Backs, drawer backs, box rims

Rabbet

A step on the edge of a board so a back, bottom, or lid has a shoulder to land on.

Use when

Don’t use when

Do not use a plain rabbet as a half-blind drawer front. That joint is a half-blind dovetail or a lock rabbet.
Do not trust a rabbet alone on a corner that has to resist a pull.

Stock

Side thicknessBack thickness

Thickness steppers move by 1/16 in, or 0.5 mm. You can type 3/4 or 1-1/8.

Computed sizes and the rule for each
Mark	Size	Rule
Rabbet width	1/4 in	Equals the mating piece (back, bottom, or lid)
Rabbet depth	3/8 in	Default is half the side (shallow end of 1/2–2/3)
Side thickness	3/4 in	The cheek that remains is side thickness minus depth
Remaining cheek	3/8 in	What is left after the step. Keep this stout enough to nail or screw

1Gauge width and depth
Work from the inner face and the back edge. The width is the mating piece. The depth is how far the step comes forward on the side.
Setup: Width = 1/4 in. Depth = 3/8 in.
Stop when: Both gauge lines meet at a crisp corner on the end grain.
2Saw the shoulder
Saw the line on the face, on the waste side, down to the depth gauge.
Setup: Shoulder depth = 3/8 in.
Stop when: The kerf reaches the gauge line on both edges.
3Saw or split the cheek
From the end, saw down to the shoulder kerf, or chisel the waste off in coarse chips and pare the last.
Setup: Cheek length = 1/4 in.
Stop when: The step is flat and the mating piece sits flush with the outer face.
4Dry-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.

Mostly mechanical

light

A back sitting in a rabbet can be nailed and glued if it is plywood. A solid back needs a gap or it will push the case.