We discuss mitre joint advantage and disadvantages. Carpenters and joiners who do woodworking on a daily basis use a variety of methods to join wood together. There are 10 popular joints and the mitre joint is just one of those. Those who indulge in a bit of DIY may not necessarily know these that well.
That's why we decided to write this article to see if we can help explain which each is, and more importantly the pros and cons of using mitre joints.
10 Types of wood Joint
- Butt Joint- the easiest to make and also really popular for DIY purposes. You can use this joint to join two squared-off pieces of wood, either face to face, edge to edge, or at a corner.
- Rebate Joint - Mainly used in cabinet making and sometimes called a rabbett joint. A lip is cut from the edge of the workpiece and the rebate joint is made when a second piece is joined to your primary piece, set against the rabbet.
- Mitre Joint - this is an angle cut similar to a butt joint but simply at an angle instead of a straight edge.
- Lap Joint - Lap joints are made by joining two pieces that have had recesses cut into them. This is where one recess in the top of the surface of the first piece, recesses into the lower surface of the second piece
- Dado Joint - A dado joint is a channel or groove cut into a piece away from the edge. Once that is done you can then add a second piece using a fastener and/or glue.
- Spline Joint - This is made by using a thin strip of wood that fits into grooves on surfaces that are to be joined. This joint helps add rigidity to the joint.
- Mortise and Tenon Joint- A popular joint used by woodworkers. The mortise is a hole and the tenon slots into this hole. It is a hard joint to make but makes for a very strong joint.
- Tongue and Groove Joint - You see a lot of this type of joint in flooring. One piece of wood has a tongue and the other piece has a groove. The tongue fits neatly into the groove along opposite edges.
- Finger Joint - Found in many drawers and is a set of interlocking rectangular finger shaped cuts and usually done using a table saw and router.
- Dovetail Joint - This is similar to the finger joint except the shape of the joint looks like a dove's tail. It is avery strong joint and popular with all woodworkers.
These are the joints that experienced carpenters will be able to make and use everyday.
Below you will find two videos that show you what a mitre joint is, how to make it and when to use it. The other video does exactly the same for a butt joint.
The Mitre Joint - Advantages
The mitre is typically cut at a 45 degree angle and then you use the two halves to make a 90 degree angle. A mitre saw is the easiest way of doing that. This is used for framing pictures mainly and also for doing skirting boards and coving.
It just makes a very nice tidy looking wood joint. It does depend on the type of work that you are doing. The angles of the mitre may change. However the principle is still the same. If for example you were making an hexagonal frame, then you would need to use a different angle to form the perfect shape.
It does have a great appearance if done properly and looks like a seamless joint.
The Mitre Joint - Disadvantages
The biggest weakness of a mitre joint is that it is not that strong. However, for items like picture frames that is not that important. The mitre joint can also be strengthened using a spine joint if required. That does involve more work and a certain degree of woodworking skill.
To make good mitre joints, you can use an electrical or cordless mitre saw, a mitre box, a precision saw or a standard hand saw along with something like a protractor to measure the angles. You do need some form of tool though to make sure the angle is correct.
Main Pros and Cons
I have summarised the main pros and cons below as it makes them easier to understand.
Pros:
Cons:
Summary:
There is no question that a good mitre joint gives a clean and visually appealing finish. The hard part is making precise and accurate cutting angles. For skirting, coving, frames etc they work well. For joints that require strength, then adding splines, dowels or biscuit style additions is a much harder skill. Beginners will need a lot of practise to achieve successful results.
Making a Mitre Joint
Two popular DIY joints are the butt joint and the mitre joint. Below you can find two videos which show these being made so as you can compare the differences.
The Butt Joint
The butt joint is one is the easiest wood joints to make. You are simply making a joint between two flat surfaces. This is used a lot when building framework or stud walls. It is mainly used for rough work or rustic work where to be honest getting the job done is more important than how it looks.
It is a pretty weak joint but it is often useful for doing those basic jobs. These butt joints are typically glued together and then screwed together to make them stronger. You can also use nails and dowels if you prefer. That choice comes down to deciding if it will look alright when the job is finished.
Using Wood Glues to Strengthen Joints
Again you can see from the videos that professionals use strong and quick setting glues to help strengthen the joints. That is always a good thing to so. It also helps hold the joint in place until you can add another form of strength such as nails, screws, dowels or biscuits. In mitre joints splines are also a good method of making a joint stronger.
A simple way of making a strong joint is to use glue and screws that are driven through both pieces of wood. That is usually solid and stable enough for a joint. If you are making a joint that is going to be under a heavy weight or pressure, then neither a mitre or a butt is the ideal solution.
For something like that, a mortise and tenon joint would be a much better option. Also something like a biscuit joint would work better.
