"Eigenvector" wrote in message
In general when joining wood, how deep should the fasterners go? To
clarify, if I'm joining two 1/2" planks with screws - should I use a 1"
screw, a 3/4", 5/8". I'm trying to determine what size screws to order
for
my next project, and to do that I'll need to figure out how deep the
screws
should go into the wood.

You should use the longest screws you can find that don't come out the other
side. That being said, no matter what screws you use, 1/2" to 1/2" is going
to be a weak fairly attachment no matter what screws you use. I'd certainly
use glue in addition to screws and it would help to know where in your
project are you joining 1/2" boards? Maybe it's a location that can be
joined by other means.