Just want to be sure.

Paul Douglass

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I'm making a little jewelry box for my granddaughter. The plans I have says to rout a 1/4" rabbet, 5/32" deep along the outside bottom edges. I think that means 1/4" up the side and 5/32" into the side. So there will be a groove 1/4" high, 5/32" deep along the bottom. Am I correct or is it the other way around, 5/32" up the side and 1/4" into the side? I started to rout it but got nervous. :eek::huh: Really don't want one of these :doh::bang:
 
"there will be a groove 1/4" high, 5/32" deep along the bottom" <- that's how I read it. Cross check the math on what the dimensions of the piece used for the bottom are.
 
My way of thinking is that if it said make a 1/4" dado 5/32" deep it would be obvious how to do it. By replacing dado with rabbet it should be a 1/4" wide rabbet (across the top of the board) 5/32 deep. So I would say it's the second option you mentioned.
 
It sounds to me like the intent is to make the bottom panel (1/4" thick) flush to the bottom edge of the sides. A 1/4" rabbet, 5/32" deep is the way to do that, of course. Making the bottom panel flush with the bottom of the sides will take some careful trimming to get a perfect match but it will be worth the effort.
 
paul relax:) take and see what the bottom size is for the bottom is it 1/4" solide wood or is it plywood? if its ply the plywood now days is thinner and would be the 5/32 thickness if its solid wood then it would be the 1/4" use some scrap paper to check this out for fit before making a cut.. to me i agree with bob if it says rabbet its going the second way you thought.. a dado is a grove that is a predetermined width and is cut to a certain depth.
 
I'm going to make it 2/1. Since a rabbet is just a dado cut along the edge of a board & a dado is defined as width x depth, then a rabbet should be (to maintain standard descriptions) defined the same way, i.e. width x depth (same as with a groove as well). So, I'm on the same page as Bob and agree with your second interpretation. I'm betting the math will prove this.
 
I interpreted it as 1/4 wide (thickness of your bottom piece) and 5/32 wider on each side than the un-cut bottom of your box, so the bottom will end up 5/16 (5/32 + 5/32) larger total in each direction when cut to size (assuming rectangle or square...or hex, octagon, etc :)).

Edit: Where is a sketchup drawing when you need one (hint...I don't have it installed here at work). ;)
 
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This is the rabbet I am pondering. The box fits down into the molding that goes around the bottom of the box. The box actually fits down into the molding creating a little "hidden" compartment.
 

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Bills diagram along with a lot of good advise is spot on, I have made that box, so go the link for some pics if they will help:) http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?12217-Curlie-Maple-Box&highlight=

Thanks Tom, but I really wish I hadn't looked at your pictures! My curly maple is not as curly! My craftsmanship not as good. Because I didn't have enough curly for the lid also, my lid, handle and bottom piece are rosewood. I got the rabbet cut, I sorta snuck up in it a little at a time. I didn't trust my measurements to be precise enough to go exactly with their measurements and I was right. Ah well, if mine ends up half a pretty as yours I will be happy. This is my first box of this sort. The hardest part has been keeping everything square when glueing it up. I need a better system for that.
 
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