What is rabbet joinery?

One of the first joinery cuts that new woodworkers try is the rabbet. A rabbet is simply an open-sided channel or recess along the edge or across the end of a board or panel. Easy to cut, it helps locate parts during assembly, and it provides more of a mechanical connection than does a butt joint.

When would you use a rabbet joint?

The rabbet joint is used primarily to set backboards onto the back of a case piece or to accommodate the glass on a mirror frame.

What do rabbet joints look like?

A rabbet joint looks like two stairs carved into the edge of a workpiece. These “stairs” are then joined together at a 90-degree angle.

How is the rabbet joint made?

The joint is made by first cutting the rabbets in the two mating pieces and then mitering the corners at a 45 degree angle. The thickness of the mating pieces is generally the same.

Is rabbet joint strong?

The rabbet joint is much stronger than a simple butt joint, and is easily made either with two table or radial-arm saw cuts (one into the face, the second into the edge or end grain) or with one pass through a saw equipped with a dado head. Glue and nails or screws are frequently used to fasten rabbet joints.

How is a rabbet joint made?

How many types of rabbet joints are there?

When building casework, cabinetry, drawers, shelving or other box joinery there are four basic rabbet joints you should learn. This post walks you through each of the four joints and shows you how easy they are to cut using your table saw.

How are rabbet joints made?

What are the disadvantages of rabbet joints?

Rabbet Joints: Need precise measurements, which can be hard to manage without power tools. Deals with end grain often, which can be difficult to glue properly. Not always aesthetically pleasing to the eye, often used at the rear of cabinets.

How do dovetail joints work?

Dovetail joints don’t require mechanical fasteners to stick together like other joinery techniques do. Rather, dovetail joints use pins and tails to interlock together, where one side has a pin that locks into the other side’s tail, and then glued together for a solid dovetail construction.

What are Dados used for?

A dado blade is a circular saw blade that cuts grooves into the wood that are much wider than traditional saw blade cuts. They are used for interlocking applications. Interlocking joints are common in making bookshelves, drawers, door panels and cabinets.