So yesterday me Missus asked me to make a spice rack that can mount on the inside of the pots and pans cabinet door. I took some measurements, and lay it out in my head as I’m trying to sleep. Pretty basic, back piece, two sides, bottom, and a bar across the front the hold things in. I have never made/used a rabbet before and decide this will be a good project to learn on. I’m using 1/4 Baltic Birch. I get the 4 main pieces cut, and rabbeted. Everything fits like a dream, I’m pretty satisfied with myself. Only thing left to do before glue-up is to cut the dado/groove in the front of the 2 side pieces for the bar to go across the front and keep things from falling out. YUP, you guessed it, I got discombobulated and cut the dado/groove in the back of the 2 side pieces. I had already cleaned up and put away the router table (which I had gotten dialed in perfectly for the rabbets), so I called it a day. I must be getting mature, or at least older, cause I didn’t even throw anything . I will cut 1/4 inch off the back of the 2 sides, and rabbet the back again, and this time try to make sure I cut the dados/grooves in the FRONT of the pieces. So as to learn SOMETHING from this experience what is the proper name for the cut in the front of the 2 side pieces for the front bar? A dado goes across the grain, a groove goes with the grain, plywood is glued up perpendicular to each other, so is either name correct? Curious minds want to know (it may be a WEAK mind, but it is curious). 

Groovy dado?   Not sure it has a better name, but there are experts out there who know. 

Grado? Droove? 

2 hours ago, p_toad said:

Groovy dado?   

2 hours ago, Artie said:

Grado? Droove? 

 

 

 

To me, a dado is a dado. Doesn't matter whether it is with the grain or across the grain. Just a groovy slot in a board..  You taught me something today Artie. 

Dado has two sides and bottom. In other words a groove.

Rabbit (the joint in your picture) has one side and one bottom. Also you can think of a rabbit as one half of a dado.

Yes we do seem to learn bu our mistakes DAMHIKT

30 minutes ago, Gerald said:

Dado has two sides and bottom. In other words a groove.

Rabbit (the joint in your picture) has one side and one bottom. Also you can think of a rabbit as one half of a dado.

Yes we do seem to learn bu our mistakes DAMHIKT

Yeah I was being a wise guy. Where plywood has grain going left to right and also up and down, my dado was going both with the grain, and across the grain, thus being ??? I prefer dado cause only other woodworkers know what that is. Everyone kinda sorta knows what a groove is. The rabbets were easy, once I had the bit dialed in. Wondering how easy/difficult the glue-up is gonna be, needing to put pressure both left/right, top and bottom, and front and back. More learning!  

4 minutes ago, Artie said:

More learning!  

@steven newman recommends dovetails.    and then 100 clamps.

3 hours ago, Artie said:

Yeah I was being a wise guy. Where plywood has grain going left to right and also up and down, my dado was going both with the grain, and across the grain, thus being ??? I prefer dado cause only other woodworkers know what that is. Everyone kinda sorta knows what a groove is. The rabbets were easy, once I had the bit dialed in. Wondering how easy/difficult the glue-up is gonna be, needing to put pressure both left/right, top and bottom, and front and back. More learning!  

Look up Cauls....hardwood sticks you clamp across a joint.   Helps if they have a slight curve to them....helps put pressure out in the middle of the glue joint.  Then just a clamp on each end...works best using two sticks....

7 hours ago, Gerald said:

Dado has two sides and bottom. In other words a groove.

Rabbit (the joint in your picture) has one side and one bottom. Also you can think of a rabbit as one half of a dado.

I guess that's what I always understood too, but said in a different way - the rabbet is at the edge of the wood, while the dado is away from the edge.

Jim 

Artie, as I look at your pieces shown... and assume that you cut these parts to kinda sorta fit the intended purpose of holding spice bottles, you would not have to trim the sides a complete 1/4".  Maybe a 1/8" trim, and the balance of your incorrectly cut dado would be covered by the back.  The same amount of side trimming should work for the bottom also.

15 hours ago, Artie said:

what is the proper name for the cut in the front of the 2 side pieces for the front bar?

Notch?

John

This is woodworking, so you can call it anything you want (and be correct). While I was also taught that a groove goes with the grain, and a dado across it, with plywood I always use the word "dado"; but that's just me.

I think we're splitting hares here . 

I should have pointed out: when I cut dados I use my dado set on my TS, but when I cut grooves, I use my groove set.

Edited January 27, 20206 yr by Fred W. Hargis Jr

1 hour ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

when I cut grooves, I use my groove set.

Hmmm... I'll have to get one of those!

John

Being a turner anywhere I make a groove it is just groovy.

I’m with Fred, I cut it using my stacked dado saw blade set, so I’ma  calling it a dado.

Now you got me confused. I thought you said you used your router. Maybe we're all getting confused with this terminology. How's the spice rack coming along?

I guess Fred needs to get in his groove