This is the simplest of all and is one you can use on relatively thin timber. Bring the two pieces of wood together as they will be when joined, and use a pencil to mark the position of the topmost piece on the one underneath. To reinforce the joint, countersunk screws are best, so mark their positions on the top piece of wood, and drill clearance holes the same diameter as the screw s shank – the unthreaded part – right the way through. The screws should be arranged like the spots on a dice to help stop the joint twisting out of square. Enlarge the mouths of these holes with a countersink bit to accommodate the screw heads, and clean up any splinters where the drill breaks through the underside of the wood.

Bring the two pieces of wood together again using a piece of scrap wood to keep the top piece level. Then make pilot holes in the lower piece using either a bradawl or a small drill, boring through the clearance holes to make sure they are correctly positioned Make sure the pilot holes are drilled absolutely vertically, or the screws could pull the joint out of shape Finally, apply a thin coating of adhesive to both the surfaces to be joined, position the pieces of wood accurately and, without moving them again, drive home the screws

1 Bring pieces squarely together. Mark position of each on the other.

2 Drill and countersink (inset) clearance holes for screws in uppermost piece.
For strength, hammer in connectors diagonally rather than straight.

3 Reassemble joint and bore pilot holes in bottom piece with bradawl.

4 Apply woodworking adhesive to both pieces and press them together

5 Carefully drive in screws. If they’re tight, remove and lubricate with soap.