Domino Miter Joint vs. Bridle Joint - Question of the Week

September 2, 2008 by loglad
Filed under: Question of the Week 

This week’s question comes from Craig in Springfield, OH who writes:

“I’m getting ready to start my mahogany Barrister’s Bookcase, and I had a quick question. The plans I’m using call for 32 X 14 inch doors with rails and stiles that are only 1 1/4″ wide, (3/4 stock). Since the rails and stiles are so narrow the plans call for a bridle joint. If advisable, I’d like to instead use a mitered joint reinforced with a 5 x 30 mm Domino in the middle of the joint. It’s very important to me that these Barristers last for generations, will the Domino mitered joint hold up to decades of use as well or better than the bridle joint in this particular application? This is the project that I ordered your finishing video for. I thought your video was among the best instructional video’s I’ve seen! Very well done! I will surely purchase more as you make them!”

And this was my reply:
Thanks for the kind words Craig. Glad you enjoyed the video. We will definitely have more out in the future. Now for the Barrister’s Bookcase. I guess my first question would be “why not a bridle joint?”. A bridle joint gives you a huge amount of long grain to long grain glue surface. In fact, I wouldn’t hesitate to say the joint would be stronger than a reinforced miter. The miter joint itself is not very strong. With reinforcement, it is much better. But that reinforcement simply comes in the form of long grain glue surface (which you would actually maximize with a bridle joint). So yes, I do think a domino-reinforced miter would be very strong and would hold up to generations of use. But if you are comparing the two options, I would guess that the bridle joint would be even stronger. The real question is, do you think you’ll need that extra strength for this application? You’ll have to decide for yourself, but I would say for a small door frame, it probably makes no practical difference.

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Comments

7 Comments on Domino Miter Joint vs. Bridle Joint - Question of the Week

  1. Rob Bois on Tue, 2nd Sep 2008 6:43 am

    2. I’ve played around with a number of joints for door frames like this, including reinforced joints (dowell, biscuit, and spline) as well as a bridle or even half lap joint. All worked pretty much just as well from a strength standpoint, so I’m more inclined to choose based an aesthetics now. I prefer either the splined miter joint or the bridle joint because both show off the joinery with exposed end-grain (half lap is easier, but doesn’t look as nice). Depending on how you’re finishing the piece and the style you’re really going for, given the choice I’d always show off the craftsmanship a little. After the big debate over the state of the craft, little things like exposed joinery can further highlight the real craftsmanship instead of hiding it with some dowels or a biscuit. I recently buit a cherry table with a framed glass top, and used a through spline to reinforce the joint. The exposed end-grain of the spline was the first thing they commented on when they saw the piece. It differentiates from the store-bought stuff they have. Just my 2 cents, but all else being equal, show off your skills a bit.

    -Rob

  2. Denis Rezendes on Tue, 2nd Sep 2008 6:56 am

    3. he could also try a mitered bridle joint

    http://lumberjocks.com/projects/8208

    puts both the strength and the look into one.

  3. LordLQQK on Tue, 2nd Sep 2008 7:56 am

    4. I would go with tradition, which is why Barrister Bookcases are so highly thought of and sought after. Bridle joint. Not to mention the end grain color difference looks great and is part of the appeal on that item.

    LQQK

  4. Jonathan on Tue, 2nd Sep 2008 8:10 am

    5. If esthetically speaking you would rather have the look of a mitered joint, you could do a mitered bridle joint ( http://www.geckosboxes.com/mbj.htm). You could also pin the standard bridle joint to increase it’s strength.

  5. Jonathan Hartford on Tue, 2nd Sep 2008 9:00 am

    6. Loose tenons are not new, but this is not a traditional use for them. Going mitred in the corners will certainly change the look a bit.

    Why are you interested in changing it from a bridge joint?

    If you really want the best long term hold on that joint, I’d guess a bridle joint will probably give you the best joint. As Marc said, you’ve got the most glue surface.

    If you want additional support, put in some not-just-decorative pegs through the joint. That way you’ve got mechanical as well as glue working for you. (or even drawbore some pegs!)

    If you prefer the look of the mitre, you could do mitered joints, then put in huge splines, then peg (but not drawbore, probably too thin at that point) the splines too.

    -Jon

  6. george morris on Wed, 3rd Sep 2008 8:04 am

    7. Glad to see a weekly newsletter,This is a great idea! Looking forward to this. George

  7. Craig on Fri, 5th Sep 2008 2:54 pm

    8. Thanks for all the comments!

    I went ahead with the miter joints for the following reasons:

    1. I have 30 barrister “boxes” with doors to make so the time savings the domino can provide is a huge plus!

    2. My wife prefers the look of the miters on the doors. (I think we woodworkers tend to get excited about joinery but most laypeople just like a “clean” look)

    3. $1K for a Domino with all the trimmings…the more I can use it the better!!

    I’ll post some pics when I get them done!

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