Woodworking Joint Tests

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In this video we test the shear strength of a variety of woodworking joints.
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When we are making a variety of woodworking projects it is not uncommon to wonder about joint strength, after all it might be something like a kitchen chair or a dinning room table and they need to hold a certain weight. There are many woodworking joints that can be used from simple butt joints, mechanical joints like pocket holes, and all sorts of wood joints like biscuit joints, mortise and tenon joints even dowel joints. All of these have differing strengths and the kinds of woods makes a difference too. In this video we pick some of the most popular joints, connect them with standard Titebond II glue, allow them to dry for a couple of days then tested each of them, and this video is the result of those tests.

[@woodwhisperer]

Hey, who doesn't like a good joint test! Thanks for doing it!

[@DIYPETE]

Great tests Colin. I thought the results were very interesting and I'm glad you took the time to put the experiment together. THANK YOU!

[@songthirtyone]

I'm sure everyone on here knows this but I'll say it anyway, the best joint isn't always the strongest joint. It depends on what the joint is going to do, quick and easy is often more important than excessive strength. Also great video! Just subscribed!

[@jonathangwynne1917]

It was interesting to note that apparently the weakness of the M+T isn't the joint itself but the fact that cutting the mortice weakens the wood into which it is cut. It would be interesting to see a couple of different thicknesses tested with the same size joint. For example, a 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" to see how big a difference it makes.

[@builttolast7286]

The second M&T was only a mere 1” depth. When connecting a rail to a stile, my Stopped Tenons goes to about 1/4” of the far side of the stile. For table frames, it’s the maximum depth the leg size and apron offset permit and I miter the ends of the tenon# to maximize long grain to long grain glue surface. We didn’t see the Lap Joint, but I’m assuming it spanned the full overlap of the two pieces, so it had the most long grain to long grain glue surface, so no surprise that test resulted it requiring the most force to fail. The M&T joint didn’t fail, but the Stile. The dowel broke in a similar manner, but the problem with dowels is their propensity to fail, over time, in the cross-grain (Stile) connection, where long grain to long grain glue surface is nearly non-existent.

[@JohnHeisz]

Interesting test Colin!

[@knecht105]

John Heisz Thanks John

[@brothyr]

So dowels are not only about as powerful as pocketholes but they're hidden and cheaper! Gonna go get a doweling jig now.

[@knecht105]

Adam R Yes, the pocket hole stood up well in my tests, but of course it does depend on the wood to a degree too

[@jackloganbill605]

we went with a Dowelmax and use it for most of our work. The dowels are stronger and the alignment advantage saves tons of time and error.

[@bighands69]

Dowels are very power joint as are floating tenons. Pocket screws are perfect for many different types of joints and projects. You would use them on a bed. Now if you put in multiple pocket holes running in opposite directions in thick would it will clearly be a powerful joint.

[@vitaminb4869]

@@bighands69 how are dowels a poor joint if they are stronger than pocket screws? Plus they are also invisible.

[@bighands69]

@@vitaminb4869 I meant powerful I said power.

[@ParlonsBoisMartinSeguin]

Good test, thanks. But the Lap Joint is 800 pound and not 700. Relook at your slow motion. ;)

[@AnthonySmith-hw6by]

yea i noticed that too..

[@RABthefirst]

Thank you for doing this. The last person who did a video like this was very biased against pocket holes and made it seem like they were the worst ways to make joints.

[@SawDustMakerRJM]

Bobby B I can't imagine who that is :)

[@brandonfesser1893]

Bobby B From what I've read, they're still a lazy and unskilled way to make joints... I need to get one of those jigs! :P

[@RABthefirst]

I have a small one and I use it for simple stuff. I like it, it is fast and easy but I don't see the problem with that as long as they work.

