One of the most popular ways to make your first joinery cuts especially if you are a beginner woodworker is by trying rabbet joints. These joints are an open-sided channel that will recess along the edge on board or panel.
The best thing about them is the simplicity to cut it which will allow you to locate parts during an assembly easily. Therefore, you will be able to gain a better mechanical connection, especially when compared with butt joints.
Even if you are a novice, you can rest assured because with practice you will be able to use it all the time. We will provide you with an exceptional guide on why rabbet joints are essential for any woodworker nowadays:
Types And Application of Rabbet Joints
Single Rabbet Joint
The most common form of rabbet joint is single rabbet joint that features rabbeted mating parts. You should make proportional cuts so that you can match it with a thickness of board that you wish to mate it with.
The depth of this particular type should be between ½ and ⅔ of boards width. As soon as you assemble, it will conceal the end grain of the board. Have in mind that deeper the rabbit, the less end grain will be as a result.
Double Rabbet Joint
When it comes to double rabbet joints, it features rabbeted both mating pieces. It means that rabbits do not have to be the same, but in most cases they are.
It works as case joint, and if you want to make casework, you will see that rabbits feature bottom join that will meet from one end to another. The most common ones are found insides and front of drawers.
Since the end grain tends to glue poorly, you should fasten the rabbet joints with finish nails or brads, or you can screw them under plugs.
In both cases, you will be able to make right angle edge joint, and sometimes you will need both of them to make appropriate construction especially when it comes to pedestals and hollow legs.
How to Cut Rabbet Joints With Table Saw?
The similarly as with dado joints, the most common way to cut through rabbet ones are by using a table saw. Traditionally, you will have to sacrifice a strip of wood so that you can secure a fence and move it against the set.
This method will prevent damaging saw’s fence and everything that goes with it.
Another method for cutting it on a table saw is to use a standard blade and make two accurate passes by using a stock. The stock tends to be flat, and it should be laid against the table for cut and hold it vertically for another cut.
Finally, both cuts will meet precisely at the corner of the rabbet, which means that you will cut it into the L-shaped notch.
This particular method tends to be the most convenient especially when compared setting up a dado head for only a few cuts.
Why Use Rabbet Joint?
It is the simplest way to make joint and to create the end of the board and join them at the right angles. That will remove the board’s thickness, and you will be able to increase its surface.
The idea is to understand the anatomy of the joint you’re making because it will allow you to remove a portion of the edge and to use another side instead.
You can cut it with machine or hands, and you will need for a wide array of projects from cabinets to making boxes which is a way better choice than using dado joints.
How Strong are Rabbet Joints?
The main problem that people are facing when it comes to rabbet joints are stresses from side to side. When you decide to fasten the parties, the idea is to make a quiet joint.
It is way better to fasten it because gluing will remove its moving abilities, which is essential for certain things such as drawers.
You can also choose rabbet joint on opposite faces, which means that you will be able to remove the small part on each side so that faces could remain intact on the outside. That will provide you exceptional sturdiness which will stand the test of time.
Rabbet Joint vs. Dado Joint
The first thing that you should know when it comes to dado joints is that it represents a slot that we cut into the surface of the wood. When we look at it in the cross section, we can say that it features three sides.
It is a common choice for people that want to create a strong join, but you have to cut it with a table saw by using a specific process which is not the case with rabbet joints.
The idea is to cut dado joints parallel to the grain, and the main reason for that is because it passes all the way through the surface until its end.
Stopped dado, on the other hand, features both ends stay before it meets the edge. You can use it to attach bookcase carcass or shelves.
However, it is not that efficient when we compare it with rabbet joints which are simpler to maintain, and you will be able to use it with ease even if you are a novice woodworker.
That will provide you with peace of mind during the operation, and when you reread the article we’ve presented you, everything will be much more transparent than it was before.
Conclusion
We have presented you a comprehensive guide on what are rabbet joints, what are their uses and how to deal with them in the first place.
It is vital to understand that you will need appropriate knowledge to cut them through and you can find them online by checking any video tutorial or by asking someone from your neighborhood to help you.
In both cases, it is an indispensable part of woodworking toolbox, and you will need to learn how to operate with it if you want to deal with home renovation projects by yourself.
If you have additional questions, feel free to ask them in the section below.