Carcase Jointing Techniques

Butt joints are the quickest and simplest to make. It's a weak joint as it's only held together with glue. A butt joint can be reinforced using nails. A butt joint tends to be used for rough work or when the strength of the joint isn't of great importance to the product, for example a lightweight crate. Butt joints can be used to create corners or T-joints for partitions within carcase construction frames.

Corner rebate joints, also known as lap joints, are stronger than butt joints because they increase the area being glued and are neater because less end grain is shown. Like the butt joint, it relies on glue and nails for its strength. A corner rebate is used to join wood at corners, for example, the corner of a drawer or box.

Dowel joints are quick and easy to make and tend to be used for light to medium weight frames. They have replaced many traditional joints in factory-made furniture. For example, when joining rails to legs for a table or chair, it is easier to use dowel joints rather than mortise and tenons. It requires two holes to be drilled into each piece of wood, the dowels are inserted into the drilled holes then the surfaces to be glued are cramped together. The dowels themselves are often made from a hardwood called ramin and come in a range of diameters. Just like a butt joint, dowel joints can be used as either a corner or a T-joint.

Through housings are easier to cut than stopped housings because they are cut across the whole width of the wood. The main disadvantage with the through housing is you can see where the two pieces of wood join.

The stopped housing is harder to make, bit is neater in appearance than the through housing. Stopped housings are traditionally found in quality furniture mainly due to their strength and the fact that you cannot see the joint from the front.