Rabbeting door jambs

[Dan Lautner]

What method have you used for rabbeting door jambs? I did a few this weekend by scoring a 3/8" cut on the scms then routing away the rest. I have 10 or more to do and am looking for an alternative method. Thanks.

Dan

[Matt Ocel]

Dan -

Where is a rabbet needed?

Are you talking about an interior door? ie bedroom or bathroom door.

[Dan Lautner]

"Where is a rabbet needed?

Are you talking about an interior door? ie bedroom or bathroom door."

Yes interior doors where the head meets the jamb.

[Matt Ocel]

Dan -

I don't rabbet there, I butt them together, pre-drill and use screws.

But if I did, I would use RAS, or make a jig for the router.

[Greg Funk]

I'd use a tenoning jig on a tablesaw if you have the headroom. Failing that a dado blade and a couple quick passes on the tablesaw.

Greg

[Jamie Buxton]

I think the rabbet is traditionally used because it registers the position of the head jamb with the side jambs for assembly. If you have other means to do that registration, you can skip the rabbetting. A couple of clamps can do the trick. Or biscuits can do the registration, with screws doing the work of holding the jambs together.

[Ben Grunow]

Most scms have a depth stop that can be adjusted to hold the blade above the deck. Set it for 3/8" for 3/4" jambs and cut until done. That is how we make them on the job. Router tends to blow out and a jig is tough (not impossible) because jamb widths usually are different.

[Paul Girouard]

There a few way to cut that joint. BUT as has been mentioned it's not "normally" rabbited like that in a interior door. They are just butted and stapled , and or screwed . The stops are added making a double rabbited jamb.

I'd used a jig I made for my table saw fence , or set the depth gauge and use my SCMS .

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/PEG688/tendoningjiginuse.jpg

Yes you'd need head room above the saw , and I'd use a dado blade with a sacrificial board on the jig to prevent tear out.

[Dan Lautner]

"I'd used a jig I made for my table saw fence , or set the depth gauge and use my SCMS ."

Nice looking Jig there. I don't have the headroom so I'm using the scms. The depth setting on the Makita scms is a bit pathetic, but it gets the job done.

Thanks, Dan