Rabbet Joints - The Wood Whisperer

Rabbets are a elementary woodworking joint and we use them extensively in body and panel construction, case construction, and drawer construction. Understanding how one can execute rabbets shortly and successfully is a vital woodworking talent. To study extra about chopping numerous joints utilizing “hybrid” methodology, take a look at my guide Hybrid Woodworking.

What Are Rabbets

You may already be acquainted with the phrases dado and groove that are easy recessed channels cut right into a board. If the dado or groove is cut on the edge, successfully making it open-sided, you"ve gotten what is called a rabbet or a rebate for these of you on the opposite aspect of the pond.

Table Saw First

There are many methods to cut a rabbet, however I discover the desk noticed to be the quickest. I exploit a dado stack that’s about 1/eight″ wider than the specified width of the rabbet. That additional 1/eight″ will get buried right into a sacrificial fence that’s hooked up to the common fence. As soon as setup, you"ll be able to batch out rabbet after rabbet in a matter of seconds.

Sadly, this technique can typically end in rabbets of an inconsistent dimension. That is primarily because of variances in downward strain as well as boards that aren’t utterly flat. Utilizing a push block or some type of maintain-down rollers can definitely assist with this however you continue to may need some finessing to do for an ideal match. That’s why I usually goal for my rabbets to be just a bit bit heavy. I can then dial within the good match on the workbench.

Finesse with Hand Tools

First issues first: the objective right here is NOT to waste effort and time. You must make your desk noticed cuts very similar to you"d in the event you have been bidding on the showcase showdown: closest with out going over. This manner, pure variances will trigger your rabbet to vary from good to only a bit too thick as an alternative of good to only a bit too skinny. So within the superb world, this hand device course of would take no multiple or two passes and about 10 seconds per joint. A small worth to pay for perfection!

There are two instruments that I like to recommend utilizing and also you don’t essentially want each. The first is the Router Plane. This dangerous boy is extremely useful and really straightforward to know for the brand new hand device woodworker. The blade sits at a hard and fast depth under the physique very similar to a powered router and it’s good for ensuring your rabbet is at a constant depth. Merely set it on the lowest level on the rabbet and take away every little thing that’s greater than that.

The second device is the Shoulder Plane. The shoulder aircraft operates like another aircraft, solely it’s tall slender physique and full-width blade make it good for trimming rabbets. It tends to go away a smoother cut than the router aircraft however doesn’t have the identical no-brainer depth adjustment. So I like to make use of the shoulder aircraft together with a check groove to seek out the excessive spots and shortly take away them. You can additionally use each of those planes along side each other, leveling the rabbet with the router aircraft and doing a cleanup move with the shoulder aircraft.

The finish end result ought to be a slip-match rabbet that drops into the groove like buttah!

For extra woodworking ideas that incorporate each energy instruments and hand instruments, decide up a replica of my e-book, Hybrid Woodworking!