How to Join Two Boards Lengthwise | UK Guide | 2023

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How to Join Two Boards Lengthwise

Understanding how to join two boards lengthwise is a fundamental skill in the world of woodworking. There will be times when you need to make the most of limited resources, while other times you may need to incorporate a join to realise the design of a particular project. Although joining two boards lengthwise can seem daunting if you’ve never done it before, there are a few simple techniques you can adopt to make quick work of this staple woodworking technique.

Basic Method

One of the easiest ways to join two boards together is to use a spare piece plywood or metal to secure the two pieces. This approach is particularly useful if you’re not worried too much about aesthetics. If you’re planning on making the join with a piece of plywood, you’ll need to ensure the joining strip is of decent thickness to provide adequate support. This support piece should also be cut to as large a size as possible, although you’ll be limited somewhat by the overall design goals of your project.

You will need to secure this plywood piece to the unseen side of your boards. Make the initial join with a quality wood glue adhesive. Leave the assembled boards and support piece to dry on a level surface. You may also want use clamps to keep everything held firmly together until the glue dries. Once the adhesive has dried, you can drive additional screws through the plywood and into the beams for maximum support.

Secure with Dowels

A far more secure way of joining two boards together lengthwise is to utilise dowel joints. However, this method may prove taxing for those with minimal woodworking experience. To secure two boards with dowels, you’ll first need to mark the edges of your boards to determine where the dowels will be placed.

Once you’ve done this you can drill holes for your dowels. Each dowel hole should be approximately half the overall length of the dowels you intend to use, although you should drill slightly deeper than this for safety.

After the dowel holes have been drilled, use wood glue to secure dowels in place alongside the edge of one board. Once the glue has dried and the dowels are set in place, add more wood glue along the edges of the other board and slot the two pieces together. Leave the assembled boards to dry on a level surface, making use of clamps to ensure things set as firmly as possible.

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