Woodworking Joinery

The hand plane is a truly iconic woodworking tool. Hand planes feature a blade that is mounted in a wood or metal body. The blade is extended through the bottom of the body and the hand plane is pushed or pulled across a wood surface to remove thin layers of wood, leaving a smoother or reshaped surface. Hand planes are designated by number, the higher the number, the longer the sole of the plane. You can use a hand plane to do quality woodworking as well today as you could a hundred years ago.

A blanket chest makes a beautiful and useful addition to any home. Making a blanket chest is a classic woodworking project. A blanket chest is essentially a large box with a hinged lid. You can design your blanket chest to be as simple or ornate as you like.

This blanket chest is designed with clean lines and few ornate details. It features box joint corners that are structurally strong and beautiful. Box joints are easy to form with a router table and a Router Table Box Joint Jig . The following video walks you through the basic process of using a Router Table Box Joint Jig. Plus, you can download the Free Blanket Chest Plan.

What is a box joint? How do you make a box joint corner? Learn how to cut box joints using a Router Table Box Joint Jig and your router table or a table saw box joint jig and table saw. Box joints might not be the most interesting or attractive joints, but they are very sturdy and simple to cut in most shops. Although not quite as iconic as dovetails, box joints are versatile for all kinds of projects. They don’t mechanically interlock like dovetails, but box joints do have lots of surface area, so they’re very strong when glued together. You can use them to build attractive boxes and trays, good-looking drawers and carcasses, and tool totes and chests strong enough to withstand daily use.

The miter joint is often used to form the corners of picture frames. This popular joint hides the end grain of the frame parts and creates a continuous grain or profile pattern around the frame corner. The downside of a miter joint is that the end grain to end grain connection is not as strong as a joint formed by connecting long grain.

You can strengthen a miter joint with a hidden half lap connection - called a mitered half-lap joint. The result gives you a conventional-looking miter joint from the front, but the back of the joint resembles a half-lap. This joint may sound complicated, but it is actually easy to make with a router table and the Rockler Router Table Half Lap Jig.

Eye-catching, repeating geometry makes these sturdy joints a perennial project favorite.

Mitered corners are often used to make boxes. A mitered corner is a clean joint that hides the end grain of the box sides. The downside of a mitered corner is not the strongest joint because it is formed by connection of two end grain faces. One way to strengthen this joint and add a decorative accent is to run a dowel through the miter at a 45 degree angle. Installing the dowels may look tricky, but it's actually an easy process when you use the Rockler Corner Key Doweling Jig . The jig makes the angled drilling accurate and easy. No other product on the market offers the same functionality, repeatability and convenience. Extended length bits are required.

Another variation of a mortise-and-tenon joint is the loose-tenon configuration. It's a tried-and-true option that has served woodworkers for decades.

Modern machines and jigs simplify and streamline their construction.