TransWikia.com

Edge-to-endgrain butt joint

Home Improvement Asked by Jim Garrison on January 27, 2021

I need to make this out of 2×4 lumber.

enter image description here

It’s not load-bearing but needs to be somewhat stiff against skew (L-to-R in the image above). The part I’m not sure about is the end-grain to edge butt joints like this:

enter image description here

Given the difficulty I’ve had in locating examples on the web I assume this joint isn’t common. Most everything I found was end-to-face (sill to stud) and furniture woodworking joints (mortise & tenon, dowel, pocket screws) which are kind of overkill for a simple frame.

What is the accepted way of accomplishing this, and is there a bracket or connector I can use to increase strength? A connector would need to have an "H" shape and I’ve not found anything like that online. Or, is it as simple as using 6" screws to go through the width of the base board?

5 Answers

Would a truss connector plate be what you are looking for? This joint is quite common in a truss.

Correct answer by drl on January 27, 2021

This would be easier to answer if you told us what this is for.

The left-to-right skew is known as "racking".

To prevent racking, the best practice for this is not using (solely) 90-degree joints. Replace the middle stud with two diagonal studs.

For fasteners, either toe-nail into the horizontal 2x4s, or pocket screws, or truss plates.

2x4 truss example

Also-- this is not endgrain to endgrain. This is endgrain to crossgrain.

Answered by Grunthos on January 27, 2021

Use the mortice and tenon joints - one way to get the structural rigidity and avoid unsightly brackets sitting above the surface.

The link shows some versions possible.

Answered by Solar Mike on January 27, 2021

The best way to add stiffness to prevent skewing is to add diagonal bracing, or completely sheath one side with plywood or OSB. Then the butt joints can just be held together with toenailed nails. Without knowing what this is for, I realize it may not be workable.

Answered by Mark on January 27, 2021

You could tonail some screws at an angle through the joint. You could use a bunch of corner braces. You could also use nail plates across both sides of all the joints. 6" screws all the way through s not a bad way to go also. Each approach has tradeoffs between strength, ease of installation, and appearance. You could use a combination of methods too. enter image description hereenter image description hereenter image description here

Answered by bigchief on January 27, 2021

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question

Get help from others!

© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP