How to Join Two Pieces of Wood At 90 Degrees

If you are a woodworker then one of the basic skills that you need to learn is the creation of wood joints. You need to know this one by heart regardless if you are an amateur or a professional. You need to make sure that you will learn the different types of wood jointing since different projects will require different requirements. And that is why in this article that we will be talking about the different types of joining two pieces of wood at 90 degrees.
Materials needed
- Screws or nails
- Countersink or putty
- Dowels
- Woodworker tools
The different types of right angle joints
If you are considering to do wood joining two pieces of wood at 90 degrees then there are many options that you can have. This process is not necessarily tasking but you still need to have the right tools and safety gear to ensure that you will be able to do things right. You also need to see to it that your tools are sharp enough for you to be able to do things efficiently.
The Butt Joint

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Read More: How To's & Woodworking Techniques [List 1]
The butt joint is one of the jointing technique that is the simplest one. This one has a straightforward design in all of the techniques available. You need to look at this technique if you are looking to join two pieces of wood in the fastest time possible.
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- You can do this one with the help of a screw or nails and join the pieces of wood at their respective ends.
- You need to remember though that a butt joint should be reinforced since there will always be differences in the grain and exposure of wood that you will be using.
- You need to use a nail or a screw to do this one since a glue won’t be able to do a great job.
- It can also help once you will use countersink or putty to prevent the screws or nails getting loose over time.
The Dovetail Joint

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The dovetail joint is the one that is used due to its strength and aesthetic appeal. If you have the sufficient skill in woodworking then you can do this one.
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- This technique is done by securing a series of pins and tails on the different pieces of wood before finally joining them together.
- Once you are done with that then you still need to secure the pieces with adhesive. You don’t need any fasteners to hold the pieces together. This technique is done in making parts of a cabinet due to the tensile strength that it provides.
You will have a joint that will last for a very long time once you are able to do this one correctly.

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The Mortise and Tenon Joint

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This technique in joining two pieces of wood together is used due to its strength and simplicity. You can do this in order to join two pieces of wood together at their end and you can also utilize it in an intersected setups.
- This is done by preparing a mortise hole and a tenon tongue which is both rectangular. If you look at it on the outside then this one will look like a butt joint. Both of them do utilize a different way to secure the connection between the pieces.
- Once the shape of the pieces has been done then all you need to do now is to fit the tenon tongue into the mortise hole.
- In order to see to it that you will lock the pieces together then you will need an adhesive to do it.
Other consideration when joining two pieces of wood
Joining two pieces of wood using screws
In order to reinforce the wood joints then screws can be used but only the butt joint will really require this one to function properly. Most of the other techniques could do well without the help of any screws or adhesives.
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Joining two pieces of plywood
You will be able to join two pieces of plywood together by using the same technique with joining two ordinary wood.
Joining two pieces of wood using dowels
This process can be very simple as long as the dowels are well crafted. You needed to put glue into the holes on the wood pieces and insert the dowels. Once you are done, clamp everything together in order for the glue to dry.
Conclusion
Joining two pieces of wood is one of the skills that one should have especially when working with wood. The different techniques in doing such need not be complicated. These proven techniques have worked over the years. Once you are able to master them then you are also able to have a more efficient and quality work.