In cases when the wooden construction is not too loaded or when it has a little weight itself, the dimensioning is not so much important. But if you are dealing with big and expensive construction, damaging of which can cause injuries or great financial loss, the dimensioning of woodworking and carpentry joints is surely an important thing.

A strong way to join two or more pieces of board or plank to make a wider piece is to cleat them.

A cleat is a piece of material fastened across the width of a board to prevent its warping and to reinforce the butt joints between the boards. If the surface is composed of several pieces, the cleat is also designed to hold them together. It may be applied to the back of the pieces, or across the ends. As the grain of the cleat is at right angles to that of the surface to which it is fastened, and since wood shrinks and swells more across the grain than with it, there is likely to be some movements of one on the other, and the fastenings used to secure the cleat should be of such a nature as to allow it. Otherwise, the edges of the board will be rigidly held, and shrinkage will result in the formation of large cracks, by the splitting of the board somewhere near the center. Screws are undoubtedly the best fastenings, as they will yield, to some degree, without becoming loosened. nails frequently answer every purpose; and dowels are sometimes used. Glue is unserviceable. When it is used alone, the cleats soon drop off; and when used with other fastenings, it either gives way entirely, or breaks at intervals, causing local cracks.

Side cleating is the more effective of the two methods, because the cleat may be larger and, for this reason, the fastenings be applied to better advantage. But, when exposed to view, side cleats are unsightly, and are often objectionable because they increase the thickness of the piece as a whole. The proportions of the cleat may vary with the duty expected of it.

Do not put the screws or nails in a straight line, but "stagger" them.

If the pieces are short they can be cleated across the ends. End cleating is not so strong, but the cleats are out of the way and do not increase the thickness of the piece. To supplement the fastenings, a narrow tongue may be formed on the board to fit a corresponding groove in the cleat. Grooves can be cut in both cleat and board, and a tongue or spline inserted. These operations are done best bu machinery. End cleating does well on small work and where the tendecy to warp is not too great. For heavier work, as doors, cleats on the side are stronger, though not always desirable.

Wherever oblique cuts are to be made, great care is necessary in marking.

Place the pieces in the position shown in Fig. 1; the upper piece is to have the tenon, or dovetail, the lower the mortise. With try-square and sharp pencil, mark lines around three sides of each piece, at a distance from the end equal to the width of the opposite piece, as shown at a, Fig. 1. These pencil-marks should be very light, so as to be easily cleaned off with sandpaper or smoothing plane.

Set the gauge at W, and mark the lines bb, Fig. 2. Set it at Q, and mark the lines b’b’. Set it at X, and mark the line cc, and press the point only of the gauge at d, d. Set the gauge at Y, and mark the line c'c', and the points e, e. Bring the edge of the blade of the try square to coincide with the lines b and c on the end of the mortise piece, and mark with the knife a line joining them. Do the same for all the oblique lines, as shown in Fig. 1.

The tenon or dovetail (a, Fig. 2) is sawed out, and the sides of the mortise b also cut with the saw. The mortise is finished with the chisel. A vertical cut is made as at a, using the mallet, then one at b; these to be repeated until one half through the piece, then cut on the opposite side. Avoid cutting into the sides of the mortise by inclining the chisel. The same caution must be observed in keeping some of the wood at c, until the last, when it is carefully cut away, and the surface tested with the try square.

The sides of the mortise usually need a little paring before the tenon will fit. This done, the pieces should go together easily, but without play or open joints.

The joint ought to go together by light driving, and be perfectly square on the indide between the working faces. If it is found to be satisfactory, take it apart, apply a light coating of glue, and drive together again. When the glue is hard, the joint may be sandpapered and squared.

 

Plain through dovetailed joint is rarely used upon anything but the most expensive work, as it requires a high degree of skill to make economically. It forms the strongest possible unreinforced joint for the corners of boxes, chests, etc.

