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ESSENTIAL JOINERY

INTRODUCTION

with furniture made of metal and glass.

Apparently “cold and uninviting” was the

mood I was shooting for. It wasn’t until later in

my woodworking career that I started to get

comfortable with the idea of filling my home

with my creations. And today, I find myself in

an office trimmed with alder at a desk made

of cherry with striking sapwood accents. I

guess I should just come out and say it: I love

wood. But even though I am now fortunate

enough to be surrounded by furniture of my

own making, I still get the lion’s share of my

enjoyment from the woodworking process

itself: specifically, the crafting of fine joinery.

On the surface, joinery is just a means by

which parts are held together. But a well-

executed wood joint does much more than

that. Allow me to employ an analogy: When a

band plays, most people simply hear the song.

But to a musician, a song is heard as the sum

of its parts: guitar, bass, drums, and vocals.

When the instruments are played well and the

singer has a pleasant voice, the song will likely

sound decent. But the real magic happens

when the musicians work well together: when

the bass and drums find the pocket and create

an undeniably solid rhythm; when the guitar

melody flirts with the vocal pattern so they

become inseparable. These are the things that

separate good music from great music. So it

is with furniture. The joinery is what makes

furniture more than just a collection of parts.

It’s where the furniture comes to life and

reveals the personality, love, and pride that

went into making it.

You might think I’m a little goofy for placing

so much importance on joinery, considering

most people will never see it. But I don’t

do woodworking for pats on the back and

accolades: I do it because I love the process.

Each joint is a little project in and of itself

with its own challenges, risks, and rewards.

When I apply that final coat of finish to a newly

constructed table, I feel an incredible sense

of pride knowing I did my best and my sturdy

joints are nestled in the cozy homes I made

especially for them. Am I romanticizing joinery

too much? Perhaps. I’m trying to sell books

here! But let’s be honest, the world could

certainly benefit from a little more romance,

reverence, and yes, goofiness.

In the end, how much effort you put into

your joinery is completely up to you. There’s

nothing wrong with butt joints, biscuits, and

pocket screws. As long as you’re making

things you’re happy with, you have my full

support and respect. I do encourage all

woodworkers to explore new and improved

ways of doing things, including better joinery.

If you’re like me when I first started, you’re

probably a little intimidated by all of the

terminology and options in the world of

joinery. Classic joinery texts are informative

and exhaustive, but also overwhelming and

sometimes short on details. My goal with this

book is to demystify joinery by distilling the

topic down to the most useful joints in the

craft. I truly believe that if you can master

these five essential joinery categories, you’ll

have the skill set to make just about any piece

of furniture. We’ll cover the process in a step-

by-step fashion while showing you various

ways to get the job done. Depending on your

personal desires or tool collection, you might

prefer one method over another.

So with that long-winded introduction,

it’s time to leave the world of motivations,

intangible benefits, and country music. Let’s

head to the shop and make some joinery.