How To Make Simple and Strong Half-Lap Joints - WOOD magazine

Learn how to make simple and strong half-lap joints. WOOD magazine's Jim Heavey shows you tips and techniques on your tablesaw to achieve a perfect joint that is solid and strong. Picture frames and door frames never looked so good.

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[richragan]

Jim is one of the best instructors on YouTube1 Always clear and simple. I have used many of his techniques. Thank you Wood Magazine and thank you Jim Heavey!

[dawnredwoodridge]

I used my sliding miter saw with a regular blade, though a flat top is slightly better. (refer to a video on doing this). To get it exactly the right height to remove only half the thickness, I borrowed the idea from another video and it works great! No math or measuring. Start with the blade a bit less than half by eyeballing it. Saw about an inch of it into the length to create half the thickness removed. FLIP IT OVER and saw that same area. If it leaves more than a paper width, lower the blade infitessimally until there is next to nothing. Then the saw is at half height to make the joint.

[joequillun]

Thanks Jim. Was looking for a quick, easy, and strong euff joint for a couple doors on a hot house I'm building for the Mrs. My shop-smith already has the dato cutter in it. Plan to use a piece of 3/8ths plywood for the inner panel, so I'll need to rout a groove on the insides. Thanks again.

[raysmith]

Good video, however we can't seem to get dado saw blades here in the UK, and a lot of our machines won't take them, probably due to our strict Health & Safety rules.

[rubo]

my frustration is getting the width of the board exactly which you did not show.Thank you

[pauls]

no dado blades here but thanks for the vid. back to the tedious router

[mrpoolplayer]

need the joint to be Flat End To Flat End & easy to become one piece again 3/4 x 2 1/'2 x 30 joined to another board of the same size to become 3/4 x 2 1/2 x 60 to span 53 inches.