Laying out and cutting the dovetails

In making a dovetailed joint, some woodworkers layout and cut the pin, a, first, which necessitates that the tails, b, should be marked and cut one at a time. Good results may be obtained by this method, but it is slow, and is rarely used upon practical work. The common method used by woodworkers is to saw the dovetails, b, first, and mark the pins by the tails. If two or more joints are to be dovetailed alike, the sides may be made into a bunch, and all sawed at once.

1. Make the ends to be dovetailed perfectly square and true.

2. Gauge upon each side from these ends, the distance, C, or the thickness of the piece to be dovetailed. It is very necessary to square the lines from the face-edge, otherwise the joints are likely to be open on one side or the other.

3. Place the dovetail piece, in the vise, end up, and face side toward the workman, and on its squared end lay off lines as mn.

4. Having marked the lines mn, the slanting sides of the joints are marked with the knife along the sliding T bevel set to a certain angle. If the angle of the tail is too sharp, it is apt to be broken off when the pieces are driven together.

5. Saw with a backsaw, in every case leaving the line of the piece which is wanted.

6. Lay the pieces face down upon the bench, and with a chisel narrower than the bottom of the cut, make one cut, as at a. This will minimize the tendency of the chisel to push back, so that when the next cut is made upon the line d, the wood will break into cut a, as at b, instead of pushing the chisel back of line d, as at c, which will probably happen if cut a is omitted.

7. The gauge mark, d, at the bottom of the pin cut upon both sides should be kept perfectly straight, and the cut be made exactly to this line, as a straight piece of wood is to fit against it. The section of the cut should be similar to d, and half of it cut from each side, holding the chisel as shown by the try square at a, so as to cut under, which will allow the edges b, c to fit closely against the pin. The novice is more than likely to make a cut that will be full in the middle of the thickness of the board, shown by the dotted line at d, which will prevent the pin from making a good joint at b and c.

8. Turn the piece over, face up, and make the cut from that side; clean out the chips, or core.

Hold the upper piece in this adjusted position, while with a knife or pencil you mark along the sides of the dovetails on the top of the pin piece. The marks should appear like those of a. Mark the other ends in the same way. With try-square and knife mark from the ends of the lines a, down to the pencil-mark, as at b and c.

3. With backsaw, cut down to lines g, as shown by double lines, being careful that in every case the cut is made outside of m and n, or that these lines are left on the pin.

4. Turn the piece over in the vise so that the cuts p, g may be made in each edge. These should be made exactly to the line upon each surface of the cut, with a backsaw. This will cut out the corner, t. If the work has been accurately done, these corners should not be touched again.

5. Clean out the spaces, r, with a chisel by the same method used in cutting the tails.

6. If the work has been done with sufficient accuracy, there will be no need of trimming either the pin or the tail to allow the two pieces to come together and make a perfect joint. To attain this accuracy should be the ambition of each beginners, as the skilful woodworker must be able to make dovetails rapidly, surely, and without trimming. In cutting the pins, the amateur is quite as likely to cut inside as outside of the lines, thus making the pins too small; this tendency should be guarded against, and the pins, s, left the exact size desired. In every case, the saw cut should be made with such care that chiselling or fitting will be unnecessary, as it is quite as likely to injure as to improve the dovetail joint.

7. The inside of both pieces should be smoothed and sandpapered before being put together permanently; and care should be taken not to plane any off of the back side of the pins, or they may be too small. If the pins fit too closely, with a hammer bruise the corners of their ends a little, where they enter the space between the tails; this makes them a little smaller, but when they are glued together, the moisture of the glue will swell the pins to their normal size. Glue the pieces together, being sure that the angle of the joint is square; apply the glue sparingly. If the work has been done accurately, the dovetail joint should be so tight that when it is set away for the glue to harden, it will hold itself together without the aid of hand screws; though if necessary, these may be used judiciously.

8. Smooth and sandpaper.

The miter (mitre) joint is one formed by the meeting of two pieces at a corner, on a line bisecting the right angle. A miter joint is a butt joint which has been cut at an angle of 45 degrees. The same class of joint may be used on angles grether or less than 90 degrees.

