The most basic wood joint is the butt joint, which is the end of one piece of material butting up to another without any shaping done to the material. Because this technique utilizes minimal surface area for glue, it’s generally considered a weak joint unless supported by additional fasteners such as nails and screws. This simple joint is often used in building framing and other applications that utilize additional fasteners for strength.

Similar in strength to a basic butt joint but slightly more complex and visually pleasing is the mitered butt joint. This joint consists of angled boards joined at the ends to form a compound angle, such as two boards cut at 45 degrees joined to form a 90-degree angle.

While this joint is weak like a basic butt joint, the miters hide the end grain of both boards, which is of visual value. Because of its ability to hide the end grain and yield a more attractive appearance, mitered butt joints are often seen in finished work such as joining trim pieces in a corner.

A dowel joint is an improved butt joint that relies on hidden dowels for strength. This joint is done by drilling opposing holes into the two materials and placing a wooden dowel in the holes, typically with adhesive. The dowel acts as a mechanical fastener by bonding with the glue, while also helping to align the pieces. Dowel joints are popular amongst furniture builders and are used for mirrors and picture frames as well as a variety of furniture pieces.

Like a dowel joint, a biscuit joint relies on a hidden material within the joint that adds strength and surface area for glue. The hidden material in this case is a thin oval-shaped piece of compressed beechwood called a biscuit. The biscuit is covered in glue and placed into slits that are cut into the opposing pieces of stock. The moisture in the glue causes the biscuit to swell, strengthening the glue’s bond. This joint is popular in furniture making, particularly for joining wood to make tabletops.

A dado is a three-sided groove cut into a piece of stock for another piece of stock to fit into, forming a right angle. This simple joint is often utilized for furniture building, such as shelving, cabinetry, and drawer dividers.

A rabbet is nothing more than a dado cut at the edge of a piece of material. A rabbet joint is similar to a basic butt joint, but the removed material adds additional rigidity and surface area for gluing. Additionally, the piece of stock with the rabbet hides the end grain of the other stock, which makes this joint popular in cabinetry and furniture building.

A mortise is a removed section of material within a piece of stock, while a tenon is a projection cut at the end of a piece of stock. A mortise-and-tenon joint is created when the tenon is fitted within the mortise. This strong connection is often utilized in furniture making for joining bed frames and table legs, but can also be found in traditional barn building and home framing.

A finger joint, sometimes called a box joint, is made by cutting a sequence of equidistant square notches in a piece of stock, then cutting opposing notches in a second piece of stock. The two sets of notches, known as fingers, are then laced together. When supported with glue, finger joints boast superior strength due to the immense amount of surface area at the joint. This simple yet effective joint is perfect for boxes and drawers.

A dovetail joint is a more complex, self-locking iteration of a finger joint that utilizes tapered notches with corresponding tenons that lace together. The tapered design not only creates a beautiful visual visible on both sides of the joint but flaunts an increased level of strength due to the interlocking qualities. This popular joint is a great option for general furniture building and drawers and boxes that require above-average strength.

A half-blind dovetail joint is an even more complex iteration of the standard dovetail joint, which offers the ability to hide one side of the joint while maintaining the superior strength of the tapered dovetail joint. A common use case for this joint is in drawer construction, where visibility of the joint at the drawer front isn’t desired.

Think of a sliding dovetail as a combination between a dovetail and a dado joint. This joint features a three-sided channel much like a dado with a tapered shape like a dovetail. This design offers immensely more strength and locking qualities over a standard dado and can be used similarly.

A half-lap joint features a removed section of material equal to half the depth of one piece of stock and a corresponding section removed from a second piece of stock. The two sections are joined together so that the joined materials are flush with one another.

While the removed material can weaken the individual stock pieces, the rigidity of the joint offers some strength if placed in the middle of the board. However, lap joints placed at the end of a board, known as end laps, are significantly weaker. This joint is often used in building framing and furniture building.

A bridle joint is a strong alternative to a lap joint that’s useful in many of the same applications. Rather than two laps joining together, the bridle joint features a tenon on one piece of stock and an open-ended mortise on the second piece of stock. This way, each side of the tenon acts as a gluing surface, which is much stronger than the single gluing surface on the half-lap joint. Bridle joints are popular in the framing of tables, desks, and benches.

A popular option in flooring and wood paneling: the tongue-and-groove joinery is one of the most self-explanatory wood joints. On the edge of one board is a tongue, on the other, a corresponding groove. When placed together, the boards lock tightly to one another.