There are many types of wood joints to choose from when building furniture. However, you want the strongest joint possible to insure a tight fit between the pieces of wood. The butt wood joint does not makes a tight or strong joint. Naturally some are easier than others and which one you decide to use depends on the following:

•What tools you have available

•Your experience level

•Your comfort level with your tools

•Application of the joinery technique

A butt joint is the simplest joint to make because there is no machining to do besides cutting your boards to length. For cabinet making, just butt your joints together and either screw or nail them together along with a little glue. A butt joint may be the easiest joint to make, however it is also the weakest joint you can make.

Butt joints are used a lot in general construction. When you build a wall, you just butt your boards to your top and bottom plate and nail them in place. Trim work also uses a lot of butt joints.

Typically butt joints are not used in woodworking when building furniture because it is just as easy to reinforce any joint with a quick biscuit joint or a pocket hole joint. They can be used if you don't know how to do any other joinery techniques, but they will not last as long. I strongly recommend using a pocket hole joint, dado / groove joint or a biscuit joint. They are much stronger and not likely to ever fail.

See related articles:

Dadoes and Groove Joints

How to Make Dovetail Joints

Making Accurate Mortise and Tenon Joints