[@Squibbleses]

Bobby B The tests were quite different. This one is testing almost pure shear force since the pressure was being applied very near the base of the joint. Matthias's test had the weight further away from the joint which multiplies the force but also changes the angle to have a lot more pulling force on the joint which I think exposes the weakness of pocket holes more. If you can engineer your project to eliminate or at least reduce pulling or angular forces on your joint then a pocket hole joint will play to its strengths I guess which is pure shear force resistance. Just like how a lap joint was very strong in this test but would be weaker than some of the other joints if a twisting force was applied I should imagine since there's nothing but glue keeping the wood from popping out of the joint hole.

[@tonyharris5015]

Squibbleses Exactly. It would be like a butt joint 90 degrees from the test.

[@ismu34]

Great video! I'd also be interested in seeing a test putting the joints in tension, how much force it takes to pull it up and out.

[@jamesbramblett8093]

A few years ago a woodworking magazine reported on a test from a major mid-western university (I apologize, I don't remember the name of the magazine or the school) and they came up with the same conclusion as yours. Their half-lap was at the end of their boards and not at the middle, as was yours. Their study showed the half-lap to be stronger than a mortise and tenon or a bridle joint; here's why. I think we can all agree that a glue joint is stronger than the grain of most woods. In other words, if we stress a glue joint, the grain will separate somewhere adjacent to the glue joint before the actual glue joint fails. A glue to WOOD bond is a very strong bond. A glue to GLUE bond is a very weak bond -- much like peanut brittle candy. Hence, if we could get a single molecule-thick layer of glue, we'd probably have a stronger joint. That's why a half-lap is stronger. You can clamp a half-lap with much greater force, thereby reducing the number of glue to glue bonds. We can not compress a mortise and tenon joint very well because the mortise edges will not collapse sufficiently. I suspect a bridle joint would be somewhere inbetween since we can sufficiently clamp the open ends but not the closed end. So those of you who keep piling on the glue and squeezing it out, claiming you're getting a better glue joint, -- you're not. This would imply, there's no such thing as a "starved glue joint" as long as you have complete coverage of the mating surfaces on well prepared boards. These comments are based on the use of non-gap filling white or yellow glue, such as aliphatic resins-- PVAs. To get a better glue joint, spend more time preparing the surface instead of just "using more glue" The smoother the better.

[@big1finger]

About 50 years ago a new bridge was built across the Missouri River at Sioux City, Iowa. A federal inspector was at the sight in mid January when the temperatures in Sioux city were -20 degrees. The inspector picked up a stick of rebar which was used for the skeleton of the pillars before concrete filled the forms. The inspector took the bar in both hands and bent and broke the rebar and said the material was no good. The head engineer on the bridge informed the inspector that once the skeleton was built and tied together nobody was going to be bending the rebar especially after being covered with a 6 inch layer of concrete. Today the same bridge gas bit met the maximum load and is still ig great condition. This applies to wood jointery no matter which joint method is used they will never be tested to the max. 'Use what ever method you choose, but stop telling others they are wrong for choosing a different method than you.

[@knecht105]

Gary Finger Yup, lots of options to choose from, thanks Gary

[@EightiesTV]

Another bridge in the US that used steel that had an unusually high DBTT (ductile to brittle temperature transition) failed on a cold December day and sent 46 people to their death in 1967.

[@billj5645]

The rebar may or may not be bent in the final structure but if it is there for a purpose it might get quite a bit of direction tension on it just the same. Likely though it is a conservative design and the rebar won't see that much stress. And once it is inside the concrete it will be somewhat protected and won't get quite as cold. Modern metallurgy is very much better than this, even for rebar which is relatively poor compared to other steels.

[@jonjsharp]

Best test I've seen on the interwebs! Love the setup. Thanks.

[@DEG1985]

You are an excellent woodworking teacher, one of the top three in KZbin...

[@Xorobabel]

This was a great test. Thanks for making it and sharing your results. The more of these I see, the more impressed I am by the dowel joint.

[@bighands69]

What I am convinced of is that none of these types of joints will ever really get pushed to their limits in the real world.

[@rxonmymind8362]

Ask the Japanese. They do in some of their temples.

