For everyone in joinery & cabinet making · Australia
The whole trade. Every level. AI can help.
Free, simple guides for everyone who works in joinery and cabinet making, from the workshop to the office. AI helps with the paperwork. Your know-how keeps it right.
Where AI meets the skill of the trade
All guides:
// New here?
New here? Start in 30 seconds.
A free site for everyone in Australian joinery and cabinet making. Simple English. No sign-up needed. Here is what you get and where to go.
- 1Learn the trade4 picture guides you can tap: joints, laminating, fixing to walls and curves. Two are drafts, still being checked.Go to Learn
- 2Use AI on real jobs20 step-by-step guides with prompts to copy: quotes, cut lists, SWMS, schedules and more. Plus 20 tools with real prices.See the guides
- 3Ask BarryAsk a trade question, get a plain answer. AI beta: it can be wrong. Risky jobs go to a licensed pro.Ask Barry
- 4Get the weekly tipOne practical AI tip by email each week. Free. Unsubscribe any time.Join the newsletter
Pick your role
- ApprenticeStart hereLearn the basicsAsk Barry
- Joiner, cabinet maker or installerLearn guidesSite and install guidesWorkshop guides
- Drafter or estimatorDrawing guidesQuote guidesTools and prices
- Manager or ownerOffice and admin guidesHiring guideTools and prices
// 01 One way in
New to the trade? Start with these.
Four easy guides, good for your first year. Been at it a while? Go to all guides or share what you know.
- 01 SiteSite measure & defect listMeasure a site and list the problems in a clear way, so nothing gets lost.EasyFree
- 02 WorkshopAssembly checklistTurn the drawings into a step-by-step list before you build.MediumFree
- 03 WorkshopMachine error code helpMachine shows an error code? Understand it in simple English, then ask for help.EasyFree
- 04 OfficeTimesheets from voice notesSay your hours in a voice note. AI helps write the timesheet.EasyUnder A$50
// 02 All guides
Find a guide for your job.
What do you need help with?
Who it is for
Quote from a client message
Cut list from drawings
Follow up your quotes
Plan the workshop week
Track supplier price increases
Job photos to social posts
Draft a SWMS
Summarise plans and specs
Choose CNC software
Show clients design ideas
Faster invoices and bills
Reply to Google reviews
Write a job ad
Check your quote first
Timesheets from voice notes
Check the nest before cutting
Machine error code help
Assembly checklist
Site measure & defect list
Client handover pack
Nothing found. Tell us what you need
// 03 Know your joints
Tap a joint. See how it goes together.
Biscuit joint
A biscuit is a flat oval of pressed timber. You cut a slot in each board with a biscuit joiner. Add glue and the biscuit, then clamp.
- Where you see it
- Joining boards edge to edge. Lining up panels and frames.
- Barry's tip
- The glue makes the biscuit swell, so it fits tight. Barry is named after this joint!
Butt joint
The simplest joint. One board sits flat against the other. Screws, nails or glue hold it.
- Where you see it
- Cabinet boxes (carcasses), often with screws.
- Barry's tip
- Simple, but weak on its own. It needs screws or another joint to be strong.
Dowel joint
Round timber pins (dowels) go into drilled holes in both pieces, with glue.
- Where you see it
- Cabinets, shelves and flat-pack furniture.
- Barry's tip
- The holes must line up exactly. Use a jig.
Dovetail joint
Fan-shaped "tails" lock between "pins". It can't pull apart in one direction, even before the glue dries.
- Where you see it
- Drawer boxes and fine furniture. Our logo is a dovetail.
- Barry's tip
- Mark the lines with a sharp knife. Cut on the waste side of the line.
Mortise & tenon joint
A tongue (the tenon) on one piece fits into a hole (the mortise) in the other piece.
- Where you see it
- Door frames, tables and chairs.
- Barry's tip
- The tenon should fit snug: tight enough to hold, but not so tight that it splits the timber.
Housing joint
A groove is cut across one board. The end of the other board (like a shelf) sits in it. Also called a dado or a trench.
- Where you see it
- Shelves in bookcases and cabinets.
- Barry's tip
- Cut the groove to the real board thickness. Measure the board. Don't trust the label.
Simple drawings, not to scale. Always follow your shop's way of doing it.
// 04 Ask Barry AI · beta
Meet Barry Biscuit, the AI joiner mate.
Barry is a made-up old joiner, named after the biscuit joint. Ask him a trade question. He answers in simple English, step by step. And he tells you when to ask a real tradie. Coming soon: experienced tradies help check his answers.
My cabinet door is sagging. How do I fix it?
Try:Door is saggingDrawer won't closeScribe an end panelScribe a benchtopClient plan vs siteLevel on a bad floor
AI beta: Barry is an AI and can be wrong. Always check with your supervisor and the maker's instructions.
// 06 How it works
Three steps. You stay in charge.
- 1. Pick a jobOffice, workshop or site.See the guides
- 2. Copy the promptPaste it into the AI tool.See the tools
- 3. Check with your trade skillYou know the job. AI does not.Our rules
Why “The Perfect Join”
Two meanings. One join.
In timber, a perfect join has no gap. At work, AI and people are at their best together.
When you join AI with human skill and know-how, you get better results.
// 07 Tools
The tools, with real prices.
One practical AI tip every week. Free.