Joiners' Essentials

Joinery is a skilled trade and covers all sorts of fine woodwork. Like the name suggests, joinery involves the practice of physically joining pieces of wood together using various techniques. A joiner might construct furniture or buildings. In fact, you’ll see a joiner’s work nearly everywhere you look in furniture, windows, doors and flooring.

Joiners design, create and install structures like staircases, windows, doors and furniture, working with timber to create a variety of structures integral to many buildings. You’ll need to learn about different types of wood and how to choose the right material for each job. You’ll need to understand technical drawings and conduct site surveys. You’ll need to (very accurately!) measure and cut wood according to technical plans, cutting with either hand tools or power tools.

We have the very best tools for budding joiners to get the job done. Having the right tools for planning, marking, clamping, cutting and joining will give you a professional finish in less time. That's why we stock high-quality tools from the leading brands that you know and trust, including DEWALT, Bosch, Kreg, Makita and Stanley.

What is the difference between a joiner and a carpenter?

Carpenters and joiners are both wood-based construction trades and both work with timber. However, they do have their own specialities. Joiners join pieces of wood together, usually within their workshop. A joiner will construct his pieces, such as doors, windows, stairs, and furniture, on a workbench in the workshop. Once they are completed, they will be passed to a carpenter who will use their carpentry skills to install them on site. Carpenters tend to install the items that the joiner has created and normally work on larger elements of construction like floors, roofs and wall frames.

Although there is obviously some crossover between the two and some tradesman categorise themselves as both joiners and carpenters, you may find joiners who can create exceptional custom-made staircases but wouldn’t install them and you might find carpenters that can fit you some window frames but couldn’t create the actual bespoke frame of the window. As there are many areas where joinery and carpentry overlap, there are lots of transferable skills between the two trades. Both joiners and carpenters will learn the same fundamentals of woodworking techniques in their training before choosing to specialise and become qualified as either a joiner, a carpenter or both.

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What are the specialties of a joiner?

• Problem solving — Joiners are creative people, with a good eye for design. They must be innovative and creative to find the most suitable solutions.
• Mental arithmetic — Joiners need to work out angles and measurements. They possess good math skills, including arithmetic, algebra, calculus and geometry.
• Physical stamina — Joinery involves a lot of physical activity, including lifting, cutting and joining of heavy materials and tools. Joiners need good physical fitness to withstand these activities.
• Attention to detail — To create well-built, safe structures that last, joiners need to make accurate measurements to avoid costly mistakes. They must also follow technical plans precisely.
• Team player — Joiners will often work alongside other tradesman, like architects, carpenters, plumbers and builders. They possess excellent communication skills to ensure that information about the project is passed on clearly and accurately.

Joiners Tools Checklist

Power Tools For Joiners

• Jigsaws
• Mitre saws
• Table saws
• Circular saws
• Angle grinders
• Combi drills
• Routers
• Planers
• Sanders
• Nail guns
• Multi-tools

Hand Tools For Joiners

• Spirit levels
• Tape measures
• Metal rules
• Marking out
• Clamps and vices
• Handsaws
• Hacksaws
• Knives
• Surform
• Hammers
• Screwdrivers
• Nail punches
• Wood chisels
• Ripping bars

Accessories For Joiners

• Blades
• Sharpening tools
• Routing products
• Workwear and protection

Power Tools For Joiners

Power tools have the advantage of speed and scale. With the right blade, a powered saw can cut straight through nails, something that would be difficult with a regular saw. We stock a wide range of power tools designed to help you complete wood working tasks accurately and efficiently.

Hand Tools For Joiners

Whilst power tools are great for extra oomph and saving time, sometimes the dexterity and precision of working by hand is the best. That's why we've sourced the very best hand tools from all the brands you know and trust, including Kreg, Stanley and Bosch. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifications & experience do I need to do to become a joiner?

There are many ways to become a joiner. You could complete a college course or an apprenticeship or, if you have some experience, apply to an employer directly. Some of these options will require certain qualifications but many will just be looking for passionate and enthusiastic people who are willing to learn. Checkout courses at your local college to help you train as a joiner or you could complete an intermediate or advanced apprenticeship in joinery. If you have some basic experience, you could apply directly to an employer, starting out as an assistant and moving on to become a more experienced joiner as your abilities improve. You may need a CSCS card (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) to work on a construction site.

What information do joiners need before they starting building furniture?

It is important to have a plan before starting your furniture project. You’ll need to know all the dimensions, what kinds of fixtures you’re going to use and what kind of finish you want. Draw some sketches of what you want it to look like. Work out the cut list you'll need so that you know exactly how much timber to buy and what tools you’ll need to make those cuts. Choose your timber carefully — look for knots, bowing, cups and curves. You’ll want to avoid those or plan your cuts accordingly.

How long does it take for joiners to build wooden furniture?

The answer will depend on what you’re building, how large the item is, what wood you’ll be using, your level of expertise and the finish you plan to give your furniture. There are ways to reduce the build time — like buying some of the parts you need, rather than making them yourself.

When estimating how long a project might take, it helps to break down your project into phases, where you can also plan out your space and tool usage. Joinery projects can’t usually be completed in one go — you may need to work on it, leave it for a while (for glue or polish to dry, for example), then come back to it later, so it’s worth thinking about where your breakpoints will be.

The first phase is preparation which involves creating the design, planning the project, identifying the workpieces and calculating the amount of materials you’ll need, like timber, glue, tools and coatings. You may find it useful to have everything written up for reference before you start, so that you can refer to it while you work.

The second phase is milling. You’ll want to get each piece true and straight, plane any wood to the required thickness, saw down the timber to the correct size and shape to get the thicknesses you want.

Then you’ll start joining and gluing your pieces together. Thanks to the planning and preparation you have already done, you should have clean, gap-free, solid joints that fit together perfectly!

The fourth phase is sanding. Although this can be tedious task, the time and effort spent here will pay off in your finished project. Remember to work up through your grits.

Coating and finishing is usually the fifth stage. Allow enough time for your chosen finish to dry in between coats and ensure your workspace is clean and free from dust.

The final phase is assembly and set up! Be gentle when assembling and consider using hand screwdrivers rather than electric ones for final screw tightening.

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