[@simplyphil.photography164]

It may be an old video [2015] now viewing 12 2018, what a real surprise, the pocket joint did not come out badly, the tenon and the dowel roughly the same strength, oh boy, thanks Colin

[@knecht105]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@laborduck]

Great info. Helps fill my lack of experience and knowledge in which joints to use and joint strength to expect. Thank you very much.

[@jatwangismyname900]

Helped me so much. Thank you sir for taking the tests.

[@decc2007]

I used to do standard tests on wood glue joints when I worked for an adhesives company. We used instron machines that has a standard speed. There are two different tests. Slow speed and fast speed often get different results. Your test looked good as manually it looked like you were doing the same for each one which is the important point. From a safety point of view this was not safe. We did these behind a safety glass screen. Shards of glass could easily attack your wrists and neck the way you did this. I guess you survived though unless a descendent edited the video and took out the gory parts. It's also important to calibrate between tests with a reference to ensure consistency and repeatability. The other important point is to have the same joint surface area and glue weight and the same open time (time between adding glue and pressing wood together) and pressure and temperature while pressing. We used glue rollers to have a set weight. Also setting times need to be consistent. Saying all that I really enjoyed the video and think your actual results will have been very representative. Very interesting to see different joint types. Mine were all using one square inch of basic lap joint. That job got me into woodworking. Videos like yours really help bring things to life. I've made several of your projects but not made a comment before.

[@jesuschrist9009]

There wasn't glass anywhere in the video. What are you talking about here?

[@TerryPullen]

Great! As others have commented you didn't convert hydraulic pressure to psi at the joint but the testing was consistent all the way through and so we can safely infer relative joint strength. Thanks.

[@robertbrunston5406]

Very good video, very good test, the low lb. failure n the Bisket joint surprise me, thought they were a lot stronger, maybe is used a different way. Also the pocket hole surprise me how strong it is, thought it was leak. Thanks so much great test.

[@MrAlicakes]

The pocket hole joint is no doubt a strong joint but using it in a project, if you don't have the perfect hiding spot for it, its always noticeable to me. I do use the pocket hole joint at times but it's not a lot of call for it when it comes to the costumers visual on the project. The lap joint surprised me as well. Great video, very informative.

[@knecht105]

Tim M. Thanks Tim, yes, lots of different options to use for joints ... thanks for your comments

[@strangersound]

Quality video. The cutaways were an excellent touch. :)

[@knecht105]

+strangersound Thanks for the feedback ... appreciate you taking the time

[@wwmilanl]

Great video, will be nise to repeat the same exercise but now including the DOMINO as part of the table. Thanks

[@charliewood4158]

You should be a shop teacher I learn something on just about every video you do Keep up the great work thanks.

[@ChrisMildebrandt]

Great test. After seeing the duplicate failures of the mortise and tenon and dowels from the splitting of the beam, I would have liked to see the performance of a through tenon. You should get a lot more compression strength before failure, but I don't know for sure. Thanks for the video.

[@deeeeeeps]

I was just going to do these test myself but you just saved me 5 hrs of my life ill never get back. Thanks

[@sithinstructor]

It looked like the Half-lap joint made it to 800? Also, it looked to me like the pocket holes also failed in the wood below, and not in the joint like the last couple tests?

[@machapu]

I didn't notice that at first, the camera is set so you can't see the lower board crack.

[@taylanlowe120]

Failed at the joint. The wood may have failed after the joint seperation first.

[@HectorDelCurto]

Great video. I was deciding if I should buy a biscuit joiner, but this video made it clear. Even if not perfect for the perfectionists it made the point very clearly. Thank you so much.

[@jamesbramblett8093]

Biscuit joiners are great for aiding alignment -- that's about all.

[@Damianium]

Wow, never seen anyone pump wood that hard before! You're awful brave hanging on to it with your bare hands! Also, no surprise that the lap could take the most and butt could take the least!

[@MrKredinger]

Thanks for posting this. My takeaway is that dowel joints are looking like a strong and quick option to use.

