Timber Jointing and Fabrication Techniques
The joints that hold timber together, from the simple butt joint to the strong dovetail, plus fabrication methods like lamination and adhesives and how flat-pack furniture is assembled.
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Holding it all together 🪵
A wooden product is only as good as the way its parts are **joined**. Some joints are quick but weak; others are strong and beautiful; and some are made to be taken apart again. This module covers the main timber **joints**, the **fabrication** methods that hold wood together, and how flat-pack furniture is **assembled**.
Four key joints 🔑
Learn what each joint is and how strong it is:
Make a mortise and tenon 🪜
An interactive activity.
Match each joint 🔗
- Butt joint
- Mitre joint
- Mortise and tenon
- Dovetail
- Two pieces fixed end to end; simple but weak
- A neat 45 degree corner, as in a picture frame
- A peg fits a hole; a strong joint for frames
- Interlocking pins and tails; very strong, used for drawers
The strongest corner 🎯
Which joint is the strongest and most attractive for the corners of a drawer?
- A dovetail joint
- A butt joint
- A mitre joint
- A knock-down fitting
Permanent or knock-down? ⚖️
Some ways of joining wood are meant to be permanent; others let you take the product apart.
Which are adhesives? ✅
Select the TWO adhesives used to fabricate timber products.
- PVA wood glue
- Contact adhesive
- A mortise and tenon
- A dovetail
Building it up 🔨
Beyond joints, timber is fabricated in other ways. **Lamination** glues thin layers together to make a strong or curved shape, and **veneering** glues a thin, attractive layer over a cheaper base. Pieces are then fixed with **screws** (strong and removable), **nails** (quick) or **adhesives** such as PVA. For flat-pack products, **knock-down fittings** let the buyer assemble it at home.
Joints in words 🧱
The simplest but weakest timber joint is the _____ joint, where two pieces meet end to end. A very strong, interlocking joint used for drawers is the _____. A neat 45 degree corner joint is a _____ joint. Gluing thin layers of wood together is called _____. Flat-pack furniture is held together with knock-down _____.
Can it come apart? 🖍️
An interactive activity.
Knock-down fittings 📦
What are knock-down fittings mainly used for?
- Assembling flat-pack furniture that can be taken apart
- Making a permanent, glued joint
- Cutting timber to size
- Sanding a surface smooth
Choose the right method 🧭
An interactive activity.
Design a jewellery box ✍️
An interactive activity.