Dadoes and grooves are flat-bottomed recesses that strengthen supporting shelves and connecting panels. A dado runs perpendicular to the grain of the wood while a groove runs parallel to the grain. What is a Rabbet?

What is a dado? And what is a rabbet? Dadoes, grooves and rabbets are the workhorses of cabinet and bookcase construction. They're used in woodworking projects to make stronger joints. These bits come in two forms: single and double. Single rounding-overs create their profile on a single edge, producing a quarter-round effect. The double rounding-overs bits cut the bottom and top edge simultaneously, making a full half-round profile. Chamfer or bevel cutting bits are also available in a range of different cutting angles including 11.25°, 15°, 22.5° and 30° allowing you to create a range of different shaped objects. Actually with a side fence and, say, a 20mm 2-flute straight cutter you could do straight rebate - the thing is you'd need to do it in incremental depth passes of 1 to 3mm (assuming in MDF or ply). This is at best tedious, but depending on the base you have in the router it may prove very difficult to get two cuts of the same depth.

What is a Rabbet?

Or I could use my new table saw to cut twice and get a rabbet like that... but I was wondering why I'm finding it difficult to source this - usually there's a reason, right? The edge cutting bit is again commonly used in cabinet and furniture making for cutting and creating decorative edges, sometimes known as beads in cabinet and table tops, chair and table legs and many other different objects and surfaces.

More often than not, these are generally shaping or moulding bits that are used to create specialist moulding’s and shapes, sometimes two in a single pass. Contributing editor Steve Latta teaches cabinetmaking at Thaddeus Stevens College in Lancaster, Pa. A rabbet is simply a groove cut into the side or end of a wooden plank or panel. It’s a channel with an extrusion (called the tongue) and one vertical side. It’s similar to a dado, a groove cut across the face of a plank or panel with two vertical sides. Because rabbets are related to dados, you can use the same tools to cut them. How Do Rabbet Joints Work?The configurable rabbet bit I bought (changeable bearings - think they're called "step washers"?) only goes to 1/2"... about 13mm. I have been looking for a rabbet router bit that will allow me to get to dead on the 19mm... but it seems to not exist? Flush trim bits come in a variety of cutting arm lengths and diameters, but the most common are ½-inch diameter by a 1-inch length with a ¼-inch shank. A rabbet joint is stronger than a typical butt joint—which is simply two straight edges joined together—because a rabbet provides more of a mechanical connection. Cutting the rabbet creates more surface area where the wood can be glued and therefore creates a stronger joint than simply nailing or gluing together two straight edges. For an even stronger rabbet joint, opt for a double rabbet joint where rabbets are cut into both edges of the adjoining workpieces. Rabbet joints vs. dado joints Carbide bits are tougher than standard HSS bits so on the whole will last much longer and keep their sharpness for considerably longer, however they are brittle and can easily damage if dropped you need to take care of them!