Joining Wood

To Nail Two Pieces of Wood Together

You will need oval wire nails, a hammer, a nail punch, and some PVA woodworking adhesive. Make sure you have the correct length nails.

1. Select a nail long enough to pass at least halfway through the piece you're nailing to. If the joint will be under any load, strengthen it by spreading woodworking adhesive on the joining surfaces before assembling.
2. Start hammering the nail into the first piece, with the long axis of the oval head aligned with the wood grain. Position the two pieces carefully and drive the nail in until its head is just proud of the wood surface. Drive the head just below the surface using the nail punch.
3. Plug the hole with wood filler and sand it smooth when it's set.
4. Repeat for the other nails to complete the fixing.

To Screw Two Pieces of Wood Together

You will need countersunk screws, a screwdriver, and a cordless drill, plus twist drill bits and a countersink bit.

1. Select a screw long enough to pass at least halfway through the second piece into which you're driving the screw. For most fixings, a screw of gauge number 8 (a measure of its diameter) will be ideal. Position the two pieces of wood and drill a pilot hole of 2 mm diameter through the upper piece and halfway through the lower piece.
2. Separate the two pieces and drill a clearance hole of 4 mm in diameter through the top piece. Then switch to the countersink bit, and drill out the cone-shaped countersink for the screw head in the mouth of the clearance hole.
3. Reposition the pieces, insert the screw, and drive it in with your screwdriver until its head fits flush with the wood surface.
4. Repeat for the other screws to complete the fixing.