ExpertDetails →
Mortise & Tenontusk slotknock the tusk out and the frame comes apart
39

Tusk Tenon (Knock-Down)

走馬榫

A through tenon that projects past the leg with a slot through it; a wedge-shaped tusk is driven through the slot from.

HardDetails →
Mortise & Tenontwo tenonstwo tenons resist twisting far better than one wide tenon
40

Twin (Double) Mortise & Tenon

雙榫

Two smaller tenons side by side instead of one wide one.

HardDetails →
Mortise & Tenonloose tenona separate piece of wood bridges both mortises
41

Floating Tenon (Domino / Loose Tenon)

浮動榫

Neither piece has a tenon.

EasyDetails →
Dovetailstailpintails pass right through — nothing can pull this apart sideways
42

Through Dovetail

燕尾榫 · 明榫

Wedge-shaped tails on one board interlock with pins on the other, and the tails pass right through so the pattern show.

ExpertDetails →
Dovetailssockettails stop short — the outside face stays clean
43

Half-Blind Dovetail

燕尾榫 · 暗榫

The tails stop short of the far face, so the outside of the joint shows a clean flat board and only a thin line.

ExpertDetails →
Dovetailstenonslides in from the end — it cannot be pulled straight out
44

Sliding Dovetail

走馬銷 · 滑動燕尾

A dovetail-shaped tenon that slides lengthwise into a matching dovetail groove.

HardDetails →
Dovetailsblind endthe groove stops short — the joint cannot slide through
45

Stopped Sliding Dovetail

暗走馬銷

A sliding dovetail whose groove is stopped before the far end, so the tenon runs in from one end and comes up against .

ExpertDetails →
Dovetailstailpinthree tails, four small pins — the dovetailer's test piece
46

Houndstooth Dovetail

犬牙燕尾榫

A dovetail with small teeth instead of a full tail — three tails and four little pins in the space a normal dovetail u.

ExpertDetails →
Chinese Joinerytenon粽角榫 — mitres on every face, tenons hidden inside
47

Three-Way Mitred Corner

粽角榫

The Chinese rice-dumpling corner: a leg and two rails meeting at one corner, each face mitred so no end grain is visib.

ExpertDetails →
Chinese Joinery走馬銷 — a dovetail key locks the joint and can be knocked out
48

Sliding Dovetail Key (Knock-Down)

走馬銷

A dovetail-shaped key driven into a matching slot across a joint.

HardDetails →
Chinese Joinery金輪継 — a driven wedge locks the scarf and hauls it tight
49

Kanawa Tsugi (Japanese Scarf)

金輪継

The Japanese 'metal-ring splice' — a long diagonal scarf with a wedge driven in behind it.

ExpertDetails →
Chinese Joinery蝴蝶榫 — bowtie key let into a slab to stop a crack running
50

Butterfly (Bowtie) Key

蝴蝶榫

A bowtie-shaped inlay let into a board across a split.

ModerateDetails →
Mitresbiscuits set square across the mitreinvisible from outside — glued in end grain both sides
51

Biscuited Mitre

木片斜接

A plain mitre reinforced with biscuits set across the joint.

ModerateDetails →
Mitresdowels drilled square through the jointthe simplest invisible reinforcement for a mitre
52

Dowelled Mitre

圓榫斜接

A mitre reinforced with dowels drilled square through the joint.

ModerateDetails →
Mitrestwo 45-degree faces with a step between themthe step locks it — it self-aligns as the clamps go on
53

Lock Mitre (Router Joint)

鎖斜接

Two 45-degree faces with a square step between them, cut with a lock-mitre router bit.

HardDetails →
Mitrescope shaped to the moulding profileinternal corners do not open up the way a mitre does
54

Coped Joint

搭接內角 (Cope)

The joint for internal corners of moulding and skirting.

HardDetails →
Mitresboth boards carry the moulding profilecompound mitre — the saw is tilted AND rotated
55

Compound Mitre

複合斜接

A mitre where the saw is both tilted and rotated, so the joint follows two angles at once.

HardDetails →
Timber Framingflush — no shoulder on this faceone shoulder, flush outside — cheaper and weaker than a full tenon
56

Bare-Faced Tenon

單肩榫

A tenon reduced on one side only, so its outer face is flush with the rail's outer face.

ModerateDetails →
Timber Framingbracethe brace's tenon is cut on the brace's own angle
57

Angled (Brace) Tenon

斜撑榫

The joint at the end of a diagonal brace, cut on the same angle as the brace itself.

HardDetails →
Timber Framingmortise cut on a slopethe tenon drops in from the side, then slides home
58

Chase Mortise (Sloped Mortise)

斜槽榫

A mortise cut on a slope instead of square, so the tenon can be dropped in from the side and then slid home.

ExpertDetails →
Timber Framingpegged through the lap — the standard length splice
59

Half-Lap Scarf

半搭接續接

A scarf made by halving both ends over a length and lapping them.

