Rabbets are somewhat different – we’ll look at them shortly.īecause of their similarity, dados and grooves are often referred to as ‘slots’.
Before we get to the techniques, there are two dimensions that you will need to be concerned with as you cut these joints: width and depth. Groove – a square or rectangular slot that that runs with the grain.Īlthough these three joints may at first glance seem very similar, they are in fact different, and the approaches used to cut them will not be the same. Rabbet – a notch cut with or across the grain on the edge of a board with the two sides 90º to each other.ĭado – a square or rectangular slot that runs across the grain. Of course, the thickness of the shelf, the width of the span and the load on the shelf will determine the amount of deflection in the shelf. In the case of a bookshelf, the glue will hold the piece together, but when you load up the shelf with your favourite woodworking books the load will transfer directly to the sides of the bookcase, which in turn transfers the load directly to the floor. First, it increases the available glue surface and second, because one board is housed within another, there is physical support. Two factors make this housed joint stronger than a straight surface to surface butt joint. In preparing these joints you are removing a square or rectangular cross section from the face of one board to house the edge or side or end of another board. Gluing end grain to face grain will not produce a very strong joint, so for additional strength and support it is best to reinforce this type of joint by housing it in a slot. Essentially they are butt joints - you are joining end grain to face grain. These joints are all variations on the same theme. Whether it is a rabbet to hold a cabinet back, a dado used to house shelves in a bookcase or a groove for a drawer bottom, you can mill these joints quickly and accurately with a router.
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