What's this kind of joint called? - Make: What's this kind of joint called? - Make:

What’s this kind of joint called?

3D Printing & Imaging Woodworking Workshop
What’s this kind of joint called?

I have built a couple of kits, recently, that use this clever arrangement of tabs, slots, and a couple bits of cheap hardware to securely butt one panel against another at a right angle. One panel has a pair of rectangular ports with a round hole in between, and the other has a matching pair of tabs with a smaller T-shaped slot between. In use, the ports receive the tabs and a screw passes through the round hole and along the upright of the T to mate with a square nut captured in the arms of the T. There are many possible variations and the technique has lots to recommend it from a manufacturer’s standpoint, especially if you’re using a laser-cutter to make parts.

Now that I’ve noticed it, of course, I see it everywhere. Does anybody else remember the first time they noticed one, and what it was on? Does it have a common name?

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I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I am a long-time contributor to MAKE magazine and makezine.com. My work has also appeared in ReadyMade, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, and The Wall Street Journal.

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