ModerateDetails →
Timber Framingcogthe cog stops the tie beam pulling away from the rafter
60

Cogged Joint

齒榫接

A notch with a rectangular cog set in it, so the joint resists being pulled apart as well as being pushed together.

ExpertDetails →
Timber Framinghalf-dovetail — one sloped facethe wedge hauls it tight and stops the creep
61

Wedged Half-Dovetail

楔半燕尾

A rafter-to-plate joint where one face is cut on the dovetail slope and a wedge is driven in behind it.

HardDetails →
Timber Framingrafterwall platenever cut deeper than a third of the rafter
62

Birdsmouth (Rafter Notch)

鳥嘴榫

The right-angled notch cut in a rafter so it sits flat and square on the wall plate.

EasyDetails →
Timber Framingcupped to the log belowsaddle notch — the wall settles without opening up
63

Saddle Notch

馬鞍口

The log-building joint: the upper log is cupped out on its underside so it saddles over the log below.

ModerateDetails →
Timber Framingtaper on one face onlyit drops straight on, then cannot lift off
64

Half-Dovetail Notch

燕尾口

A log notch with the dovetail taper cut on one face, so the upper log can be dropped straight down over the lower one .

HardDetails →
Panel & Edgegrooves in both edgesa separate strip does the work — neither board is cut
65

Loose Tongue (Spline) Edge Joint

嵌條拼板

Two boards edge-jointed with a separate tongue — a loose spline — sitting in a groove cut in both edges.

ModerateDetails →
Panel & Edgedowels keep the boards level while the glue sets
66

Dowelled Edge Joint

圓榫拼板

Boards edge-jointed with dowels across the glue line.

EasyDetails →
Panel & Edgerub until the boards suck together — glue only, no fasteners
67

Rub Joint (Glue-Only Edge)

磨接

Two boards joined with glue and nothing else.

EasyDetails →
Panel & Edgebeadthe bead hides the seam and becomes a feature
68

Beaded Tongue & Groove

起線企口

Tongue & groove with a bead worked on the face along one edge.

ModerateDetails →
Panel & Edgetop boardsthe batten holds the top flat but lets it move
69

Breadboard End

饅頭榫 · 出榫端

A cross-grain batten tenoned onto the ends of a tabletop.

HardDetails →
Panel & Edgegroove worked in the rail and the stilethe panel floats — never glue it along its length
70

Frame & Panel (Floating Panel)

框架嵌板

A panel captured in grooves worked into a frame of rails and stiles.

HardDetails →
Panel & Edgeslipthe slip carries the bottom — the side keeps its strength
71

Drawer Slip (Runner) Joint

抽屜托條

A thin strip let into a groove in the drawer side, projecting inward to carry the drawer bottom.

ModerateDetails →
Knock-Down & Hardwarecama quarter turn of the cam draws the panels together
72

Cam & Dowel (Minifix)

凸輪連接件

The flat-pack connector: a dowel bolt screwed into one panel engages a rotary cam in the other, and a quarter turn of .

EasyDetails →
Knock-Down & Hardwaredriven through the rail into the legbed bolts tighten to a rattle-free fit and still come apart
73

Bed Bolt Joint

床螺絲接

A heavy bolt driven through the bed rail into a cross-dowel nut set in the leg.

ModerateDetails →
Knock-Down & Hardwareglue block, glued and screwedsquares the joint and takes the racking
74

Corner Block (Glue Block)

角撐木

A triangular block glued and screwed into an inside corner.

EasyDetails →
Knock-Down & Hardwarebutton sits in a groove in the apronholds the top down but lets it slide as it moves
75

Table Button (Top Fastener)

桌面卡榫

A small tongue screwed into a groove in the apron and to the underside of the top.

ModerateDetails →
Knock-Down & Hardwarepellet plugs the counterborethe quick fixing that finishes like joinery
76

Screw & Pellet

螺絲塞孔

A countersunk screw with the head buried below the surface under a glued-in wooden plug cut from the same board.

EasyDetails →
Dovetailsthe channel is dovetailedthe shelf slides in and then cannot be pulled out
77

Dovetail Dado (Dovetail Housing)

燕尾槽接

A shelf housed into a dovetail channel cut across a carcase side.

HardDetails →
Dovetailsthe rebate is undercutthe rebate locates it, the dovetail locks it
78

Dovetailed Rabbet

燕尾裁口

A rebate whose long-grain face is undercut into a dovetail, so the mating board locks as it seats.

ExpertDetails →
Dovetailsthe key is dovetailed at both endsit cannot slide out either way
79

Dovetail Key (Loose Dovetail)

燕尾鍵接

Two grooves cut in the mating edges, dovetailed at the base, with a separate key that is dovetailed at BOTH ends.

