Final answer:
The strongest bond for a wood joint would be the combination of carpenter's glue with grooved dowels. Carpenter's glue creates a powerful bond that improves the strength and durability of the joint, and grooved dowels add mechanical strength. The mortise and tenon joint is also very strong when enhanced with glue.
Step-by-step explanation:
The strongest bond for a wood joint would be carpenter's glue combined with grooved dowels. While tack nails, corrugated fasteners, or other mechanical fasteners can provide initial holding power, the strength and durability of wood joints are greatly enhanced by the use of an adhesive such as carpenter's glue. A high-quality wood glue seeps into the pores of the wood to create a bond that is often stronger than the wood itself. When this is combined with grooved dowels, which increase the gluing surface and add mechanical strength, the result is a very strong and durable joint. Additionally, a traditional mortise and tenon joint, which involves inserting a projecting tenon from one piece of wood into a mortise in another, is known for its strength and structural integrity, especially when reinforced with glue.
Regarding the trick used by carpenters to keep nails from bending when they are pounded into hard materials, gripping the center of the nail with pliers helps because it stabilizes the nail, reducing the likelihood of bending by absorbing some of the force from the hammer. The pliers provide a firm hold and a pivot point, so when the hammer strikes the nail, the force is more directly translated into downward pressure rather than bending force.