Wood Joints
Jesse Nester
Mortise and Tenon
Advantages:
- Strongest of all joints.
- Cannot wobble and difficult to pull out.
- Joins legs and rails in chairs and beds.
Disadvantages:
- Difficult to mark and cut out.
Dowel
Advantages:
- Quick and easy to make.
Disadvantages:
- Drilling accurate holes difficult.
Dovetail
Advantages:
- Very strong joint and resists being pulled apart.
- Good for joining all sides of drawers.
Disadvantages:
- Difficult to mark and cut out.
Tongue and Groove
Advantages:
- Easy to measure and cut; invisible.
- Used for table tops and floors.
Disadvantages:
- Tongues can break easily; cannot be disassembled.
Corner Blocks
Advantages:
- Added to make joints more secure, such as the frames of chairs and tables.
Disadvantages:
- None.