Woodworking joints 113266 223130451 2008-07-02T18:29:42Z Old Moonraker 233102 Reverted 1 edit by [[Special:Contributions/81.105.175.231|81.105.175.231]] identified as [[WP:VAND|vandalism]] to last revision by [[User:Old Moonraker|Old Moonraker]]. ([[WP:TW|TW]]) {{world}}{{Nofootnotes|article|date=February 2008}} [[Image:psj.gif|thumb|[[Pocket-Hole Joinery]] being used to assemble a simple 'T-Joint'.]]'''Joinery''' is that part of [[woodworking]] that involves joining together pieces of wood, to create furniture, structures, toys, and other items. Some wood joints employ fasteners, bindings, or adhesives, while others use only wood elements. The characteristics of wooden joints - strength, flexibility, toughness, etc. - derive from the properties of the joining materials and from how they are used in the joints. Therefore, different joinery techniques are used to meet differing requirements. For example, the joinery used to build a [[house]] is different from that used to make [[puzzle]] toys, although some concepts overlap. ==Traditional Joinery== {{Sectstub|date=May 2008}} Many traditional wood joinery techniques use the distinctive material properties of [[wood]], often without resorting to mechanical fasteners or adhesives. While every culture in which pieces of wood are joined together to make furniture or structures has a joinery tradition, wood joinery techniques have been especially well documented and celebrated in the [[Ancient Chinese wooden architecture|Chinese]], [[Europe]]an, and Japanese traditions. The Japanese and Chinese traditions in particular include hundreds of types of joints, many of which do not use [[adhesive|glue]] or [[nail (engineering)|nails]]. The Chinese have been using this method for the last seven thousand years.<ref>{{cite book | first=Nancy W. | last= Steinhardt | year= 2002 | title=Chinese Architecture | edition= English Ed. | publisher=Yale University Press | location= | pages= p. 7 | id= ISBN 0-300-09559-7 }}</ref> ==Properties of wood== Many wood joinery techniques either depend upon or compensate for the fact that wood is [[anisotropic]]: its material properties are different along different dimensions. ===Strength=== {{Sectstub|date=May 2008}} Wood is stronger when stressed along the [[Wood grain|grain]] (longitudinally) than it is when stressed across the grain (radially and tangentially). ===Dimensional Stability=== {{Sectstub|date=May 2008}} Wood expands and contracts in response to [[moisture content|humidity]], usually much less so longitudinally than in the radial and tangential directions. ===Joinery Effects=== {{Sectstub|date=May 2008}} The [[frame and panel]] constructions of doors and cabinets is not purely decorative. The panel would be fragile without the support of the '''rails''', whose grain runs perpendicular to that of the panel. But, if the rails were directly fastened to the panel, the difference in the rate of expansion across and along the grain would rip the two apart. When properly constructed, the panel is free to expand, while still supported by the frame. ==Materials used for joining== * Joints can be designed to hold without the use of glue or fasteners. * [[Glue]] is highly effective for joining wood when both surfaces of the joint are edge grain. A properly glued joint may be as strong as a single piece of wood. However, glue is ineffective on [[Wood grain|end-grain]] surfaces. Compared to a [[mortise and tenon]], a [[dowel joint]] is a poor joint because it does not address these properties. Much of the surface of the hole of a dowel joint is end-grain, to which glue adheres poorly. In a mortise and tenon, most of the surface of the joint is longitudinal-grain. [[Animal glue]] is soluble in water, producing joints that can be disassembled using [[steam]] to soften the glue. * Various mechanical [[fastener]]s are used, the simplest being [[nail (fastener)|nail]]s and [[screw]]s. Glue and fasteners can be added together. ==Types of joints== Some types of joints used include: * [[Butt joint#Biscuit Reinforced Butt Joint|Biscuit join]] * [[Bridle joint|Bridle]] * [[butt joint|Butt]] * [[Butterfly joint|Butterfly]] * [[Butt joint#Dowel Reinforced Butt Joint|Dowel]] * [[cope cut|Coping]] * [[Cope and stick]] * [[Dado (joinery)| Dado]] (US) or Housing Joint (UK) * [[Dougong]] * [[dovetail joint|Dovetail]] * [[finger joint|Finger]] (US) or box combing (UK) * [[lap joint|Lap]] (halving joint) ** [[lap joint|Cross-lap]] ** [[Halved joint]] ** [[lap joint|Dovetail-lap]] ** [[lap joint|End-lap]] (corner halving joint) ** [[lap joint|Middle-lap]] (Tee halving joint) * [[miter joint|Miter]] (mitre) * [[Mortise and tenon]] * [[Pocket-Hole Joinery]] * [[Rabbet]] (rebate) * [[scarf joint|Scarf]] (scarph) * [[Splice joint]] * [[Tongue and groove]] * [[Frame and panel|Frame and Panel]] (rail and stile) ===Images of different types of joints=== <gallery> Image:Joinery-cornerbridle.gif|[[Bridle joint]] Image:Woodworking-joint-butt-dowel.gif|[[Dowel joint]] Image:Joinery-coping.gif|[[Coping (joinery)|Coped joint]] Image:Woodworking-joint-dado.gif|[[Dado (joinery)|Dado]] Image:Joinery-throughdovetail.gif|[[Dovetail joint]] Image:Boxjoint.png|[[Finger joint|Finger joint or box combing]] Image:Woodworking-joint-lap.gif|[[Lap joint]]s Image:Mitre joint square.png|[[Mitre joint|mitre (miter) joint]] Image:Mortise and tenon joint.svg|[[Mortise and tenon|Mortise and tenon joint]] Image:Woodworking-joint-rebate.gif|[[Rabbet|Rabbet or rebate]] Image:Woodworking-joint-scarf.gif|[[Scarf joint]] Image:Woodworking-joint-splice.gif|[[Splice joint]]s </gallery> ==See also== * [[Woodworking]] * [[Cabinet making]] * [[Building construction]] * [[Ancient Chinese wooden architecture|Chinese Wooden Architecture]] ==Footnotes== {{reflist}} ==References== * Bernard Jones (Ed.) (1980). ''The Complete Woodworker''. ISBN 0-89815-022-1 * Peter Korn (1993). ''Working with Wood''. ISBN 1-56158-041-4 * Sam Allen (1990). ''Wood Joiner's Handbook''. Sterling Publishing. ISBN 0-8069-6999-7 * Wolfram Graubner (1992). ''Encyclopedia of Wood Joints''. Taunton Press. ISBN 1-56158-004-X ==External links== * [http://www.diyinfo.org/wiki/Carpentry DIYinfo.org's Carpentry Wiki] - Practical information on creating various wood-working joints [[Category:Joinery|*]] [[Category:Woodworking]] [[de:Holzverbindung]] [[nl:Houtverbinding]] [[simple:Woodworking joints]] [[sv:laskning]]