Nailing, used in conjunction with PVA woodworking adhesive, is by far the simplest method of joining chip­board and often makes a perfectly satisfactory joint. Lost head (finishing) nails or panel pins (common brads) can be punched below the surface of the board while the adhesive is still wet. Fill the holes later when the board receives its final finish.

When screwing chipboard usually essential on melamine faced or ven­eered boards use double-threaded shankless screws. Such screws are specially designed for chipboard and have greater holding power in this material than ordinary wood screws. They also minimize the risk of splitting the wood.

Pilot holes should always be drilled, as for ordinary timber. But to make a stronger seat­ing for the threads, especially in end grain, coat them first with a little PVA adhesive.

For edge jointing, with or without nails or screws, use either PVA or urea formaldehyde adhesive. Make sure that the adhesive soaks well into the grain and coats each adjoining chip or particle.

Below shows the joints most com­monly used in chipboard construction and also some of the knock down joint fittings now available. Where possible, boards which butt join at right angles to one another should be overlapped by 3-6mm. The excess wood can then be planed off after the butt joint has been made.