[@keitho3133]

Interesting and informative video. One thing that would have been nice is to test them in the other direction. Obviously, they typically aren't loaded much in that direction, but everything gets bumped or even knocked over occasionally and I believe the lap joint would fail pretty quick in that direction, which is why it's not generally considered that strong. Though a lap with a dowel through the center of the lap might perform very well in both directions.

[@Justicejamesb]

I'm a huge fan of the dowel joint, (it's the same thing as a floating tenon), they're really fast, and I've never had one pull out or break. I'll have to start using the lap joint more, had no idea they were so strong. Great video!!

[@rjamsbury1]

J. B.J. I suppose lap joints are just not as good looking if making furniture. I'm going for lap in the shop and dowels elsewhere now.

[@darkshadowsx5949]

the lap joint was near 800 before it exploded not 700. still very a interesting video.

[@chicox37]

This is a very good video. I star with pocket hole, now I use lap joints. I want to see more videos like this, very useful.

[@tomhoyer2313]

Nice shootout Colin! The lap was a surprise. I like seeing the data to end the arguements.I have a Beadlock and want o get the Dowelmax.

[@edwaggonersr.7446]

Valuable information. I'm not a fan of pocket hole joints, though my kitchen cabinets have them on the face frame and they are perfectly fine. If I had a bunch of face frames to make I'd probably buy a pocket hold jig. After watching Colin's video on the DowelMax I bought a DowelMax Jr. I really like it, with just a little bit of practice I have become quite efficient. I don't even dry fit anymore, the thing is accurate and fool proof. Thanks Colin.

[@knecht105]

Ed Waggoner Sr. Thanks Ed, yes lots of choices in woods and joints to choose from, thanks again

[@it_only_counts_on_fly3473]

Excellent, thank you Colin

[@5460sundance]

Colin great show of joint strength , good to file away for later use . thank you

[@sanramondublin]

test showed very good comparisons. the 3 screws pocket joints were good enough for home furniture, if issue is not pocket visibility. in fact test showed me using pocket screw joints combined with glue, would be perfect for house furniture. pocket screw combined with glue would fair better in humid climates and would expansion ; specially when split, spring loading washer is used. thank you from California.

[@EVERLAST223]

If they don't pull out, little joints are made!

[@heykoolaid2004]

LOL

[@davidhenry32]

Nice job, Colin! One of the best joint tests I've seen.

[@knecht105]

davidhenry32 Thanks David, I tried to be as fair as I could in the testing

[@objectivelense1006]

Was just working on a foot stool as my first project and was thinking the most beautiful and practical joint to use. Absolutely helpful and objective video. The position of the block probably caused the joints to fail a wee earlier but nevertheless it is an excellent practical video guide!!!!! Thank you!!! Dowell it is then!!! 😁

[@angelpimen]

Really like your test and follow up explanation. I will definitively use this information on my next project.

[@rembad]

Excellent video! So from this we can deduct that the longer the tenons/dowel penetration the better the joint (more glue area = better joint as glue is stronger than wood, which we "know" but is very, very cool to see in action). It would be interesting to see where the joint would break with a tenon/dowel that goes through the entire length of the beam. And what the reason for failure would be then. Another thing that would be very interesting is to see the same joints being tested for vertical strength, like how much weight they can sustain before breaking, if they were hanging upside down and you were pulling on the joint, although the pulling mechanism would likely require joints of it's own to grab hold of the pieces haha. Videos like this are an inspiration to continue searching for knowledge! Cudos to you sir!

[@knecht105]

rembad Thanks for your comments ... yes it seems the wood is failing before many of our joints, so good to know we seem to have the joint thing fairly well sorted out :)

[@francisbarnett]

Great job.

[@knecht105]

Francis Barnett Thank you Francis

[@oldaxehead655]

Results of LBS of pressure withstood. Butt joint - 140lbs of pressure Biscuit joint - 230lbs of pressure Pocket Hole - 475lbs of pressure Lap joint - 700lbs of pressure Dowel joint - 660lbs of pressure Mortise & Tenon - 680lbs of pressure 1" Dowel - 680lbs of pressure 1" Mortise & Tenon - 680lbs of pressure 1/4" Dowel - 480lbs of pressure

[@jamesExiledLegends]

Lap joint was closer to 800 lbs on gauge. Not 700

[@Rickmakes]

Great test! I'm curious what the results would be with the other (non-joint) end supported. For instance, if you had two legs spanned by an apron, how much force could you apply to the middle of the apron before one or both of the joints failed?

