by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: November 16, 2010

Although butt joints are not the strongest joints that can be used in woodworking projects, sometimes they have their uses. These are joints which are made by putting the end of one piece of wood against the side of another piece, thus forming a right angle joint. The difficulties with this kind of joint is that it isn't the best joint to use in areas which are moved regularly, such as drawers or which have to take weight. Used for framework for dry walls, the butt joint is common and can be used effectively.

Cutting the stock.

For a butt joint to be effective, the cutting of the wood is vital. The end of the piece of stock which is to be joined to the side of the other piece has to be cut precisely. The reason for this is that the butt joint relies upon flatness to strengthen the bond between the two pieces, which are reinforced with glue. If the ends are not completely flat, the glue may fail. Sandpapering to a certain degree can assist but the cut is vital. Ensure that the wood is cut straight by making the wood in advance, and try a dry run to ensure that there is no gap between the stock when two pieces are placed together.

Disadvantages of butt joints.

The disadvantage of a butt joint using solely glue as its strengthener is that the glue will invariably be sucked into the end grain of the wood and not be as effective as it could be. Thus, it is necessary to reinforce all butt joints with either screws or with nails. In fact this reinforcement is what holds the joint together and should be done very accurately indeed.

Placing the joint together.

When the wood is placed together, it's best to use a vice to hold the stock in place. If using hardwood, pre-drilling is recommended because accuracy of screw placement is vital to the placement of screws which may otherwise become crooked simply because of the tightness of the grain of hardwoods.

Glue.

Once holes have been pre-drilled into hardwood stock, or marked for other types of stock, glue has to be applied. Because the integrity of the joint will depend upon the solidity of the glue, both sides of the wood should have glue applied to them. It is tempting to skimp glue, though spread this evenly with a knife, as this helps to create the bond necessary. Once pieces have been glued, place them together, and let the glue set. Ensure that the butt joint is straight while the glue is still wet enough for movement.

Screw or nail.

When the glue is dried and the piece relatively solid, screws or nails

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