A fundamental woodworking joint where two pieces of material overlap. In a half-lap joint, half of the material thickness is removed from the mating face of each piece, allowing them to sit perfectly flush when assembled. It provides a massive amount of face-grain gluing surface, making it exceptionally strong against racking forces.
Heard on the job
I used a simple half lap joint for the cross braces on the workbench legs so they sit flush.
Also heard as
- half-lap
Related terms
Cross-halving joint
A joint formed by removing half the thickness from two crossing timbers.
Butt joint
A simple connection where the ends or edges of two workpieces meet squarely without interlocking parts.
Rabbet joint
A simple woodworking joint formed by fitting the edge of one board into a recess cut along the edge of another.