The multi-bolted joint is commenly used in various machine design problems, such as the joint between the base and the culumn of the milling machine. The paper deals with the design parameters of the multi-bolted joint and their effect on the joint stiffness. An optimal mathematical method to calculate the static joint stiffness has been chosen. The effect of the bolt diameter, number cf the bolts to be used, and thickness of the members to be jointed on the magnitude Of the normal stiffness of the joint have been anal,Ised and discussed. A proposed design diagram for the bolted joint loaded with the normal external force are developed and it can be simply used.