[@knecht105]

RickMakes Good question Rick, that's the thing with testing, so many different options of joints and woods.

[@JesusisKing70]

Great info. I'm new to woodworking so I'll be looking into doweling jigs and lap joints primarily. Thanks!

[@knecht105]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@BackyardWoodworking]

Interesting results Colin. I've seen a few videos on joints and there strength. It seems to depend more on how the joint was made size of it etc.For most of us I think we can rule out the butt joint for strength. The miter joint is also weak when not reinforced. Thanks Colin good video.

[@knecht105]

Backyard Woodworking Thank Roland

[@SuperYtviewer]

Great video and honest test of joinery. Seems to show that the greater the glue contact surface, the stronger the joint. Also its nice to know that the time involved in making dowel joints vs pocket hole joints yields a time saving for pocket hole joinery without a real loss in strength at the 1/4" dowel size (i.e. when making face frames). No bias, just honest testing at the wood worker level. Great Job. - Annie Just a thought - could you do a glue test using lap joint, and/or butt joint with various glues - Titebond I II III, super glue, contact cement. I would be interested to know which of these holds up the best. If you have the time.

[@knecht105]

SuperYtviewer Yes, lots of options for testing and many have suggested lots of different tests in these comments, but just so many to try and with so many different woods ... in the end I'm not sure how helpful they would be above what is already done.

[@genin69]

Cost wise dowels are WAY cheaper and stronger.. Pocket hole screws are ridiculously expensive in Africa.. Easily triple the price of regular wood screws. For me a dowel looks better and still "feels" like a traditional method and with a dowel jig its pretty fast

[@carverparkes2276]

Excellent tests. Thanks, just what I needed to know. Now that we have done some transverse testing it would be good to get results for some longitudinal/tensionional/pullout tests

[@luchvk]

Thanks for making this video! I'm trying to decide on what to do for an articulating leg and this information is very helpful. I think I won't use exactly the same joint as in the video. However, I feel the information is still relevant.

[@Zumaray]

Fantastic video. I would love to see the difference it would make if you put the pressure across the face - like a shelf.

[@parkervariety2103]

I think what this video really showed was that accept for the unsupported butt joint, all the joints tested are strong enough for 98% of everything you're going to build... it all comes down to personal preference.

[@Orxenhorf]

Brent DornerAnd that a butt joint is not intended to ever take load in that direction.

[@tonyharris5015]

Orxenhorf Lateral stresses should be accounted for with any joint where strength is a factor. So, don't butt joint a table. :-)

[@knecht105]

Brent Dorner Yes, you could take that away from these test ... lots of different options

[@davidcosine]

It showed me that I don't need a fancy Festool mortise maker for 1500 bucks for the furniture that I don't really build

[@hardnox6655]

Excellent video! This is great information. Thanks for doing the testing. I was really surprised with the pocket hole joint and disappointed with the biscuit joint.

[@knecht105]

Hardnox Thanks for the comment ... yes, just some basic info that may be helpful to some.

[@mr1hanky]

the Lap joint was one hell of a suprise to be honest :D i thought it would fail earlier than the pocket holes but it was super strong

[@knecht105]

QQxC NeRo Yup, startled me too, it did better than I would have thought

[@erickrauter9613]

Nice joint testing.

[@knecht105]

+Eric Krauter Thanks Eric

[@engr.mohammadazharulislam5363]

Thanks for the excellent video

[@WigWagWorkshop]

I really enjoyed this video, I would like to say thank you for doing this for us. -Steven

[@knecht105]

WigWagWorkshop Thank you Steven

[@thp3free71]

Very good test, no bias toward any one style joint. I wish you had included a domino and that you detailed the lap joint dimensions.

