In wood-working, many varied type of wood joints would be choose based on the type of project.

All wood joints had techniques to accomplish when planning to build wood based product. Instead,
varied type of wood joints not only proceed with application but it can be chosen in term of
strength. There are several type of wood joints commonly used instead some can easily made and
others could be difficult in process making.

No. Type of wood joints Description Application

1 Butt joint
Two pieces of wood  Side of simple
attached together where one boxes
piece of block is butted up  Interior window
against another, then fixed frame
in place

2 Half-lap joint
Two pieces of wood  Workshop
combine by cutting away storage item
half thickness and lapped  Frame
on each other with the face  Rails
flush.

3 Dado joint
A slot cut into the surface in  Bookcase
one piece of a wood  Building
receives the end of the cabinetry
other.

4 Rabbet joint
A gap cut from a board's  Back edge of a
end or edge of a piece of cabinet
wood to create a “step”  Glass panes
5 Mortise and Tenon joint
Assembly process by  Frame
shaping a solid rectangular  Door
projection in one piece and  Table & chair
cutting the corresponding
cavity into the adjacent
piece.

6 Mitre joint
Simple form of joint  Picture frame
Two pieces of wood meet in  Box sides
the corner, where each cut
at a 45 degree angle.

7 Dovetail joint
The shape of the piece  Drawer
which from interlocking  Furniture
parts that make joint.  Cabinet

8 Scarfed joint
Cases in which the two  Timber framing
timbers are cut and fitted in
such a way that the joint is
identical in length with
timbers
Over thousands of years, wood has been used as a building material, being second only to stone in
the field of architecture in terms of its rich and storied history. Consideration in choosing the type
of woods is important depend on suitability of the project such as for construction and furniture.
Several varieties of wood are available, including different properties, colour, texture and strength.
In particular, wood has historically been divided into two main categories; hardwood and
softwood, where there are many unique characteristics with different qualities of wood to build an
almost unlimited range of structures.

Type of wood Colour description Grain pattern

Rubberwood Pale cream in colour Moderately coarse texture
with straight to shallowly
interlocked grain
Planes easily with smooth
finishing
Sepetir Light grey-brown or beige Moderately fine texture
with pink tinge Straight or interlocked grain

Nyatoh Deep pink-red colour or red- Moderately fine to slightly

brown with stripe coarse texture
Interlocked or wavy grain
Kembang Semangkok Yellow-brown or light brown Slightly coarse and uneven
texture
Straight or interlocked grain
Meranti Medium red to deep red or Interlocked grain
deep red-brown Moderately coarse but even
texture
Walnut Dark chocolate-brown to Straight or irregular grains
purplish-black

Rosewood Medium orange to dark Sometimes with darker black

reddish brown streaks

Oak White oak and red oak Nice figure appearance of

large rays and lovely open
wood grain markings
Has a prominent reddish tint
Teak Golden or medium brown, Raw or unfinished wood have
with colour darkening with slightly oily or greasy surface
age

Maple Pale in colour natural swirls and twists in the

wood grain
Methodology

This project is to carry out experiment that are determine the mechanical properties of solid wood
in different joints through compression test. The experiment would be test on eight different type
of wood joints by preparing five specimens per joint. The properties of wood joints will be analyze
based on its strength and durability. Besides, this project also investigate the surface failure of the
rupture solid wood at the joints. An analysis will be operated based on the observation on the shape
and position of the rupture pattern. At the end of this project, the relationship between the type of
joints and strength of the joints could be recognized so that the study could determine the suitability
of the joints of a particular type of wood.

A kind of wood, meranti will be cut for small pieces and proceed for preparing specimens. The
pieces of wood will be constructed to create joints. After acquiring the specimens for the
experiment, the five specimens are ready to be tested under Universal Testing Machine.

Figure: Meranti tree

Figure: Meranti sawn timber

The flowchart of the methodology of this research was shown in the Figure 5
Sample preparation & Equipment

Testing: Compression test on wood joints

Equipment: Universal Testing Machine

Procedure:

1. The meranti specimens will be divided into eight type of wood joint. The joints are Butt
joint, Half-lap joint, Dado joint, Rabbet joint, Mortise and Tenon joint, Mitre joint,
Dovetail joint and Scarfed joint.
2. Each of wood joint will have five specimens that have been cut and build with same
diameter.
3. A total of 8 specimens for meranti wood will be prepared earlier for initial compression
test. Prepare another 32 specimens of 8 type of wood joints for next test.
4. Before conducting the compression test, take several measurements on the dimension of
diameter, height, width and length of the wood. This data must be recorded for each
measured dimension.
5. The initial set up of the Universal Testing machine and computer will be done earlier to
the lab. The compressive load will be continually increased until after the strain data
recorded has passed the proportional limit.
6. Place the specimen in the center of the loading frame so that the load may be evenly applied
to the specimen.
7. Take the initial strain recorded. When entering information prompted by the data
acquisition software, a complete description of the test conditions, including:
8. Once the setup is complete, the load will be applied on the specimen. The specimen will
be loaded until the proportional limit is passed.
9. The compression test may continue for several minutes with the load continually increasing
and with significant strain seen in the specimen. Continue the test until a maximum load is
obviously reached.
10. Photograph the rupture pattern of specimen. Record the maximum load from the screen.
The result obtain will be recorded and tabulated.
11. Repeat for all specimens, with specimens of overall five specimens per wood joint.
Standard test method

The experiment of this project will be run based on the standard test methods. The standard that will be
used to analyze the mechanical properties of the wood joint such as the compressive strength is ASTM
D4731-13. The standard is used for Standard Test Methods for Mechanical Properties of Lumber and
Wood-Base Structural Material. In addition, another ASTM standard used is D905 which is Standard Test
Methods for Wood Adhesive Bonds in Shear by Compression loading. The scope of test that will be
covered under ASTM D1037 is the Compression Strength Parallel to surface. This will include the
specimen preparation process and the testing procedure. The selection

Compression tests are performed on brittle materials as these materials fail in shear. It is seen that
the shear develops along a diagonal plane which is maximum on a plane inclined at 45° from the
direction of compression load.
In compression loading, the fracture of the specimen takes place due to bulging action. The
property of a material to bulge under compressive loading is called malleability. It is the ductility
that is associated with tensile loading while it is malleability that is associated with compressive
loading.
The modulus of elasticity in tensile loading and compressive loading should be equal except for
bi-modulus materials such as wood.
Type of wood joint Specimen no. Failure load (kN)
Specimen 1
Specimen 2
Butt joint Specimen 3
Specimen 4
Specimen 5
Specimen 1
Specimen 2
Half-lap joint Specimen 3
Specimen 4
Specimen 5
Specimen 1
Specimen 2
Dado joint Specimen 3
Specimen 4
Specimen 5
Specimen 1
Specimen 2
Rabbet joint Specimen 3
Specimen 4
Specimen 5
Specimen 1
Specimen 2
Mortise and Tenon joint Specimen 3
Specimen 4
Specimen 5
Specimen 1
Specimen 2
Mitre joint Specimen 3
Specimen 4
Specimen 5
Specimen 1
Dovetail joint
Specimen 2
 Specimen 3
Specimen 4
Specimen 5
Specimen 1
Specimen 2
Scarfed joint Specimen 3
Specimen 4
Specimen 5