Carcase corner
Dado + rabbet
A rabbet on the end of the top or bottom, and a dado in the side, so the outer faces land flush.
Use when
- A bookcase corner needs more than a plain rabbet.
Don’t use when
- Do not confuse this with a drawer lock rabbet.
- Keep
- Waste, hatched on the drawing
- Dimension
- Long parts are broken. The 1 in bar is true scale.
Stock
Thickness steppers move by 1/16 in, or 0.5 mm. You can type 3/4 or 1-1/8.
Sizes
| Mark | Size | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Rabbet on the end | 3/8 in | Default is the same 3/8 preference as a dado, clamped to the end stock |
| Dado width | 3/8 in | End thickness minus the rabbet, so the outer faces land flush |
| Dado depth | 3/8 in | Cut into the side. Same depth rule as a housing |
| Side thickness | 3/4 in | The dado lives in this piece |
Cut sequence
1Rabbet the end
The rabbet is 3/8 in deep. What is left becomes the tongue.
Setup: Dado width will be 3/8 in.
2Dado the side
Walls 3/8 in apart, floor at 3/8 in.
Stop when: The outer faces flush when the tongue seats.
3Dry-fit, then glue
Close the joint dry. Check that shoulders and faces meet, then glue. If this is a frame or a box, check both diagonals before the glue grabs.
Stop when: Dry-fit is tight with hand pressure, square, and the diagonals match.
Glue
Long grain to end grain
Strength
furniture
Movement
The end is rabbeted, the side is dadoed, and the outside faces flush. Glue is long grain to end grain — the mechanics do the holding.