HardDetails →
Dovetailsone sloped wall, one squarehalf the cutter work, most of the holding
80

Half-Dovetail Housing

半燕尾槽

A sliding dovetail with only one sloped face.

ModerateDetails →
Chinese Joinerymitred shoulder格肩榫 — a mitred shoulder instead of a square one
81

Shouldered Mitred Tenon

格肩榫

格肩榫 — the tenon's shoulder is cut as a mitre rather than a square, so the rail meets the leg's corner without showing .

ExpertDetails →
Chinese Joineryboth shoulders mitred抱肩榫 — the leg runs on past the apron
82

Mitred Shouldered Joint

抱肩榫

抱肩榫 — the leg runs on past the apron and both of the apron's shoulders are mitred, so the shoulder wraps around the le.

ExpertDetails →
Chinese Joinerywedge楔釘榫 — a wedge draws it in, a pin keeps it there
83

Round Member Wedge & Pin

楔釘榫

楔釘榫 — the joint for round members.

HardDetails →
Chinese Joinerythe hook is hidden under the mitre挖煙袋榫 — a hooked tenon inside a mitred frame corner
84

Hooked Frame Corner

挖煙袋榫

挖煙袋榫 — the opium-pipe corner.

ExpertDetails →
Chinese Joinerywide at the entry, narrow at the exit大進小出榫 — easy to assemble, then pinned
85

Wide-In Narrow-Out Tenon

大進小出榫

大進小出榫 — a through tenon that is wide where it enters the mortise and narrow where it exits.

HardDetails →
Japanese Joinery腰掛継ぎ — seated on a step, locked with a wedge
86

Seated Scarf

腰掛継ぎ

腰掛継ぎ — a scarf where the two ends seat into each other on a step and a wedge driven across the joint hauls them tight.

HardDetails →
Japanese Joinery追掛け大栓継ぎ — two driven keys lock the splice
87

Keyed Scarf Splice

追掛け大栓継ぎ

追掛け大栓継ぎ — a lapped scarf locked by two large wooden keys driven through it.

ExpertDetails →
Japanese Joineryhalf-lap, friction fit組子 — no glue anywhere, the fit does everything
88

Kumiko Lattice Joint

組子

組子 — the lattice joint.

ExpertDetails →
Japanese Joinerygrooves in both edges雇い実 — a separate tongue does the work
89

Loose Tongue (Yatoi Zane)

雇い実

雇い実 — a loose tongue employed to join two boards.

ModerateDetails →
Specialitythe hinge pin sits on the arc centredown it is a bullnose, up it is a flat top
90

Rule Joint (Drop-Leaf)

折疊桌鉸接

The joint that makes a drop-leaf table work.

ExpertDetails →
Finger & Boxfor joining lengths, not corners — stronger than the wood
91

End-to-End Finger Joint

指接拼長

The finger joint used for its other purpose: joining boards END TO END to make a longer one.

ModerateDetails →
Mortise & Tenonstilethe dovetail section means it can only slide in from one end
92

Dovetail Tenon

燕尾榫頭

A tenon whose cross-section is a dovetail, so once it is in the mortise it cannot be pulled straight out — only slid i.

ExpertDetails →
Framing Fixingsthe lap takes the loadbolts and washers do the work — always use a washer
93

Bolted Lap Joint

螺栓搭接

A half-lap drawn up tight with a bolt and washer.

EasyDetails →
Framing Fixingsa split ring multiplies the joint's load capacity
94

Split-Ring Connector

裂環連接件

A split metal ring let into matching circular grooves in two timber faces.

ModerateDetails →
Framing Fixingspunched truss platethe teeth carry the load in shear — pressed, never hammered
95

Punched Metal Truss Plate

桁架齒板

A galvanised steel plate punched with teeth, pressed into both faces of a joint.

EasyDetails →
Framing Fixingsdriven across the jointfast and cheap — the fastener you never see on cheap furniture
96

Corrugated Fastener

波浪扣件

A short wavy steel strip driven across a joint on the back face.

EasyDetails →
Framing Fixingsthe hanger cradles the joist's endevery nail works in shear — use the specified nails
97

Joist Hanger

樑托

A U-shaped galvanised hanger nailed to the beam, cradling the joist's end.

EasyDetails →
Framing Fixingsthe plate straddles the jointa gusset spreads the load across the whole joint
98

Gusset (Mending) Plate)

角撐板

A flat plate screwed or glued over a joint to spread the load and repair a break.

EasyDetails →
Specialityledged & braced — the boards do nothing structural
99

Ledged & Braced (Batten) Joint

橫檔斜撐釘接

Boards nailed to horizontal ledges with a diagonal brace between them.

EasyDetails →
Mortise & Tenontenonround M&T — no shoulder, so the fit is everything
100

Round Mortise & Tenon

圓榫接

A turned round tenon into a bored round mortise — no shoulders, no square work, and nothing to hide a bad fit.

HardDetails →