Common Woodworking Joints
Butt Joint
Common woodworking joints started here when the first two pieces of wood were positioned together and the very first woodworker tried to figure out how to keep them there. Every joint stems from the need to modify or change the butt joint to work better for a particular application. Sometimes it's for speed, sometimes it's for strength, and sometimes it's just to improve the way it looks. Biscuit Joint
These small compressed pieces of wood (called biscuits), when installed with glue, swell up while drying and create a very strong joint.
The biscuits come in 3 sizes, 0, 10 and 20, with 0 being the smallest. The slot that the biscuits fit in can be cut with a router and slot cutter, a hand held biscuit cutter, or with a stationary plate jointer made specifically to cut biscuit slots.
A very versatile joint used in cabinet making, furniture making and general woodworking projects.
Dowel Joint
This is one of the common woodworking joints that has been used for many years in woodworking. It serves a dual purpose
with the dowel being used for alignment of two pieces and also strengthens the joint itself by providing
more glue surface to hold the pieces together.
This joint is widely used today in the production and construction of cabinet frames, table legs, and anywhere alignment and joint strength is required. Although it's loosing ground to some newer, more production friendly joints, it still remains a basic joint used by most woodworkers.
The joint is made in a variety of ways with precision alignment of both pieces being the hardest to accomplish. There are many jigs, machines and centering plugs available to woodworkers to help with the alignment.
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This common woodworking joint is a modern variation of the splined butt joint. It helps position the pieces together so the surface remains level while providing
some lateral movement for adjustment. 