The miter (mitre) joint is extensively used in door and window making, cabinet making, box making, joining of architraves, picture frames, and all sorts of mouldings.

The only advantage of a mitred joint is that it shows only a line at the angle and that the end wood is canceled. The miter joint is not a good joint for wide pieces used flatways, for the wood will expand and contract more or less. Shrinking in width will open a tapering crack from the inner corner; swelling, from the outer corner.

There are some cases, as in making a picture frame of moulding, where mitring is the only way in which the frame can well be put together, but as a rule, particularly where strength is required, avoid the mitre.

A miter joint can be laid out and cut on rectangular stock without the use of a miter box. However, stock with curved edges or surfaces requires the use of the miter box. In any case, the miter joint can be made more quickly and more accurately when a miter box is used.

Marking a miter joint

In making miter jointed frames, etc., take special care to have the face side and face edge straight, square, and out of wind, and then be particular to draw all lines and make all tests from the face side or face edge.

Marking a miter joint - Method 1

Mark with the try square and knife two lines across the middle of the strip from A and E. Measure carefully the length AB, and lay it off on the face edge, to obtain AC, then mark with the knife and blade of the try square, CB. Do the same on the opposite side for the mark FD. From C and D mark lines on the side square with the face edge.

Saw very accurately against the lines CB and DF

The easiest way for the woodworker to get the correct angle is to draw a square at the end of the piece and then draw the diagonal.

The point A is as far from point C as the point B is from the point C, or the distance AC is equal to the width of the piece.

When several miters are to be cut, sliding T bevel may be set to the 45 degrees and the other miter lines drawn with it.

To lay out a mitre, or the lines for the meeting of two pieces at any angle, the pieces can be laid one above the other at a desired angle (for which square or bevel can be used), and the points of crossing marked on each edge. Lines connecting these points will give the angles for cutting.

Nails, or nails and glue are often used to fasten a mitered joint. If the joint cannot be clamped securely for nailing, allow for slippage.

When nailing a miter joint from both sides, place the nails so they will not strike each other and split the pieces.

The mitre joint is sometimes strengthened for box work and the like by fitting a spline or tongue with the grain running across and not lengthways of the joint. This, properly glued under pressure, makes a good joint and one much superior to the plain miter joint.

The miter joint is sometimes strengthened for box work and the like by fitting a spline or tongue with the grain running across and not lengthways of the joint. This, properly glued under pressure, makes a good joint and one much superior to the plain mitre.

As in making the other woodworking joints, it is best to keep the stock in one long piece until the construction work is finished.

Measure the exact width of the piece and lay off, near one end, a perfect square, having as its sides two pencil lines and the two opposite edges of the piece. ( It is not wise to measure from exact end of the stock, even though it is square, as it makes the work of sawing more difficult.) Continue the two pencil lines around the piece with the try square until they meet on the last corner. Repeat this construction on the other end of the piece.

Using the edge of the try square as a straightedge, with a sharp knife draw one diagonal in each of the squares thus constructed. Be very careful to make the diagonals on the opposite sides agree with each other. The work will then be ready for cutting out.

The work of sawing at an angle of 45 degrees is exactly the same as in squaring an end, except that it is a little more difficult to hold the work and start the saw correctly. When the sawing is finished, part of the knife lines should remain. The ends should be smoothed to a perfect surface with the block plane.

Next, measure the required length of each piece from the acute angle and separate the pieces. To test the work, place the two halves of the joint together in the inside angle of the try square. If they do not form a perfect right angle, examine them carefully and find out what is wrong. If they require trimming a little more with the block plane, work them separately. Never try to plane them both at the same time. A sliding T bevel is a useful tool for testing these aangles. It can be set to agree with the lines before the joint is cut out and then used later on to test the finished work. The work of constructing an angle of 45 degrees is explained fully here because a woodworker must understand it. If he has a sliding T bevel, he can set it to the angle thus constructed and use it in the same manner as the try square for constructing the second half of the joint.

