Rabbet Joint Strong Enough? – Viewer Question
This Viewer Question comes from Adam.
Hey, it’s Adam with the chessboard again. I have upgraded from a simple chessboard to a chess table if you will. I am putting a drawer into the bottom of the chessboard. I just need to know if you think that a simple rabbet joint will be strong enough to hold over time. I have fussed with the locked-rabbet joint for a while now, and still can’t quite get the fit that I need. I’m getting tired of trying to cut this damn joint and was wondering how much strength I would be losing by going with just the rabbet joint. I know it will be considerably weaker, but on a light weight drawer that will only be holding 18 wooden chess pieces, do you think it will be strong enough. Mainly, I’m worried about the force that might be put on it if the drawer gets racked and you have to tug a little to get it out. Otherwise, I figure the regular rabbet will work. My stock is about 5/8″ for both the sides and front. Also, any suggestions on how to cut the dreaded lock-rabbet? But mainly, do you think the rabbet will be strong enough?
And here’s what I had to say:
Hey Adam. I don’t cut lock rabbets so I don’t have much info for you there. But I would say that a rabbet could certainly be made strong enough. The rabbet alone relies on the glue joint for all its strength. This may be OK for a smaller lightweight drawer. But on a bigger drawer or one that gets frequent use, you might want to add some reinforcement. Simply drill a few holes and drive in some dowels to secure the front to the sides. I have done this many times in the past and it does a great job increasing the strength of the joint. Its easy to do and if you use a different species of wood, it can look terrific. So if you are going to do the rabbet, just add that little bit of reinforcement and you will be golden. Better safe than sorry I suppose.
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Adam,
I have used the dowel method that Marc suggests many times. It is super easy and you can make it with a saw and hand drill. He is right. It looks cool and it is strong.
If you are still interested in the locking rabbet joint however, there is a good video on how to make one at Finewoodworking.com.
Go to their page. Type in locking rabbet in the search bar. The video is by Bob Van Dyke.
Have Fun.
Hey Adam I’ve used the reinforced rabbit joint many times myself. Works great it’s easy and strong. It looks great with contrasting wood.
Adam,
Completely off topic: Don’t you need 32 pieces to play chess? Trying to figure out how 18 comes up as a number?
On the woodworking question, short / small nails might be an reasonable option as well to add strength to the simple rabbet.
yeah you do need 32 pieces skee. i made 4 extra pawns in case i lose some of the origionals. lol no, i didn’t even realize that i said 18. i meant 16. hey, i’m a woodworker, not a mathmatician. haha
I really like the locking rabbet joint. It is visually recognizable as a quality joint like dovetails and is really strong.
If you are having trouble cutting it for this project I can positively back Marc’s suggestion of using the pins or dowels to lock the simple rabbet joint securely together.
This allows you to make the simple version with added strength and an element of beauty that is recognized by all.
I am sure that as you gain in skill you will be able to cut the locking rabbet for a future project. Good luck!
Setting up the Lock Miter bit to get a perfect fit isn’t impossible. Take 2 scrap pieces of stock the exact same thickness, and the same as you will be using with your real stuff. Take a shot at centering the bit horizontally and vertically. Cut the two pieces horizontally (yes, horizontally) on the router table. Flip one piece over and join it horizontally with the other. When both pieces fit so there are no gaps and one is not higher than the other – you are done.
Save that last cut for the next time you setup – as a setup block for that same stock.
Here is a URL with some pics:
http://www.woodshopdemos.com/cmt-lm5.htm
Hey Marc, how do you make the tiny round dowels out of contrasting wood?
I usually just buy them whenever I am at Rockler. No exotics, but nearly all the domestics are available in a range of sizes.