How to Cut Wood Joints | Generation Next | Ask This Old House

How to Cut Wood Joints | Generation Next | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva teaches apprentice Austin how to make a variety of different wood joints by building simple utility boxes.
SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse

Time: 2-3 hours
Cost: $50

Skill Level: Beginner-Expert, depending on the joint

Tools List for Cutting Wood Joints:
Table saw
Miter saw
Dado blade
Table saw blade
Clamps
Safety glasses
Hearing protection

Shopping List:
Lumber
_” plywood
Wood glue
Wood screws

Steps:
1. Cut the lumber to desired length using a table saw or a miter saw.
2. Cut the _” plywood to size for three boxes based on the previous cuts made. The plywood will serve as a bottom for all the boxes.

RABBET-BUTT JOINT
3. Set the dado blade in the table saw to just slightly above the thickness of the board.
4. Hold the board on its long side and eyeball the desired thickness of the rabbet cut. Slide the rip fence against the board and lock it down when the gap between the rip fence and the blade are at the desired thickness.
5. With the board still standing upright, run it through the table saw.
6. Repeat this process on the other side of the board, and then again on the board that will be parallel to this one on the completed box.
7. Switch the dado blade to a table saw blade and make a cut on all four boards the thickness of the bottom of the box to receive the bottom of the box.
8. Cover all the joints with wood glue and assemble the first three sides.
9. Slide the bottom into the dados, then add the fourth side.
10. Screw all the sides together with the wood screws.

RABBET-DADO JOINT
11. Switch the table saw blade back to a dado blade.
12. Set the blade height to roughly a _”. You can use the _” plywood as a guide.
13. Stand the board tall and then adjust the rip fence so that the blade falls perfectly center with the board.
14. Set the board flat and run the dado cut. Repeat this process on the other side of the board, and then again on the board that will be parallel to this one on the completed box.
15. To make the rabbet cuts, take a sacrificial piece of wood the same dimensions as the box lumber and hold it against the rip fence. Lay the board flat against the sacrificial piece and run it through the blade.
16. Repeat this process on the other side of the board, and then again on the board that will be parallel to this one on the completed box.
17. Switch the dado blade to a table saw blade and make a cut on all four boards that’s about _” thick to receive the bottom of the box.
18. Cover all the joints with wood glue, assemble the box with the bottom, and clamp it together until the glue dries.

About Generation Next:
This Old House’s Generation NEXT initiative shines a light on the urgent need for young people to enter the building trades and fill the skills gap in America today. “There’s a critical need for people in home construction,” says the This Old House master carpenter Norm Abram. The initiative has involved recruiting apprentices—some with no skills, some with a few years under their tool belts—to work alongside the TOH TV pros.

Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House INSIDER to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free: https://bit.ly/2GPiYbH

Plus, download our FREE app for full-episode streaming to your connected TV, phone or tablet:
https://bit.ly/34RYEP5

Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House:
Facebook: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB
Twitter: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter
http://bit.ly/AskTOHTwitter
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest
Instagram: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG
http://bit.ly/AskTOHIG

For more on This Old House and Ask This Old House, visit us at: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseWebsite

How to Cut Wood Joints | Generation Next | Ask This Old House
https://www.youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse/

50 Comments

  1. Baloo Mapache on October 17, 2023 at 9:16 pm

    Excelentes video….. Gracias por compartir…



  2. KonaSitkaRose on October 17, 2023 at 9:21 pm

    Tommy, thank you for your kindness, your humanity, sharing knowledge with others and taking them under your wing. I’m very sorry to learn that Austin has passed away. He seemed like a very nice young man, loving what he was learning. We send our warmest sympathy and aloha to you, his family and friends. Mahalo for all you do and may he experience the real life promised to us in God’s Word, the Holy Bible. Rev 21:3,4 All our love to you, from Hawai’i 🌊🌟☀🏝💜💙💚💛🧡



  3. john sack on October 17, 2023 at 9:21 pm

    great video…



  4. Clyde Balcom on October 17, 2023 at 9:22 pm

    RIP Austin. You made such an impression on me. You are missed.



  5. Indy Custom Made on October 17, 2023 at 9:22 pm

    RIP Austin, Gone way to early. My prayers goes out to his family, friends, and people on the show. Seemed like a great young man.



  6. Adan Monroy on October 17, 2023 at 9:23 pm

    😳🥺😭 man he was a baby but god has a better place for him now ! RIP



  7. Jeffrey Alford on October 17, 2023 at 9:24 pm

    My condolences for the loss of Austin. I’ve watched Jimmy Diresta make the finger joints but I never understood how to make the opposing ends meet up till now.



  8. Stanley Siewierski on October 17, 2023 at 9:25 pm

    How did he die?



  9. Justin Link on October 17, 2023 at 9:28 pm

    So much good information.



  10. Anthony Gabrielson on October 17, 2023 at 9:29 pm

    How do you tolerance the joint? I need to give a little left right wiggle while the sample is at the apex of the dado blade. I just can’t get it to fit without it…



  11. darkknight31278 on October 17, 2023 at 9:30 pm

    R.I.P. Austin



  12. Ed Caffey on October 17, 2023 at 9:30 pm

    Excellent video and process. Thanks for sharing



  13. kk P on October 17, 2023 at 9:31 pm

    that second type of joint is still a fancier butt joint. not very strong either



  14. INSTABOII DSG on October 17, 2023 at 9:32 pm

    *R.I.P. AUSTIN*



  15. Tamara Tamrot on October 17, 2023 at 9:33 pm

    Just go to Woodglut if you want to know how to do it yourself.



  16. Nickster's Disney and Pixar Club on October 17, 2023 at 9:35 pm

    In loving memory of our hard worker
    Austin Wilson



  17. 21Mizfit on October 17, 2023 at 9:37 pm

    I never really have a chance to watch the show on tv so could anyone tell what happened to Austin?



