Woodworkers have a variety of joinery methods to choose from, with many of them being both decorative and strong — but complicated to build. There’s nothing wrong with fancy dovetails, for example, if you have the time to make them well and the project benefits from them. But when a joint merely needs to be strong, are dovetails really necessary?
That’s where quick-and-easy joinery alternatives come into play, offering simple, strong connections between two pieces of wood with minimal cutting or machining of the wood itself. The four most common methods outlined here require drilling a few holes or cutting some shallow slots, with auxiliary fasteners or wooden reinforcements and glue providing the strength. These joints go together fast, hold strong and look great! What’s not to like about that?
There are a lot of ways to join wood, both plain and fancy. But when it comes down to a combination of speed and strength, four methods rise to the top in most woodworking applications: biscuit joints, dowels, loose tenons and pocket screws. Jigs — and in one case, a specific tool — make the process easy, while also taking it easy on your shop budget.
Each method has pros and cons,
