Shelves that stay hidden at the front
Stopped dado
The same housing as a dado, stopped short of the front edge so the face of the side stays whole.
Use when
- The shelf should not telegraph a trench on the front of the case.
Don’t use when
- Do not forget the matching notch on the shelf.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dado depth | 3/8 in | Prefer 3/8 in, clamped to 1/3–1/2 of the side |
| Dado width | 3/4 in | Equals shelf thickness. 3/4 in (matches a 3/4 in bit) |
| Side thickness | 3/4 in | Reference member — size the housing from this |
| Shelf thickness | 3/4 in | Sets the housing width |
| Stop setback | 3/4 in | Stopped housing: 1/2–1 in back from the front edge |
| Shelf notch | 3/4 in | Notch the shelf front, or stop a tongue, so the face stays clean |
Cut sequence
1Knife both walls
Stand the shelf on the side and knife the housing. Cross the grain. Carry the marks onto the near edge so the depth has a witness.
Setup: Wall spacing = 3/4 in. Depth mark = 3/8 in.
Stop when: Both knife walls are visible on the face and the edge.
2Saw the walls
Crosscut just on the waste side of each knife line, down to the depth mark. A bench hook keeps the side from skating.
Setup: Saw depth = 3/8 in.
Stop when: The kerf kisses the depth line and does not pass it.
3Chop the waste
Chisel from both faces toward the middle so the far side does not tear out. Finish with the bevel down, riding the depth line.
Setup: Floor at 3/8 in.
Stop when: A straightedge shows a flat floor and both walls are clean.
4Fit the shelf
The shelf should enter with hand pressure. If it is tight, plane the shelf — not the housing — until it sits on the floor without a rock.
Stop when: The shelf seats fully and the face lines up with your knife mark.
5Stop it short of the front
Leave the front of the side whole. Notch the shelf, or leave a short tongue, so the housing dies before the show edge.
Setup: Setback = 3/4 in.
Stop when: The front edge of the side is unmarked and the shelf face is flush.
6Dry-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
Hardwood still moves across the grain. A joint that locks that movement with no slot will open or split. The shelf end is end grain against the side face. Glue holds the floor; the walls do the work.
Common mistakes
- Stopping the cutter and forgetting to notch the shelf.
- A setback so deep the shelf loses most of its housing.
- Rounding the stop with a router bit and not squaring it, then forcing a square shelf.