The following is a list of various joinery methods that, when done properly, will securely fasten two boards together with no metal fasteners whatsoever—just a little know-how, some tools, and usually a bit of glue to secure the joint. Mortise-and-tenon joints can be cut by hand, using chisels, but most modern woodworkers employ a band saw or a tenoning jig on a table saw to safely form the tenon peg. The mortise is usually cut using a dedicated mortiser—a drill bit encased inside a four-sided chisel. In any form of dovetail joint, a series of angled pins and tails interlock to form very tight-fitting joints. In the through-dovetail version, the pattern of the pins and tails are visible from both sides of the joint. This makes the joint both easier to cut, and also quite attractive, especially when the pieces use woods of contrasting tones. The classic (and very difficult) method of cutting through dovetails is with a hand-operated dovetail saw, but today’s woodworkers usually make the cuts with a dovetailing jig and router Like other dovetail joints, a sliding dovetail can be cut using a dovetail jig and router, but it can also be cut with a router and dovetail bit alone. Making biscuit joints requires a specialty biscuit plate joiner, but the tool is not expensive, and once the technique is mastered, biscuit plate joinery becomes a favorite method for many woodworkers.