[@gabrielcain4886]

Awesome test man, well done! It is what it is.

[@a71ea]

Very interesting test and it's very fruitful. All the best Regards, km

[@knecht105]

ka m Thanks for taking a moment to comment

[@ggrimm79]

Well done and exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.

[@JCHCREACIONES]

interesting results, which surprised me most was the biscuits joint, I thought that was stronger, I think I will use more the mortise and tenon joint for my next projects. thanks colin

[@knecht105]

Jesus Cortes Thanks Jesus, yes there are lots of different options and combinations to consider ... thanks for commenting, always good to hear from you

[@genin69]

Way to go Lap Joint!! I assume it was just glued? Ive always liked dowels and now I can feel confident in using them over mortise and tennons

[@OU81TWO]

You kept saying "pounds" but the gauge says "psi" (pounds per square inch). Your using what looks like a 2" diameter bore hydraulic cylinder. You need to calculate the resulting force at the cylinder piston. Force = Pressure X Area (F=P*A). Area of a circle is pi X radius squared. The force generate by that cylinder (assuming it's a 2" diameter bore...) with 150 psi of oil pressure is 471 lb. So it comes out to 3.1416 lb of force for each psi reading on the pressure gauge. long story short...the joints can withstand a little over 3 times the force you said they could. The lap joint comes in at 2400 lbs. That's crazy!

[@PewterC5FRC]

This is like the guy who proved that he wasn't speeding with mathematics in court and got his tickets thrown out.

[@ubermoc]

Thanks for your hard work.

[@jimmymal]

Thanks for this terrific video! Interesting results! Would have loved to see butt joint with long screws (into endgrain) test as well...

[@knecht105]

jimmymal Thanks for commenting Jimmy

[@billj5645]

Oh boy, what great fun! Very interesting results and useful too. (And BTW I AM a structural engineer.)

[@Victoria-jo3wr]

Fascinating! Thank you for doing this. I started the process of making my first workbench, and had decided on a combination of dowel and lap joints for the legs and stretchers. This test gives me a lot more confidence in my choice!

[@marcelloghessa599]

I am begginner woodworker, great job!

[@knecht105]

Marcello Ghessa Thank you Marcello, and welcome to woodworking :)

[@Boomers_Bud]

Another excellent topic Colin. Derek

[@knecht105]

GiddyUp994 Thanks Derek,

[@buddymorgan2351]

It's not that anyone doesn't like a joint test . It's the inconstancy of the joint tests of the different people that does them . Don't no y everyone had different amounts of pressure but the tests made sence that u did from weakest to strongest.

[@BobAbbott]

It’s been five years but this popped up in suggestions. @WoodWorkWeb why have you not fixed your numbers here or on the article for the lap joint? It’s obvious that it was at 800, not 700. That’s an important distinction, especially since it wasn’t a full lap.

[@jackloganbill605]

Great video... I moved to dowels (Dowelmax) several years for strength and for alignment. Would like to see a sheer test for loose tenons....also, did you say that you glued all joints? Reason I ask, pocketholes get a bad rap because users don't realize that pockethole joints are intended to be glued. The screws them selves do not provide much strength but reduce the # of clamps required to glue up a cabinet, panel, etc. Thanks again!!!!!!

[@luigig911]

Thank you man. This is a serious test! thanks for sharing! Nice video

[@knecht105]

You're Welcome. Thanks for watching Luigi!

[@moemoes5989]

Great test. I think the biscuit would have held up better if you had used more than one. Thanks for the video and test. nice job all N all.

[@PaakSolutions]

very informative video sir. We thank you for your time

[@tonyharris5015]

Very good testing Colin. Guess I will be switching from Pocket Hole to Dowel where strength is a concern.

[@knecht105]

Tony Harris Thanks for commenting Tony ... yes, they consistently fair quite well

[@tonyharris5015]

I saw one KZbinr exclaim that fluted dowels were stronger than smooth (home made type) because the flutes held more glue. Were the dowels you used fluted? Do you believe there really is or would be a difference as far as that strength test went?