Fastening: The thin piece which is set into the corner is called a feather spline. The joint is held together in the vise or with a clamp, and cut is made across both parts of the miter joint at the same time at right angles to the miter joint. The cut can be made with a coarse ripsaw, if one is on hand, or by making two cuts with the backsaw. The spline is made by ripping a thin piece from the edge of a block. For convenience in planing, the piece should be considerably larger than the required finished dimensions. Next, both faces of the joint are covered with a thin coating of glue. The inside of the cut which is to receive the spline is also coated with glue. The joint is then put together and clamped until the glue is dry. The clamps are then removed and the surfaces cleaned by taking a light shaving from them with the plane. Clamps should never be applied directly upon a finished surface. When the miter joint is glued, a thin piece should be placed on each side of the work. The clamp is then tightened and the joint driven together with light blows of the mallet. The grain in the spline hould be at right angles to the miter. After the glue is dry, the projecting ends of the spline are cut off flush with the surface.

A mortise and tenon joint is one in which the rectangular end (the tenon) of one piece fits into a rectangular hole (the mortise) of the same size, in the other piece. Mortise and tenon jonts are made in a number of different types.. The blind mortise and tenon is the most common. It is used extensively in cabinetmaking for joining rails to legs or stiles, and in many other constructions well. When properly designed, proportioned, and well made, mortise and tenon joints are strong and neat in appearance.

 

DIMENSIONING MORTISE AND TENON JOINTS
Blind mortise and tenon joint	Double blind mortise and tenon joint
Tenon and mortise joint	Double tenon and mortise joint
Stub mortise and tenon joint	Blind stub mortise and tenon joint
Haunched tenon and mortise joint	Blind haunched tenon and mortise joint

Drawboring consists in boring a hole through the two sides of the mortise and then boring a hole of the same diameter through the tenon, but slightly closer to the shoulder of the tenon. When the joint is put together, the holes are not in line and a pin driven through the hole will pull the joint together very tightly. The amount of difference in the center line of the holes should not be more than 1- 2mm (1/32in), and the pin should be pointed to prevent splitting. This has to be done with judgment; for if the hole in the tenon is too much out of line, driving the pin through puts too much strain on the end of the tenon, on the pin, and on the sides of the mortise.

This kind of fastening is used chiefly on heavy framing where strength is the most important thing to be considered.

To pin a mortise and tenon, mark a point with try square and gauge upon each side of the mortise piece, fit the tenon in place, bore a hole, drive through a snugly fitting pin, and trim off the projecting ends. In fine work bore from both sides. The pin should be slightly pointed before driving.

If the pin is too far from the edge, its hold on the tenon will be weak and the end of the latter may break out (shear), If too near the edge, the sides of the mortise may tear or split off.

Pins are employed principally as a means of holding tenons in mortises. In carpentry one pin, generally, is used in each joint, its diameter varying from1/6 to 1/8 the width of the tenon. It is commonly placed at a distance from the abutting cheeks of the mortise, equal to 1/3 the length of the tenon. But to secure the maximum strength of the joint, its exact location in any particular case must be fixed with reference to the character of the material, and also to the relative thickness of the tenon and the cheeks of the mortise. In joinery, it is found best to use two or more pins, and, whatever the proportions of the joint may be, these rarely exceed 10mm in diameter. They are inserted very near the abutting cheeks of the mortise, so that part of the mortise between them and the shoulder of the tenon, will not shrink enough to make an open joint. Square pins are better than round ones, but the latter are more easily fitted and, therefore, more used.

Pinning the mortise joint

Bore with a bit through the face of the piece and mortise. The hole is not bored all the way, but when the point shows through, turn the piece around and bore from that side to complete the hole. By this means a clean cut is made on both sides of the piece.

