How to make a Halving Joint
A halving joint is a useful woodworking joint best suited to frameworks; this joint joins two pieces of timber by cutting the full width of each part by half the depth and then overlapping. It’s a...
How to Make a Castle Joint
What you'll need
In this article we talk you through how to make a castle joint, one of the strongest and most durable joints for furniture making.
Castle joints, also known as a Shiro joint, are not only very strong, but also decorative. It is often used for garden furniture and frames and can also be a good choice for country kitchen tables and coffee tables.
It gets its name from the turret style top and consists of three pieces interlocking together - two that are half lapped together which then slot in to the top of the main piece.
What is a half lap joint?
A half lap joint is where wood is removed from each of the two pieces of wood where they are to join, so that the wood comes together and becomes the same thickness and is flush. To make the castle joint, this half lap is inserted into the turret slots to interlocking the three pieces together.
Learn how to cut a castle joint
Join Sean Evelegh in our Woodworking Wisdom demonstration, as he guides you through the steps required for cutting a castle joint by hand.
Other cabinet joints
Read our other articles to learn how to make a range of furniture and cabinet joints and perfect your joinery skills.
How to make a Housing Joint
An ideal joint for shelves and bookcases, a housing joint adds structural strength to your framework. The joint is formed by cutting a trench across the grain of the entire width of the wood, allowing...
How to Make a Half Lap Dovetail Joint
A popular joint in cabinet making, the half lap dovetail joint offers not only strength, but is a great choice for a beautiful finish. It is a mixture between a half lap joint and a...
