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Course

Making things that fit together

Joints, boxes and the maths that decides whether they assemble.

16lessons 48illustrated steps
16 lessons

What you will be able to do

Measure your kerf once, then cut finger joints, press-fit slots and a box that goes together without sanding.

The lessons, in order

16

Each one assumes the one before it. Marking them off is kept in this browser only, so there is nothing to sign in to.

1 Kerf test strip Measure how much material your beam takes away. 3 steps 2 Finger joints Turn a panel edge into teeth so two parts lock together. 3 steps 3 Press-fit slot Cut a slot another panel presses into and stays in. 3 steps 4 Corner relief (dogbone) Let a square tab seat all the way into a square pocket. 3 steps 5 Living hinge Make a flat sheet bend without breaking it. 3 steps 6 Box generator Get every panel of a box, finger-jointed and laid out ready to cut. 3 steps 7 Drawer box A case with drawers is a lot of panels to keep straight, and they only work if they were all worked out from the same… 3 steps 8 Hinged box A lid that lives in a drawer is a lid you lose. 3 steps 9 Curved box Four flat panels give you four square corners. 3 steps 10 Polygon box A six sided box is not a four sided box with two more walls. 3 steps 11 Stacking bin A row of parts bins is only worth having if you can reach into one without lifting it down, and only safe if a knock… 3 steps 12 Slot tray Get a compartment tray that slots together without glue. 3 steps 13 Holding tabs Keep small parts from dropping through the bed before the job ends. 3 steps 14 Jig maker Cut a board that holds the same parts in the same place every time. 3 steps 15 Puzzle maker Cut a sheet into jigsaw pieces that hold together. 3 steps 16 Material label Let the camera read what a sheet is, instead of anybody typing it. 3 steps