Place the tenon in the mortise and mark the center of the hole on it with the point of the bit. Remove the tenon, and start the bit about 1mm nearer the shoulder. The hole thus bores is not in a line with that of the mortise, but when the pin is forced through, the pieces are brought closer together, forming a stiffer and stronger joint.

The pin is planed to square, chamfered with plane or chisel to an octagon shape, rounded and pointed with the chisel, which is just one half size. In practice, the pin is driven in flush with the face of the mortise piece, the protruding portion being either allowed to remain, or sawed off close.

For large through mortise joints, such as are seen in the heavy frames, two pins are used.

The practice of drawboring is not to be commended, and, if indulged in at all, great care and discretion must be exercised. In many cases, it puts a strain on the joint which is nearly equal to its maximum resistance, and but little strength is left to do work for which the joint is made. Frequently, the mortise or tenon is split and rendered practically useless.

A good way to fasten tenons is to wedge them. This can be done whether the tenon goes through the mortise piece or only part way, as in a blind mortise and tenon joint.

The wedges can be driven between the tenon and the ends of the mortise, or, as is often better, driven into cuts made in the tenon itself, thus spreading the tenon towards the end, dovetail fashion, making it extremely difficult, or impossible, to pull it out of the mortise.

To wedge a tenon, one or more saw cuts should be made in it and carried farther than the wedges will extend. A small tenon can be split carefully with a chisel. Before wedging, the ends of the mortise should be tapered toward the side on which the tenon comes through. The mortise is tapered to match the angle of each wedge. The tenon and mortise having been glued, and glue also put into the saw cuts with a thin slip of wood, the tenon is fitted in place, and the wedges, previously prepared and tapering quite gradually, are dipped in the glue and driven down into saw cuts. Thus the end of the tenon is spread into a dovetail until it fills the mortise tightly, making a very hard or impossible to pull it out.

 

Blind wedging is sometimes resorted to when the mortise does not extend through the piece. The wedges must not be so long as to break off or to interfere with the tenon being driven home, and the bottom of the mortise should be quite smooth where the wedges strike it, or the wedges may turn to one side and not enter the tenon. The mortise is enlarged at the bottom. When everything is ready, apply the glue, start the wedges in the cracks, and drive the tenon to place. This will push in the wedges, spread the tenon at the end and fix it firmly. If well done, it cannot be withdrawn.

 

For rough knockdown or outside furniture, the tenon can be cut longer than the depth of the mortise, with a hole drilled into the protruding part of the tenon and a key driven close to the outer face of the member which has the mortise cut into it. When this is done, it is called a keyed mortise and tenon joint.

Lay out the sides of the mortise for the key before the sides and shoulders of the tenons are cut. From the shoulder line of the tenon, measure toward the end a distance slightly less (about 1mm) than the thickness of the member thru which the tenon is to pass. This is to insure the key's wedging against the second member. Square this line across the face edge and on to the side opposite the face side. On the top surface measure from the line just squared around the piece a distance equal to the width the key is to have at this point when in place (line A-B). Square a pencil line across the surface at this point. In similar manner, measure and locate a line on the opposite side (line C-D). Set the gage and mark the side of the mortise nearer the face edge on the face side and side opposite. Reset, and from the face edge gage the farther side of the mortise, marking both sides. This mortise may be bored ans chiseled like the one preceding. As one side of the mortise is to be cut sloping, a little more care will be needed.

A second method of laying out the mortise in the tenon consists in locating the ends of the mortise by placing the key and scribing along the sloping side. These lines are then squared across the two surfaces of the tenon. The remainder of the procedure is similar to that just described.

Keys are made in quite a variety of shapes. Where two or more keys of the same size are to be made, it is customary to plane all in one piece. Plane a face side, a face edge, and shape the remaining edge as desired. The lines A-B and CD, indicate the points at which measurements are to be made to determine the length of mortise in the tenon which is to receive the key. These lines should be laid off at a distance apart, equal to the thickness of the tenon.

