# Joining 1x2s



## patlaw (Jan 4, 2010)

I'm working on a project that is made almost exclusively with 1x2s (which I can handle with my SCMS, since I don't have access to my table saw.) Pocket screws are not an option to join them since both sides are visible and will be stained. What are my options for butt joining two 1x2s? Dowels seem like the perfect solution, but they never line up for me. Even small biscuits for my Elu biscuit joiner are too long with the only blade I have for it.

On a positive note, I was able to cut some perfect test dadoes on my router table. Hopefully my luck will continue when I get to the real piece.


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

I use a locking rabbet joint. Do a YouTube search and you will find lots of videos. I'm using my iPad this morning and don't have much luck copying links with it. Should be easy to find. The short videos will give you the idea.


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

When I use dowels, infrequently, I use dowel center finders. Bought mine at Lee Valley, but I'm sure they're available elsewhere.


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

Those can be real helpful for locating lots of things. I use the to mount outlet strips and other things.


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## patlaw (Jan 4, 2010)

vchiarelli said:


> When I use dowels, infrequently, I use dowel center finders. Bought mine at Lee Valley, but I'm sure they're available elsewhere.


Well, I'd forgotten about those, and I think there's a set of them around here somewhere. They're worth a try.

Also, a Domino is not on the list, either.


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Shop guy said:


> Those can be real helpful for locating lots of things. I use the to mount outlet strips and other things.


Richard - I guess my focus is too narrow. I've only ever used them in the shop, and have never ever thought of other uses.

Thanks for the tip. Why I like this forum a lot.:sold:


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

patlaw said:


> Well, I'd forgotten about those, and I think there's a set of them around here somewhere. They're worth a try.
> 
> Also, *a Domino is not on the list*, either.


There's always a reason to get another tool >


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## patlaw (Jan 4, 2010)

vchiarelli said:


> There's always a reason to get another tool >


I've purchased most of the inexpensive tools I need. Now I'm into the good stuff. My last purchase was a Kapex KS120. Now you tell me how much sense it makes to have one of those when I do my wood destruction projects on my back deck, when it's warm enough and it's not raining, and my skill set is Introduction to Woodworking 101. My wife is very understanding of my desire to purchase guitars, microphones, and, now, woodworking tools, but I'm sure there's a limit in there somewhere.


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## Quillman (Aug 16, 2010)

Can be done decoratively with hardware.


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

There's always a limit.

I've purchased a few "new" tools, but most of my larger tools were purchased used. I inherited my dad's hand tools when he passed (he was a stationary engineer by trade, but was the epitome of a DIY guy), and added them to my own small collection. I'm not cheap, just frugal, and although the list of "wants" is fairly large, the list of "needs" is rather small. I don't make money from my projects, do them strictly as a hobby, so can't justify major, expensive purchases.

When I open my wallet, the comment I usually hear is "Gee, the queen looks young in that picture!"


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

My tools are partly an accumulation of over 50 years of woodworking. When I buy new now it has to have a need and be justifiable.. I don't buy anything I can make. Like you Vince I don't make money from my hobby. What I make or do is for my pleasure and enjoyment. There are so many high dollar do dads on the market that their use is easily duplicated with a little time and thought that I don't even consider them. Cheap tools never are and do dads are sometimes expensive drawer filler.


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

Good morning, Dan


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Richard, if you want to see "do dads" and the biggest collection of unbelievably useless junk, get into golf. Some new contraption comes out every day but I don't know of anyone that's been able to "buy a game". When I see the TV ads, I laugh out loud cause "there's a sucker born every minute" and the sellers are laughing all the way to the bank.


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

Very true. I did buy a mini lathe this year and one of the guys said lathes are the golf of woodworking. LOL, I think he was right but I've made some chisels for that too now. Even made a couple of carbide ones.


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## patlaw (Jan 4, 2010)

I hear what you guys are saying, but let me offer a little different perspective. As a quite mediocre guitar player for 50 years, it is obvious to me that if the first guitar that a person picks up is a piece of junk with strings too high and a neck like a bow, he or she is less likely to continue than if a nice-playing guitar is selected. You don't need to start on a Gibson ES-335, but starting on a $99 guitar is asking for failure. If a beginner starts on a 335 and then quits, the problem is not the guitar. 

While I do tend to buy shiny new objects in woodworking, and while I overspend based on what some of you pros can do on your own, I'm at a point in the woodworking learning curve where I don't want to the tool being the reason I'm not progressing in my skills. Sure, I can easily make a dado guide for my router that's not square, but if I buy one that is square, the chances of my dadoes being correct are greatly enhanced. Once I ever learn how to make elusive accomplishments in woodworking, like disappearing lines, I'll probably be able to use less expensive solutions, as well. 

Paul Sellers can cut accurate dovetails by hand in five minutes. I can't cut one accurately in any amount of time with a jig, at least not yet. When and if I am able to do so, I'll probably be able to learn how to cut them by hand. 

