# Three way corner joint



## sawdust maker (27 Sep 2010)

Hi All
I need a bit of help. I am attempting to make a display cabinet and need advice on how to make the corner joints. The timber is hardwood 20mm x 30mm. 

the joint should look something like this:-






Hope you can help I've been promising SWMBO that I would make this cabinet for some time.


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## Einari Rystykaemmen (27 Sep 2010)

I would go for traditional mortice & tenon joint. Mortices on vertical part, one for each side and tenons to horizontal parts.

Hidden pegs is another solution also and might be less time-consuming. 

But M&T is stronger (more glue surface).

Cheers!

ER


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## ondablade (27 Sep 2010)

Not sure what you mean, but if it's a three way mitre you are after i've been digging on the topic as it's a joint i like, and have in mind for a small table.

They can be done with loose tenons, or ply Ls, or Dominos: 

http://www.finewoodworking.com/SkillsAn ... px?id=2905

http://www.talkfestool.com/vb/festool-t ... omino.html

You may need to sign on for a free 14 day trial to get at the Fine Woodworking piece.

Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking volume 1 p. 202 also covers the topic.

If you want to look at the real deal (the fancy self locking Chinese variety) there's a how to piece American Woodworker April 1994 which comes up with a web search.

The question i've not really been able to bottom on 3 way mitres is how to prevent cross grain shrinkage opening the joint if it's used in heavier section pieces. There seems to be a way, as the Chinese and Japanese managed it somehow - but the articles i've seen don't even mention it as an issue. Placing the loose tenon mid joint would at least halve the movement...


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## chill (27 Sep 2010)

Hi, if you have a copy of Joyce you will find it is covered in there, hth


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## AndyT (28 Sep 2010)

It's also in Charles Hayward's classic book on Woodworking Joints. He shows a simple mitre, and also a combined mitre / dovetail / mortice and tenon.

I'll see if I can find a minute to scan the relevant pages if you want. 

This style of working assumes small sections of nice dry mahogany, so not much scope for shrinkage - not sure what you would use these days.


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## JoinerySolutions (28 Sep 2010)

AndyT":32h0zo01 said:


> It's also in Charles Hayward's classic book on Woodworking Joints. He shows a simple mitre, *and also a combined mitre / dovetail / mortice and tenon.*
> I'll see if I can find a minute to scan the relevant pages if you want.
> 
> This style of working assumes small sections of nice dry mahogany, so not much scope for shrinkage - not sure what you would use these days.



We got challenged to make this type of joint at college, that was years ago and it had rebates for glazing thrown into the mix. Never had to do one since  Might be a fiddly on 20x30mm stock and a three way mitre in rectangular stock will need carefull planing).
How big is the cabinet going to be? is it grooved or rebated for the glass/perspex?
Could you get away with a more basic approach and do a mitred veneer finish?

Rob.


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## mtt.tr (28 Sep 2010)

could you make a one to one on sketchup cut the 3 bars into the joint the take angles and find the best way to do it from that


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## Steve Maskery (28 Sep 2010)

I've never done one and probably don't have the skills to make a good job of it, but one thing has struck me. If you are going to mitre, how are you going to cope with the fact that one dimension is 30mm and the other 20mm. That means the mitres can't be 45 degrees and that complicates matter further, doesn't it?

I'm not trying to be difficult, honest.
S


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## Carlow52 (28 Sep 2010)

As noted already I would go with M + T, with no, or very small, shoulder on bottom of tenon.
the mortice will meet in middle of piece so cut tenons at 45


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## AndyT (29 Sep 2010)

Here are the scans from Hayward. Definitely challenging, and using square stock.











Post some w-i-p pics if you decide to give this a go!


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