To make the keys, get out one piece of the required size and long enough to make all the keys wanted. Saw them to length, gauge the small ends, mark the taper on the sides, and cut to the lines. They can also be got out in one block, tapering, and then sawed into the required number of wedges; or a rectangular block of the necessary size can be sawed slantingly.

Scarfed joints are those in which the two timbers united are so cut and fitted as to make the joint uniform in size with timbers. Some scarf joints by their form are self sustaining, but, compared with the timbers they unite, are weak, and are seldom used unless stengthened by bolts, or by bolts and fish pieces.

Dowels are round wooden pins of small diameter used to strengthen (reinforce) a joint. They can be bought ready made and can be used instead of nails or screws, or instead of mortising, dovetailing, etc. They should be dipped in glue and driven at a tight fit into holes made for their reception. Dowels may be made at the bench by the plane, or they may be turned. When planed, they will be improved in section if driven through a round hole in a piece of steel. They are supplied by the trade, of all ordinary diameters and lengths.

While this joint is very simple in construction, it is not easy to make; and before a beginner uses it on any practical work, he should try it on two pieces of scrap lumber.

The utmost accuracy is necessary in marking the centers of the holes and boring them, if satisfactory results are desired.

As compared with a mortised joint, when used upon common doors, the dowel is not so satisfactory as the mortise, because the tenon reaches through the stile, and the glue, collecting at the joint as the pieces are brought together, makes a stronger connection there than at the end of the tenon at the outside of the stile; therefore when the stile shrinks, it usually holds at the joint, and its outside edge draws toward the joint, allowing the end of the tenon to project beyond the stile the amount of the shrinkage. In a doweled door, the joint would probably open. If a door which is exposed to the weather is properly doweled, it will stand better than a mortised door in which the tenon passes through the stile, since in the latter case, the moisture will quickly find its way into the end of the tenon, and the door will be rapidly destroyed. The mortises of an outside door should be of the type known as "blind" or "fox wedging", as in this way the end of the tenon is protected from the weather.

When used upon furniture and other work which is set up in a warm shop, and when made of thoroughly kiln dried lumber, a properly made doweled joint is perfectly satisfactory.

Uniting with dowels

Plane the surfaces of the blocks until perfectly flat, test them by bringing the surfaces in contact, and note whether they touch all around. The dowel joint is a weak one, and, unless the surfaces are flat and brought in close contact, the dowels will be of no service in holding the pieces together.

A beginner often makes the mistake of leaving a slight error in fitting and expects the clamps to squeeze the edges together. This can actually be done with softwood; but such a correction is only temporary and the bad joint is sure to open up later on, after the clamps have been removed.

Marking for dowels

Method 1.

The principal application of this method is in doweling the joints of a wide board.

1. Place two pieces in the exact relative positions that they are to occupy permanently.

2. Make a pencil mark across the joint upon the faces of both pieces at once, as at AA.

3. With either a pencil or knife, square across both edges of the joint from the marks, as at BB.

4. With a sharp gauge, make mark C, whic crosses BB. The intersection of these two lines gives the center of the hole.

5. A scratch awl should be used to make a small hole at the above described point, so that the bit will enter accurately, as otherwise it is apt to enter a little to one side of the intersection, or to follow the grain.

Method 2.

This method of marking for dowels is sometimes used when it is not practicable to use method 1, as in doweling irregular forms.

1. Drive small brads, straight into the end of piece A.

2. Cut off the heads of the brads at about 3 - 4mm from the wood.

3. Move piece B against A, being careful that the outsides are in just the right relation to each other, and apply enough pressure to make the brads leave imprints, in the end of piece B. These are the centers of the dowel holes.

4. Pull the brads out of piece A; the holes thus made are the centers of the dowel holes in that piece.

Method 3.

If it is desired to dowel irregular forms, or to make a number of joints just alike, this method will not give good results and save a great deal of time, but the pieces just alike will be interchangeable.