[@knecht105]

Tony Harris Hi Tony ... to be honest, I think it is a bid academic because in many instances the wood almost always fails before the dowels, so having stronger dowels many not be much of a benefit ... but there are so many variables in woodworking it's really hard to say ... still, it's a fun topic and I enjoyed the testing, the results and discussions and hearing others ideas and opinions.

[@fishrrelaxing9361]

Would be interesting to see a doweled lap, and mortise joint tested. As well as a glued pocket joint if it wasn’t glued already. Thing is if you did this is larger materials like 4x where the dowels and mortise have more supportive material I wonder how much stronger they would be compared to these others.. I’m guessing the lap joint did so well cause there is so much cross long grain to the glue up? That one really surprised me though

[@darkarts59]

How about a mortice and tenon joint with an offset dowel which draws the shoulder of the tenon towards the mortice?Did the mortice and tenon have wedges?

[@russbrockway1726]

I would like to see this repeated with plywood exactly the same and again with melamine since those are most common materials in the industry at the moment being used

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

Great information but what I see in common with all these tests is that the joint is always aligned with the strongest direction of the wood grain. There 2 more joint alignments of practical interest but no-one seems to bother testing them. I presume that would be because they are of inferior strength. There are cases though where they have to be used.

[@akiriwas]

Great setup and testing!

[@knecht105]

Anton Kiriwas Thank you Anton

[@pgtips4240]

I liked this test, it did covey some interesting info.

[@williamarrowsmiith8380]

Where the dowels used the kind that you cut yourself to various lengths from a long dowel stick?

[@mcclau71]

Muy buen test. Gracias. Saludos desde Chile.

[@knecht105]

Claudio Pardo Thank you Claudio

[@suit1337]

Just for the record: biscuit joints are not meant to be strong, their main purpose is correct allignment and also they just add axial not radial strenght, so it is better compared to a tongue and groove joint than other joints for end-to-end-connections. as always: use the right joint the right thing - you can't glue up a tabletop with M+T and usually tongue and groove will look a bit odd if you want exposed endgrain and also it is very time consuming, also over a larger surface the strenght is not that of an issue anymore - therefore butt joints or biscuit joints are perfectly fine here

[@bighands69]

Biscuit joints as part of a frame can be really strong. Biscuit joints because of their great alignment can also be used with drill through pegs and dowels or screws. Which means they can be really versatile. I have furniture made with biscuits that are over 20 years old and they are still going strong. Biscuits get used a lot in continental europe. When doing mitre joints biscuits can be strong and very accurate.

[@leedeparis]

Great video! I’m curious how a bolted joint with cross dowel would compare. I’m building a storage rack and want them open on the back so the joint needs to take the diagonal load.. was the half lap at end of wood or in center?

[@zacariasloto]

Great video. It is possible a tensile test , same glue surface, between dowels and M@T joints

[@michaelodonovan1908]

cool - don't doubt the dowels!

[@whitedragon101]

The pocket screw join didn’t fail at all. It held so firmly it broke the underlying wood. You can see that clearly in the slow mo. The joint remains in and square.

[@Kooldac]

Great video! If i'm watching the replay correctly, the lap joint failed at 800 not 700, which shows it is even more impressive.

[@knecht105]

Kooldac Yes, it surprised me too

[@poppypalais3108]

The pocket hole one looked like the wood underneath broke. Good to know pretty much any joint other than the butt one is okay.

[@normanboyes4983]

Great tests.👍 It would be good if you could update and revise with a Festool Domino joint.👍

[@jesuschrist9009]

Awesome work! Thank you!

[@johnshaver8761]

Sure liked the video, simple apples to apples test no engineering degree needed !

[@boldger13]

Matthias Wandel might find your set-up and testing/ results interesting.... Thank you for the nice video.

[@Benelli037]

he hates pocket hole for sure ))

[@westernproducerSWP]

Science! Makes joinery a little more selective now... Thanks!