Whether you're an experienced craftsman or an aspiring artisan, you can use various joint types in woodworking to join two pieces of wood.

How can you determine which woodworking joint types are best for your project? 

Each woodworking joint type has a unique purpose and was developed to solve a specific problem. Understanding how joints are created and what they are commonly used for will help you determine which one is best suited for your project.

4 Woodworking Joint Types

Although there are dozens more joint types in woodworking, these four are very common and can effectively be used to solve all but the most complicated joinery problems. 

1. Butt Joint

A butt joint is one of the most common woodworking corner joint types. 

As the most straightforward, least complicated, and least time-consuming method of ninety-degree joinery, the butt joint is favored for its quick assembly. Even tradespeople who don't typically consider themselves woodworkers, like framers, use butt joints on a regular basis because of their speed.

To create a butt joint, simply push one piece of wood into another at a ninety-degree angle and fasten. Easy.

What if you want to create a perfectly aligned butt joint with hidden fasteners? Simply nailing two pieces of wood together won’t work.

By using a high-quality doweling jig, like the E-Z Pro Doweling Kit from General Tools, you can create dowelled butt joints that line up perfectly and will easily maintain that alignment.

Another way to create a butt joint with hidden fasteners is by using the E-Z Pro Deluxe Pocket Hole Jig Kit to pocket screw the joint together.

Both of these tools can easily help you quickly create a durable butt joint that eliminates the need for unsightly face nailing.

2. Mortise and Tenon

A mortise and tenon joint is one of the most traditional woodworking corner joint types.

Created during a time when mechanical fasteners like screws and nails were not commonly available, a mortise and tenon joint joins two pieces of wood using only quality craftsmanship, and the wood itself.

A mortise and tenon joint is great for interlocking two pieces of wood where structural strength is vital, and you don't want to rely on just the strength of a fastener.

To create a mortise and tenon joint, you create a cavity in one piece of wood (the mortise) and a tab of corresponding size and shape (the tenon) that securely slides into the cavity for a firm fit.

The most challenging aspect of using a mortise and tenon joint is simply creating it. Hand-crafting a mortise and tenon joint that aligns perfectly can be highly time-consuming and frustrating. 

Fortunately, you can substantially speed up this process while simultaneously eliminating most, if not all, errors involved in crafting this joint with General Tool's E-Z Pro Aluminum Mortise & Tenon Jig Kit.

The E-Z Pro Aluminum Mortise & Tenon Jig Kit includes everything that you need to accurately and efficiently create perfect joints every time, without the tedious hand chiseling required in the past.

3. Dovetail

Widely considered the most beautiful and visually appealing of all the joint types in woodworking, the dovetail joint seamlessly blends aesthetics and structural stability.

Typically used for joining drawers and other wooden furniture, the dovetail is an interlocking joint that can hold firmly together without using glue or other fasteners.

A dovetail joint is created by crafting a series of interlocking tabs along the corresponding edges of the wood you need to connect. Once linked, a dovetail joint has superior resistance to being pulled apart. 

Historically, the biggest drawback to dovetail joints was how difficult they were to craft by hand. However, thanks to jigs like General Tool's E-Z Pro Dovetailer II Dovetail Jig, you can quickly and easily create beautiful, resilient dovetail joints in conjunction with a router.

4. Lap Joint

A lap joint is another typical joint seen framing houses and on fine finish work alike. 

A lap joint is formed by removing half of the material from the ends of two pieces of wood. These two pieces of wood are then laid on top of each other to create a robust ninety-degree corner with a consistent, flat surface.

Lap joints are commonly used on tables and other furniture and should be used when a strong connection is needed in a corner.

In framing, lap joints are often connected with mechanical fasteners like nails and screws, but in fine woodworking, they are often used with wooden dowels. A product like the E-Z Pro Doweling Jig Kit allows you to create perfectly aligned lap joints without needing to use gaudy fasteners.

Create Beautifully Dependable Woodworking Joint Types with General Tools

Whether you need to lock a butt joint securely in place while your glue dries or create a visually stunning dovetail joint for your woodworking project, General Tools has the tools you need to get the job done right!

Choose from any of General Tool's best-in-class woodworking tools to get the finishing touch that you need for your project:

Don't see what you need here? Don't worry; General Tools has you covered. From laser measuring tools to crown molding jigs, you can find the right tools you need for your project with General Tools.

Choose General Tools for a Higher Rank of Precision

Since 1922, General Tools has been providing customers with quality goods from hardware to hand tools and everything in between; that's over a century of supplying contractors, tradespeople, and DIYers with the tools and materials they need to get the job done right.

Visit General Tools online, or find them in your local Home Depot, Lowe's, or Ace Hardware and discover a higher rank of precision.