Make a templet of pasteboard; or, if it is to be used indefinitely, of steel, and through it prick small holes in the position which will denote the exact centers of the desired dowels, as at A. Place the templet upon the end of piece B, with the corner C of the templet at C of piece B, and flush with the face side; with a pricker, mark through the holes of the templet the centers of the dowels 1,2. Place D of the templet on the edge of piece F, and flush with the face side, so as to coincide exactly with D of piece F. Through the holes A of the templet, mark 1,2 upon the edge of piece F. This method is much used upon large or irregularly shaped work of all kinds, as it permits of accurate work, and needs no tools but the templet and the pricker.

Method 4.

Place the boards to be doweled side by side in the vise, the face sides out, and even the joined edges. Square lines across the two edges with knife and try square at points where it is desired to locate dowels. Set the gage for about half the thickness of the finished board and gauge from the face side across knife lines. At the resulting crosses bore holes of the same diameter as that of the dowel.

Still another method consists in turning on the late dowel markers (dowel centers). By having a variety of sizes with the centers accurately placed, time may be saved over the methods just described. To use this marker, bore the holes in one of the members, insert markers of the proper sizes and then press this member against the second member.

The dowel pins are prepared next.

This can be done best on a turning lathe; but if the shop has no lathe, they can be made by hand. A square stick is first prepared. This is rounded with the block plane, turning the stick with the left hand and planing with the right hand until one half of its length is rounded. The piece is then reversed and the other hanf is rounded. In connection with this work it is best to try the dowel pin first by boring a hole of the required size in a piece of scrap lumber. The rounded stick should fit tightly by light driving. When finished, the stick is cut into the proper lengths and the ends are slightly chamfered so that they will enter the holes without wedging.

An appliance called a dowel plate is often used for making dowel pins, and is very useful. It consists of a steel plate with holes of various sizes bored through it. The edges of the holes are countersunk so that they have a sharp edge on one side of the plate. The dowel stick is partly rounded and then driven through the hole in the plate. The edges of the steel plate scrape off the remainder of the waste material and make the dowel stick round.

Before gluing, the work should be fitted together, as it is very awkward to make changes after beginning to glue. If the parts fit accurately take the joint apart, glue around the inside of one of the holes with a small stick, dip one end of a dowel in the glue and drive into place. Wipe off any superfluous glue and repeat the process with each of the dowels in that half of the joint. Leave to dry. Then see that there is no hardened glue on the dowels or on the faces of the joint, and glue them as before into the other piece, this time putting glue on the flat surfaces which are to come together. Clamp the whole firmly and leave to dry.

It should be clamped at points about 150mm apart. The clamps should pull evenly and not bend the boards side ways. This can be prevented by putting the clamps on alternately first from one side and then from the other.

It is not wise to use a dowel longer than is necessary; one extending from 20mm to 30mm each side of the joint will holds as well as one reaching farther into the edge of the side wood, for the reason that the wood between the joint and the end of the dowel will shrink, and the longer the dowel, the greather the width of wood there is to be affected. A longer dowel may sometimes be necessary in the wide stile of a door, to give sufficient strength to resist the slamming which a door receives. A dowel should be 1 - 3mm shorter than the aggregate depth of the holes which are to receive it, and should be made loose enough to be pushed in with fingers, but not loose enough to fall out or to be rattled around. The ends of the dowel should be chamfered. This allows some of the glue to be forced up between the dowel and the side of the hole, and not all pushed before the end of the dowel, which would be the result if the dowel were square ended; unless the dowel were too loose, in which case it would not have its full strength, as the joint would not be wood to wood.

In boring holes for dowels, it is custom of many workmen to use one of the many forms of bit stops upon the market,in order to insure a uniform depth to all of the holes. This uniformity is necessary, otherwise the dowels will have to be cut to different lengths, which will require care and time to locate in their proper holes while the joint is being glued up, just when every second of time is precious.

Dowels are usually made of hard, strong woods, such as maple or birch. They can be obtained from hardware supply companies at a reasonable price.

Dowelling mistakes

A - Dowels not properly centered

B – Dowel hole not perpendicular