Generation Next | How to Cut Wood Joints

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. Click here to SUBSCRIBE to the official This Old House YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=thisoldhouse 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 ¼” plywood Wood glue Wood screws Steps: 1. Cut the lumber to desired length using a table saw or a miter saw. 2. Cut the ¼” 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 ¼”. You can use the ¼” 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 ¼” 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. Ask This Old House TV Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.   This Old House releases new segments every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.   Keywords: This Old House, How-to, home improvement, DIY, tom silva, GenerationNEXT, carpentry, wood joints, ask this old house Watch the full episode: https://ift.tt/2r7UWxM Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House: Facebook: https://ift.tt/1psm4fC Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisoldhouse https://twitter.com/asktoh Pinterest: https://ift.tt/1psm4fE G+: https://ift.tt/1CtsNjJ Instagram: https://ift.tt/1psm1QZ Tumblr: https://ift.tt/1CtsLbH