Woodworking Joinery

How to cut and assemble a perfect miter joint.

Drawers are some of the most useful furniture components we can build. You can make them in several ways with various corner joints. Here are some considerations.

In this Rockler demonstration we'll show you the features that make the new Rockler Precision Miter Gauge and Miter Gauge Fence stand out from other woodworking miter gauges and fences. Rockler's Precision Miter Gauge features accurately machined positive stops at the most commonly used locations, plus a miter bar with adjustable nylon set screws so it fits your slot to a T, while retaining silky smooth sliding. You'll enjoy all the essential features of a good solid miter gauge—accuracy, solidity and ease-of-use—in an affordable package.

The Rockler Miter Gauge Fence extends up to 24'' long to give you plenty of reference surface for perfect miters and 90° cuts. A sacrificial fence face is included to give you zero-clearance backup support for cutting dados and other joinery cuts. For perfect repeatability, a flip-down stop is also provided. Precision extruded aluminum is used for the body of the fence, ensuring accuracy without unnecessary weight.

There are lots of ways to cut a mortise. Your router table is one of the quickest and most foolproof options.

Consider these four types of dovetail joints for your next project.

A stone-simple jig makes it easy to cut mitered spline joints on your router table.

A simple way to cut box joints using a special jig and your router table.

Just because they are all called by the same general name, "mortise and tenon," does not mean that they are identical.