  18. Justin on October 17, 2023 at 9:38 pm

    I would love to have seen a dovetail joint make it into this video.



  19. LiPe VoLcOm on October 17, 2023 at 9:38 pm

    LoL Tom say don’t want to damage the ripping fence but already have done in the video 😄 pay attention before and after



  20. Adam Cesark on October 17, 2023 at 9:38 pm

    Oh wow I’m sorry to hear about that.



  21. Stephen Biggs on October 17, 2023 at 9:39 pm

    R.I.P. Austin. i like the show very much i live Australia. i am wondering what is the blade called which actually cut the big slots in the fingers



  22. Mixwell1983 on October 17, 2023 at 9:39 pm

    Tom tricking the dude like "I’ll show you another joint"



  23. Bryce Bramer on October 17, 2023 at 9:39 pm

    R.I.P. AUSTIN YOU WILL BE MISSED😭💔❤️❤️



  24. Brandon Irving on October 17, 2023 at 9:40 pm

    May Austin truly Rest In Peace and his soul prosper. I am glad he at least was doing what he loved. He motivates me, and I’m much moreso grateful to do what I am doing regardless of difficulty. I’m appreciative of that fact I have the skill and ability to use tools and truly create anything out of my own imagination. Thank you Austin and those from this old house, your videos help a ton and go a lot farther than it may seem. I truly love you guys and I really do hope you see this. 👀 🤍🌌✌👍😀



  25. Clutch Flutie on October 17, 2023 at 9:41 pm

    If I had to choose to murder a type of person, the first would be a pedophile, and the second would be a racist.



  26. Mark Hobson on October 17, 2023 at 9:42 pm

    Great teacher and mentor



  27. Milan Dičér on October 17, 2023 at 9:43 pm

    you can see how tom silva is good by the fact that he work with table saws/ band saw and all sorth of saws and he has all the fingers



  28. Sean Gp on October 17, 2023 at 9:43 pm

    RIP Austin. They never mentioned the cause of his death



  29. Mister006 on October 17, 2023 at 9:43 pm

    The This Old House family is the best ever anywhere!



  30. Jim B on October 17, 2023 at 9:44 pm

    Since we could not leave comments on Austin’s announce vid, I’m listing my comments here.

    I was very pleased to see Austin on TOH. When I was in the trades, there were almost no Black Men in the business. There were of course many Black men in the business, but I did not get the opportunity to meet that many who were real artisans. I had high hopes for Austin.

    While he was not overly shown, it was a pleasure to see him work and learn from the masters on the show. Hearing of his loss was like a punch in the gut.

    I feel badly for his family as he was so young and so promising. His character, attention to detail, interaction with the others, gave every reason to believe he was in a position to become a master himself.

    Rest in Peace Austin.



  31. Julian Reverse on October 17, 2023 at 9:46 pm

    Poplar 😀 The cheapest wood on earth … not even worth the power to spin the saw blade



  32. Elon Must on October 17, 2023 at 9:48 pm

    Just when I’m thinking that the kid is really into learning and seems like an awesome person, I read the comments… Rest in peace, Austin.



  33. Jake on October 17, 2023 at 9:50 pm

    The Pins were too short on the box joints. The blade needed to be raised just a bit more. These types of adjustments should be commented on as well as how loose or tight the fingers are. I guess not very DIY, more "made for TV".



  34. Richard (Dick) Taylor on October 17, 2023 at 9:51 pm

    Exactly why I watch – I learned something while watching someone else learning. Thanks.



  35. Raw Bacon on October 17, 2023 at 9:54 pm

    The Box/Finger Joint has always been one of my favorites.



  36. Ranger11413 on October 17, 2023 at 9:56 pm

    Truly heartbreaking to hear this fella passed. Seemed like such a good, well mannered young man. Rest in peace fella.



  37. Steve on October 17, 2023 at 9:57 pm

    Tommy is a wealth of knowledge.



  38. rabak omaba on October 17, 2023 at 9:58 pm

    In my first work I always used Woodglut plans.



  39. Salvador Sepulveda on October 17, 2023 at 10:00 pm

    Rest In Peace In The Arms of Our Lord Austin 🙏



  40. Timothy Volkers on October 17, 2023 at 10:02 pm

    Those sawstop saws make me drool.



  41. XzTS on October 17, 2023 at 10:03 pm

    RIP Austin
    Seemed like a pretty chill guy



  42. Jake Huffman on October 17, 2023 at 10:04 pm

    Rest In Peace Austin



  43. Damian on October 17, 2023 at 10:05 pm

    RIP Austin !Tommy is the greatest



  44. Drawing Franco on October 17, 2023 at 10:06 pm

    that’s how a dad and a son make a convo and talk each other, instead "i think i’m a cis, i think i’m a girl"



  45. Julio F on October 17, 2023 at 10:07 pm

    R.I.P.



  46. abdulrahman farsi on October 17, 2023 at 10:09 pm

    Thanks for the great tutorial video



  47. Ensley Wyatt on October 17, 2023 at 10:12 pm

    How’d this kid die?



  48. Dessert Man on October 17, 2023 at 10:12 pm

    It’s great to see a young man enjoy and learn and do a good job at the same time I wish we could see more of this



  49. RC_Marcus on October 17, 2023 at 10:13 pm

    RIP Austin. It’s awesome that these TOH guys are teaching these young people their skills. Hopefully it will help keep them out of trouble.



  50. xoxo2008oxox on October 17, 2023 at 10:16 pm

    RIP Austin. That said, how many home owners can afford a SawStop? I’d like to see ATOH do an episode on building your Old House Workshop on the cheap…