Getting back on track in this thread, I found my 3/8" dowel center finders. I decided to try doweling a couple of scraps together. I used a drill guide to drill a perpendicular hole in the first piece. With the center finder in the hole, I lined the first piece up with the second piece and tapped the dimple into the second piece. I drilled the hole in the second piece. When I joined the two pieces together, the boards were pretty close but definitely not as close as anyone here would want. My guess is that the bit drifted a little in the second piece because it followed the grain in the wood. Using a drill press should help with that problem.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

patlaw said:


> Well, I'd forgotten about those, and I think there's a set of them around here somewhere. They're worth a try.
> 
> Also, a Domino is not on the list, either.


there is always the Leigh FMT....


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

patlaw said:


> I'm working on a project that is made almost exclusively with 1x2s (which I can handle with my SCMS, since I don't have access to my table saw.) Pocket screws are not an option to join them since both sides are visible and will be stained. What are my options for butt joining two 1x2s? Dowels seem like the perfect solution, but they never line up for me. Even small biscuits for my Elu biscuit joiner are too long with the only blade I have for it.
> 
> On a positive note, I was able to cut some perfect test dadoes on my router table. Hopefully my luck will continue when I get to the real piece.


here's an option...

.


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

Mike, I agree with the idea high quality tools give better results. Any time we go for cheap we may get inferior results. When I buy a tool today I buy the best quality I can comfortably afford. I still don't buy anything I can make that will give a good or better result than what I can buy. As time goes by you learn which way is better for you.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I was going to suggest something a bit simpler than Stick's illustration. If it doesn't matter that the edges show the joint then make a groove and tenon joint. That will increase the glue surface and the joint will resist sideways force better as well as assuring accurate lineup. If both the tenon and the groove are full board width then both are easy to machine on table saw or router table.

If you want to make a doweling drill guide then you need these. Bushings and Inserts - Lee Valley Tools These installed in a home made jig will insure that the spacing in between and in from an edge stays the same for both sides.


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## patlaw (Jan 4, 2010)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> If you want to make a doweling drill guide then you need these. Bushings and Inserts - Lee Valley Tools These installed in a home made jig will insure that the spacing in between and in from an edge stays the same for both sides.


I've never seen those before. They're now on my list of things to order.

By the way, the picture below is another joint that has to be secured. The angled 1x2 is cut at 15 degrees, or thereabouts. If I were going to paint the frame, I'd put screws through the straight leg into the angled leg, like I did for the first one I built. However, the goal is to use no mechanical fasteners. Dowels still seem the way to go, if I can improve on my doweling ability very quickly. 

Is the Woodcraft Premium Doweling Jig worth the money?


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

patlaw said:


> I've never seen those before. They're now on my list of things to order.
> 
> By the way, the picture below is another joint that has to be secured. The angled 1x2 is cut at 15 degrees, or thereabouts. If I were going to paint the frame, I'd put screws through the straight leg into the angled leg, like I did for the first one I built. However, the goal is to use no mechanical fasteners. Dowels still seem the way to go, if I can improve on my doweling ability very quickly.
> 
> Is the Woodcraft Premium Doweling Jig worth the money?


Mike...any of the self-centering jigs will require the wood pieces to be EXACTLY the same size or the holes will be in the center but the edges will not match. What you want is the center of the hole to be EXACTLY the same distance from the face of one board to its mating board's face...

End-grain is tough to drill into as you've noted...a drill press will surely help if the board is securely fastened...start really slow, extra slow feed rate.

EDIT...you may also want to consider splining the two boards together by routing both boards with a slot cutter with the face down on the table...use a slot cutter the same size as the spline (or vice-versa). You can stop the cutting short of the ends and then the spline won't show...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

STEP 8: JOINERY: LEARN HOW TO LAYOUT & CUT JOINTS | Wood and Shop


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

Shop guy said:


> I use a locking rabbet joint. Do a YouTube search and you will find lots of videos. I'm using my iPad this morning and don't have much luck copying links with it. Should be easy to find. The short videos will give you the idea.


Agreed, lock rabbet is the way to go on this. It's pretty easy to cut if you can do a dado.









On the 15 degree joint. That's going to be tricky even with dowels. I would suggest a lapped joint.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I would probably go with a spline joint if you don't want it to show. You can easily do a stopped groove on both pieces on the RT. Stick has posted pdfs on splines several times.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> I would probably go with a spline joint if you don't want it to show. You can easily do a stopped groove on both pieces on the RT. Stick has posted pdfs on splines several times.


splines...

.


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

I like splines but with 1 1/2" of contact, the spline is going to be pretty short.

One thing that would help is to understand what kind of stress these joints are going to take.


