If I use dado and rabbet joints to attach shelves to the sides of a plywood bookcase, can I use nails or screws through the sides instead of clamps? The dados would be 1/2″ wide and I suppose 3/8″ deep. I’ll be using a router to dado the sides and rabbet the ends of the shelves. I don’t have a table saw, nor a lot of clamps.
I’ve made some bookcases before from 1x’s using dados and nails or screws, but have read about avoiding problems with the likely less than 3/4″ thickness of plywood by using 1/2″ dados and rabbeting the shelves to fit.
Is the 1/2″ width too narrow for screws and is the 3/8″ max remaining depth of the plywood sides enough to take a countersunk screw? I don’t know much about rabbet bits, but from what I’ve seen available, I’d have to use a 3/8″ bit. Are 1/4″ rabbet bits available? Would 4d or 6d finish nails be enough to hold it till the glue sets up?
Thanks for any ideas or suggestions.
Replies
Is this a utility-level bookcase your making? E.g., it's not being dressed up with face frames and molding etc.
For shelving I've made for the shop, with 3/4" plywood, I've used self-drilling fasteners that have a wide head. I don't know exactly what they're called, but on the box it says "PHIL MOD TRUSS, LATH, SELF DRILLS" 1-1/4"
On the last shelf unit I made, to hold paint cans, I didn't do any rabbets, just squared up the top, bottom and three shelves, glued and screwed everything together and applied a 1/4" plywood back.
Of course, this lovely hardware probably won't do in a formal library, LOL.
Yes, there are 1/4" rabbet bits available, and even smaller than that.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
DHoov2,
I'm heading downstairs shortly to do the same thing...glue up a cabinet. As FG indicated, the answer is yes to the screws and/nails..I often use one inch pins..and that is enough. I also use cauls to help stretch the effectiveness of the pipe clamps and insure a good glue contact across the dado. Wish me luck, and the same to you
This will work. I little tip to line up the screws is to drill some pilot holes from the dado side first. This will allow you to locate the holes on the other side to drill your counter sink.
rrwood
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled