By Joshua Farnsworth

HOW TO CUT WOODWORKING JOINTS WITH HAND TOOLS

Woodworkers cut joints in wood in order to get the wood to fit (and stay) together to create furniture. Below you will see many free Wood And Shop video tutorials for cutting various furniture joints using traditional hand tools. You can click the buttons to see the photos and resources that go along with the videos (on the accompanying blog posts). We’ll keep adding more, so keep checking back!

HOW TO CUT DOVETAIL JOINTS   |   PINS FIRST:

Woodworking master Frank Klausz invited me into his new New Jersey workshop and showed me his amazing and fast method for “pins first” dovetails with hand tools.

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HOW TO MAKE A MORTISE AND TENON JOINT BY HAND:

In this video Joshua Farnsworth simplifies how to make a mortise and tenon joint, one of the strongest and most used woodworking joints.

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HOW TO CUT GROOVES WITH A STANLEY 45 COMBINATION PLANE:

At Roy Underhill’s Woodwright’s School, Bill Anderson shows how to properly use a Stanley 45 Combination Plane to cut a simple groove. Grooves are one of the most-used woodworking joints!
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HOW TO CUT DOVETAIL JOINTS   |   TAILS FIRST:

This video playlist (15 short videos) shares the step-by-step dovetailing techniques taught to me by Roy Underhill (Woodwright’s Shop TV show) and Bill Anderson during a 5 day traditional woodworking class. I have tried to include all the details that Roy and Bill taught me several years ago.

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HOW TO MAKE BREADBOARD ENDS   |  PART 1

 

Joshua Farnsworth and Will Myers discuss and show how to build breadboard ends for tables & desks in this two-part video tutorial.

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HOW TO MAKE BREADBOARD ENDS   |  PART 2

 Will Myers continues the tutorial on how to build breadboard ends for tables and desks, in this second video of the two-part tutorial on how to build breadboard ends.

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HOW TO MAKE A SECRET MITERED DOVETAIL JOINT

 

Master craftsman Kaare Loftheim shows how to build this historic wood joint in the Hay Cabinet Maker Shop at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia.

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HOW TO CUT A HALF-LAP DOVETAIL JOINT

 

Will Myers shows how to cut this wonderful joint with simple woodworking hand tools, while filming the Moravian Workbench DVD in Roy Underhill’s Woodwright’s school.

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HOW TO CUT A SHIP LAP JOINT

 

Joshua Farnsworth teaches how to cut a simple ship Lap joint with hand tools. Ship Lap joints are use for drawer bottoms, cabinet backs, etc.

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HOW TO MAKE A WEDGED MORTISE & TENON JOINT

 

Will Myers shows how to cut, chop, and wedge a very strong mortise & tenon joint while building the historical Moravian Workbench vice at Roy Underhill’s Woodwright’s School.

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HOW TO CUT A DADO JOINT WITH HAND TOOLS

Joshua Farnsworth shows how to cut a dado joint with an antique router plane, a chisel, and a cross cut back saw. Dado joints are primarily used for holding shelves:
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HOW TO CUT A RABBET JOINT WITH HAND TOOLS:

Joshua Farnsworth shows how to cut an important rabbet joint with just a couple hand tools. Rabbet joints are useful for many applications in furniture making.
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HOW TO CUT HALF-LAP DOVETAIL JOINTS BY HAND:

At Roy Underhill’s Woodwright’s School, Bill Anderson teaches how to cut a half lap dovetail joint. This dovetail variation is perfect for hiding drawer or box bottom grooves.
 

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HOW TO MAKE TONGUE AND GROOVE JOINTS BY HAND:

In this video Joshua Farnsworth shows how to cut a tongue and groove joint with an antique Stanley No. 48 tongue & groove plane. (You can find an old Stanley #48 or a Stanley #148 tongue and groove plane on ebay).
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TUSK TENONS…HOW STRONG ARE THEY?

 

Will Myers puts this traditional tusk tenon joint thorugh a pressure test to see how strong they really are!

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Next I’ll cover Assembly & Gluing up…

CONTINUE TO STEP 9 >>>

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