Replies

1. 
   UncleDunc | May 31, 2002 04:34am | #1

   Why were you unhappy with the results?

   I think it depends on how the cabinet will be loaded. If the sides are mainly loaded in compression and the shelves are closely fit, you could make the dado as deep as you want. If the sides are loaded in tension, as in a wall hung cabinet, you want a shallow dado to preserve as much of the side thickness as possible. If the shelf is so heavily loaded that it is bending and trying to pull out of the dado, or if you need to resist racking forces in a horizontal plane, you want a deeper dado. Etc.

1. 
   del505 | May 31, 2002 11:30pm | #4

   The reason I was unhappy with the results was because when I rabbeted the back I wanted to use a 3/8" rabbet because 1/4" just isn't enough for me for tacking in the back panel so that left a gap. I'm staying with 3/8".

2. 
   SCFrankland | May 31, 2002 05:57pm | #2

   I have always used 3/8" unless I was had piece that required dado's on both sides than a 1/4" is the most I use. For the most part though the piece will be in compression so it will not really matter how deep the dado's are as long as they are well fitted.

   Scott C. Frankland

   Newfoundland Wood Worker

3. 
   sschefer | May 31, 2002 06:21pm | #3

   I always use 3/8" dados on 3/4 material unless it is fixed height shelving and the unit is a single with muliple sections and equal opposing shelves. In those cases, I use 1/4" dados because obviously opposing 3/8" dado's would be a through cut.

   I just built a single 90" x 15" x 30" 3 in 1 face frame cabinet from left over melamine and mdf for my shop. The dado's are 3/8" and the shelves are not opposing because they will carry a lot of weight. The cabinet itself weighs in excess of 100lbs, is wall hung and is solid as a rock.

   Steve - in Northern California