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## Ratbob (Apr 6, 2015)

Spline, Drawer Lock, Lock Rabbit etc. would work great with your first picture, but pretty tough to do in your second example. I'm with you in thinking that dowels are your best option. Unfortunately lining up the holes requires a lot of care, and good process. If you can live with being able to see one end of the dowel (cut flush) in the joined 1x2s, consider clamping everything in place and drilling one hole through both pieces.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Miter joint with a spline reinforcement. Video:



 Fairly simple. I think the spline grain should run horizontal rather than vertical.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

ON the buy or make tools thing, I am just getting to the point where what I make turns out right, and I have purchased a lot of accessories getting here. As to tools, the very best I can afford these days. For several years, I've had more money that time, but I've reached a point where that may be changing. Fortunately, looking through my shop, there isn't much big gear left to buy.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

My 2c...

Dowels for alignment and 2 part epoxy glue.....


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## PapaTango (Oct 9, 2015)

Oh dear! This topic illustrates how much I have yet to learn, because I'd simply opt for Tightbond glue!!


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

patlaw said:


> I'm working on a project that is made almost exclusively with 1x2s (which I can handle with my SCMS, since I don't have access to my table saw.) Pocket screws are not an option to join them since both sides are visible and will be stained. What are my options for butt joining two 1x2s? Dowels seem like the perfect solution, but they never line up for me. Even small biscuits for my Elu biscuit joiner are too long with the only blade I have for it.
> 
> On a positive note, I was able to cut some perfect test dadoes on my router table. Hopefully my luck will continue when I get to the real piece.



Mike, another way to consider is to butt joint them like the picture and drill all the way thru the outside 1X2 and counter bore the hole, and glue the joint with Titebond II, then screw it together and cut plugs to finish the hole or cut short dowels and glue them in. You can sand them flush or let them stick proud both look nice. If you cut plugs with a plug cutter ,you can use a different colored wood for a contrasting effect. You can use 1 or 2 screws.

I have done this many times and they look very professional.

Herb


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

What Herb said! 
Depending on what the purpose and wood species, I'd be inclined to glue and 18ga finish nail through the outside pce. into the butted piece. A little wood filler and Bob's your uncle.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Also, forgot to say that if you want to dowel them , clamp them together and drill all the way through the first piece and into the 2nd piece 3/4" put glue between them and drive the dowels in flush. 

A exposed dowel looks good ,everyone looking at doweled joints think that they look good. That is why when a screw hole is plugged, people think that the 2 pieces are doweled together. 

Herb


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

If you plan on doing lots of doweling then you also have to plan on doing a lot of plugging so I would recommend that you get a set of these tapered plug cutters. Veritas® Tapered Snug-Plug® Cutters - Lee Valley Tools The taper allows them to fit tightly in the hole and it allows you to make them from the same wood and same color and grain match.

I also recommend you get some fish glue to stick them in with. High Tack Fish Glue - Lee Valley Tools Fish glue stays water soluble forever so a damp cloth will wipe off any residue at or very near the surface. This will help to avoid leaving a brown ring around the plug like Titebond will leave even though the fish glue is also brown. If you don't use fish glue then I would suggest Weldbond which dries clear. Just as an FYI, Weldbond is at least as strong as Titebond and also has some water resistance. In fact most glues have some water resistance and I could count the number of times where that played a factor in my woodworking on one hand.


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

I can think of very few tools that can be made better than the factory made ones. But that is another topic. What are you trying to make? That dictates on how strong it has to be. A simple butt joint held together with a strong glue and 18 gauge finishing nails could be the answer.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

PapaTango said:


> Oh dear! This topic illustrates how much I have yet to learn, because I'd simply opt for Tightbond glue!!


hahaha, I was going to say Titebond, but realised that no matter which glue I specified, someone would correct me.....LOL.:wink:


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

jw2170 said:


> hahaha, I was going to say Titebond, but realised that no matter which glue I specified, someone would correct me.....LOL.:wink:


That is a good point, James, just butt jointing the 2 pieces together would probably work with the glues these days the way they hold. 

I have made butt joints in small boxes and never had one fail. also had a glue blob the size of a pencil eraser stuck to the bare wood on the bench and had to take a hammer to remove after a couple of weeks. I think it gets harder the longer it sets.

Herb


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

In another galaxy, a long long time ago, my Dad and I tried to demolish an upright piano no longer being used...

Even using a large sledge hammer we could not break the joints apart. The timber broke before the joints...They must have been 6 x 6...


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

James; you know what that hardwood is worth today? 
And one side was already sanded and finished!


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

jw2170 said:


> In another galaxy, a long long time ago, my Dad and I tried to demolish an upright piano no longer being used...
> 
> Even using a large sledge hammer we could not break the joints apart. The timber broke before the joints...They must have been 6 x 6...


And that was probably hide glue they used, probably if you would have let it set out in a good rain,you could have just gone out and picked up the pieces after the sun came out.
Herb


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

My Dad did use the panels to make a china cabinet...


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