Locking rabbet joints

[Michael Ray Smith]

I'm starting a box that will have locking rabbet joints, and I've never done one. (I recently saw some gorgeous jewelry boxes that used them, and I thought I'd try my hand at them.) I've found all sorts of directions for making them with power tools, but I haven't found anything for the Neanderthal way. I can just try to figure them out on my own, but if anyone can post a link to instructions or just some words of wisdom, I'd be grateful.

[Sam Stephens]

no experience but here's what I'd be thinking:
You're cutting a rabbet and a mating dado.
1) cut the rabbet first however you want -tenon saw, chisel, and/or router plane (aka like a tenon)- or use a rabbet plane
2) use the rabbets to mark off the dados for the mating pieces -definitely use a knife wall though for a good fit. You could either saw the dado sides w/ a tenon saw and clean up w/ a chisel and router plane, or just chisel them out and clean up w/ a router plane.

HTH,
Sam

[Chris Griggs]

These are a fun challenge and a great joint. Easier than the mitered variety. I found this book (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0964399997) very helpful in learning them.

264146


As Sam mentioned a rabbet-in-a-dado joint is pretty easy to cut by hand too, though it is a joint most easily done with power tools. Personally, if I need a strong rabbet joint and don't wanna do the variety shown above I'd have no problem hammering some nails or driving some dowels into a regular rabbet joint.

[Jim Koepke]

Michael,

Are you inquiring about the joints that lock in both directions? That one may be next to impossible without a router bit made for the purpose.

For the simple one way lock rabbet joint, a plow plane or dado plane and a rabbet plane could do the job. If the planes do not have good nickers you can knife the lines beforehand.

Recently watched an episode of the Woodwright's shop where he builds stackable book boxes using a half dovetail rabbet joint to secure the shelves.

jtk

[Frank Drew]

Chris,

That's a good joint and is used by some traditional British woodworkers (and others I'm sure) for applications such as dresser top to side joints.

[Michael Ray Smith]

Michael,

Are you inquiring about the joints that lock in both directions? That one may be next to impossible without a router bit made for the purpose.

For the simple one way lock rabbet joint, a plow plane or dado plane and a rabbet plane could do the job. If the planes do not have good nickers you can knife the lines beforehand.

Recently watched an episode of the Woodwright's shop where he builds stackable book boxes using a half dovetail rabbet joint to secure the shelves.

jtk

Jim -- I'm talking about the simple one-way variety -- a dado/rabbet combination. Sounds as if I just need to think about it that way -- as a rabbet plus a dado. Or a dado plus a rabbet. Or whatever. I bought a Record 405 a while back, but I've never put it into usable condition, so I'll use a plow plane/rabbet plane combination. Thanks!

[Michael Ray Smith]

Personally, if I need a strong rabbet joint and don't wanna do the variety shown above I'd have no problem hammering some nails or driving some dowels into a regular rabbet joint.

I've used dowels quite a bit -- I actually like them a lot. Occasionally I even drive contrasting wedges into them for a bit of interest. But nails? Really?

[Chris Griggs]

I've used dowels quite a bit -- I actually like them a lot. Occasionally I even drive contrasting wedges into them for a bit of interest. But nails? Really?

Depends on the piece, the style, and how it will be decorated finished. I've been using headless cut brads on my moldings and bases...the holes are pretty small. Sometimes I fill them sometimes I don't. It's just one option, and it may very well not be the right option for what you're working on, but in some cases I think nails are a good choice. Since what you're making sounds like a small decorative box it may not be the right choice unless you deliberately were to choose some type of decorative nail. Just giving you some options. Since you like dowels and have used them in the past though, those could be and ideal choice here, unless you want some some type totally blind miter joint.

[David Weaver]

You might find that's not a very nice joint to make by hand. I only mention that because my kitchen drawers (that are probably from the 70s) have the lock rabbet type joint on them, and a poor design where the runners wear on the sides of the drawers instead of the bottom. that means I get to build new drawer sides one when claps out, and because they are a lock miter fit to the drawer fronts, I get to make those by hand also.

It's my opinion (and I'm no furniture expert) that those are pretty much a power tool joint, almost exclusively, and that a router or a table saw is much better for doing neat work with the long small dadoes that turn it into a lock rabbet joint.

[Michael Ray Smith]

You might find that's not a very nice joint to make by hand.


Thanks for the heads up. Without it, if I run into trouble, I'd have just assumed I was an idiot. Nice to know they might not be as easy as they look. Of course, I could still be an idiot anyway, but at least I won't waste too much time before I abandon it and go to dowels, like Chris suggested.

[Mike Holbrook]

I have used lock miter joints on a good number of bee boxes. The small grooves and tongues can become an issue. Any movement in the wood after the joints are cut can result in a joint that want go together. Trying to force imperfect joints with narrow pieces of wood together can split or break off pieces.

[Michael Ray Smith]

I have used lock miter joints on a good number of bee boxes. The small grooves and tongues can become an issue. Any movement in the wood after the joints are cut can result in a joint that want go together. Trying to force imperfect joints with narrow pieces of wood together can split or break off pieces.

Ya'll are beginning to talk me out of it.

[Jim Matthews]

Isn't this joint the same as most bookshelves, with the major difference being the placement at the edge?

If I were making this, I would cut the dado section long and trim it to width after glue up.
That way you could get a strong joint and a precise fit to the drawer opening.

My guess is that this will be plenty strong, once you have a proper drawer bottom installed.
It should be particularly durable if you're gluing in a plywood drawer bottom.

I'm not sure dowels in something this size would be necessary, there's plenty of long grain glue surface on a deep dado.