Dating all the way back to Neolithic times, the mortise and tenon is the oldest wood joint known to mankind. While the specific provenance of the joint is unknown, I'm willing to bet the inventor wasn't a virgin.

In the thousands of years since, craftspeople have developed an almost absurd variety of joints, some of which you learned in the ID shop at school, some of which you've never heard of, and that one that you can always see in your head but have forgotten the name of. To help you remember for the next time you're building something out of wood, or to give you some alternatives for any current designs you're working on, here are some visual guides:

Joints by Application:

Joints for Chairs, Frames and Tables

Joints for Tabletops and Cabinets

Joints for Boxes and Drawers

Joints by Machine:

Typical Router Joints

CNC Mill Joints, Corner

CNC Mill Joints, Tee and Cross

CNC Mill Joints, Splice

CNC Mill Joints, Box

CNC Mill Joints, Miscellaneous/WTF

Books

Here are some books that those of you researching or making joints may want to peruse:

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Good Wood Joints





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The Joint Book: The Complete Guide to Wood Joinery





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The Complete Guide to Joint-Making





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Joining Wood: Techniques for Better Woodworking





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Classic Joints with Power Tools





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The Art Of Japanese Joinery





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The Complete Japanese Joinery





If you've got any more joint resources you'd like to see included, please let us know in the comments and we'll expand this section.