Anyone with experience on Rule joints?

Jan 05, 2004 2 Replies

I'm about to put my first drop leaf table together and am a little worried about the rule joint. While it looks pretty straight forward, I'm suspecting that it isn't. I heard one woodworker describe them as a right of passage. I would appreciate anyone with experience with these to give me a little advise.



Don


I believe Becksvoort did a table article in Fine Woodworking sometime during the past year or so, in which he went into some detail on the rule joint. I don't recall which issue it was, and the FW site is down at the moment it seems.

Mike Fairleigh

The rule joint is easy to do. You need a roundover bit and a cove bit of the same size and some drop leaf hinges. Practice with the router bits on a couple of pieces of scrap the same thickness as your panels until you get the fit you want. The long side of the hinge fits on the leaf. The panels must be the same thickness at the joint line.

Use the roundover bit >I'm about to put my first drop leaf table together and am a little worried

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