How make a stopped dado?

[pitts2112]

I'm building a bookcase and I want to put in a dado so I can lay the backing in flush to the back of the case. Since I'll need a dado, but don't want it to go clear through to each end of the planks, what's the best way to make a dado that has stopped ends, particularly with hand tools?

 

[AndyT]

Hi and welcome. First let's sort out the terminology. As you are in the USA you are referring to a dado. This is a shallow groove across the grain and in the UK is generally called a housing. The commonest use is for supporting the ends of shelves, when housings are cut into the vertical sides of a bookcase.

But with your description of fitting the back, I think you mean a rebate - cutting away part of the thickness of a board, along one edge.

Normally, carcase design avoids making stopped rebates, because it is slower than making through rebates.
Think about the bit that you want to avoid removing. If it's tiny, it might be simpler to cut right through and leave a gap, which will be hidden away against the wall. Or you could plane right through and glue a
little cube of wood back on to fill the gap.

But if you don't want to do that, and to answer your question, to cut a stopped rebate, you need to chisel out the end to give yourself room to work - you need at least enough space for a bullnose plane to work.

Cutting rebates with a chisel is actually quite quick - it can be much quicker to take thick chunks of wood off than to go down all the way with a plane.

Richard Maguire recently posted a good video on rebating with chisels here:
http://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/?p=1776

 

[MMUK]

Thanks for clearing the terminology up AndyT, I was thinking dado rails and WTF - in a bookcase? :lol:

 

[bugbear]

Thanks for clearing the terminology up AndyT, I was thinking dado rails and WTF - in a bookcase? :lol:

Seconded. Using the normal names can make the discussion so much easier for all.

BugBear

 

[nanscombe]

For the OP the "normal" name would probably have been Rabbet rather than Dado. Not all of are members are in the UK.

 

[Racers]

As usual St Roy has the answer http://video.pbs.org/video/1772022578/

Pete

He should be made a sticky the man's a legend!

 

[nanscombe]

Thanks for clearing the terminology up AndyT, I was thinking dado rails and WTF - in a bookcase? :lol:

I knew what he meant as I probably watch too many American woodworking podcasts. :lol:

Mind you, are there any British ones out there which are available through iTunes?

 

[pitts2112]

Andy et al,
You're spot on. I meant a rebate or rabbet. Thank you very much for clearing that up. Yeah, I'm a colonist (though a reformed one, having sworn allegiance to Her Majesty).

Admittedly this probably isn't the best way to install the back, but I'm new to woodworking and I'm doing it this way as much for the practice of using the tools as anything. And part of the learning curve has been realizing this isn't the best, or even an easy, way to do this.

I'm off to work at the moment but I'll have a look at what you've all provided when I get home. Thanks very much for the replies!

 

[Pekka Huhta]

Chiselling the ends out is easy, the rest of it can be done with a rabbet plane as well.

I would leave the ends of the planks a couple of inches too long while I'm chiselling and then cut them to correct length only after finishing the rabbet. Otherwise it's all too easy to break the small piece of wood left at the end of the rabbet while chiselling the rabbet.

Pekka

 

[MMUK]

Would it not be much easier to use a router once the frame is assembled and then finish the corners with a sharp chisel? Is there any specific reason for using hand tools?

 

[Racers]

You will have to speak up I have the router running!!!!

:wink:

Pete

 

[MMUK]

You will have to speak up I have the router running!!!!

:wink:

Pete

Sorry, I've got my ear plugs in :mrgreen:

 

[ac445ab]

But if you don't want to do that, and to answer your question, to cut a stopped rebate, you need to chisel out the end to give yourself room to work - you need at least enough space for a bullnose plane to work.

Sometimes I did a such a work, I used my Stanley 78, exactly in this way.

http://woodworkingbyhand2.blogspot.it/2 ... bbets.html

p.s. sometime I use the term "rabbet", sometime "rebate": my poor English helps me to please everybody :mrgreen:

Ciao
Giuliano

 

[Jacob]

I'm building a bookcase and I want to put in a dado so I can lay the backing in flush to the back of the case. Since I'll need a dado, but don't want it to go clear through to each end of the planks, what's the best way to make a dado that has stopped ends, particularly with hand tools?

It all depends on how you join the top to the sides but you should be able to run the rebate in the top into the rebates in the sides so that there is no untidy joint nor stopped rebates. So you design it out.
Stopped rebates or housings usually means weak design except for the rare cases where they are the only way.