# cutting a 3/4' wide rabit



## curly1 (May 7, 2010)

What would the best bit to use to make a 3/4" rabit a 1/4" deep on the edge of 3/4" baltic birch plywood, can't seem to find a rabiting bit that wide.


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## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

curly1 said:


> What would the best bit to use to make a 3/4" rabit a 1/4" deep on the edge of 3/4" baltic birch plywood, can't seem to find a rabiting bit that wide.


Hi Dan

You can get them, for example there's this rebate cutter available from Wealden in the UK (I know, not much use to you) which goes up to 26mm (just over an inch)

There should be someone in N-A doing a similar tool, somewhere

Regards

Phil

Edit: Found one: Amana 49360 Super Rabbet. This looks almost identical to my Wealden cutter. Possibly from the same factory in Israel? Big heavy cutter. Needs to be used with care


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## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

curly1 said:


> What would the best bit to use to make a 3/4" rabit a 1/4" deep on the edge of 3/4" baltic birch plywood, can't seem to find a rabiting bit that wide.


I would make that cut with a dado blade on the tablesaw, but I assume you want to use a router. Take the widest straight bit you have and set it to 1/4 deep. Use your fence or edge guide to cover most of the bit so you only make very light passes. The first pass needs to be very light to avoid splintering. Keep making adjustments to your fence or edge guide until you get your rabbet 3/4 wide.


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

A rabbit is a dado at the edge of board. Look at the various "exact width" dado jigs.

I agree that the best approach is a table saw with a dado blade but a router can produce good results too.


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Go to Freud and look up mortising bits they have a full range up to 1 1/4" diam


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## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

PhilBa said:


> A rabbit is a dado at the edge of board.
> 
> A rabbit is a small furry animal with a proclivity to procreate. Also known to eat carrots and say "Whats Up Doc?" Sorry, I just couldn't resist . . .


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

curly1 said:


> What would the best bit to use to make a 3/4" rabbet a 1/4" deep on the edge of 3/4" Baltic birch plywood, can't seem to find a rabbiting bit that wide.


call it a mortising bit instead...
or a straight bit...

Freud Tools

Freud Tools


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## Phil P (Jul 25, 2010)

PhilBa said:


> A rabbit is a dado at the edge of board. Look at the various "exact width" dado jigs.
> 
> I agree that the best approach is a table saw with a dado blade but a router can produce good results too.


Actually the _fastest, safest and cleanest_ approach is a spindle moulder (shaper) with a shear cut rebate block (and a Shaw or SUVA guard on the fence)....... But I'm only saying that because I have that particular set-up. A router table with a largish diameter cutter could do just the same in multiple passes. Out on site the rebate cutter is streets better than a straight cutter in the router and a router fence simply because of the tendency to "dip" at the ends of the cut when working "freehand"



DonkeyHody said:


> A rabbit is a small furry animal with a proclivity to procreate. Also known to eat carrots and say "Whats Up Doc?"


I thought a Rabbit was a small furry VW. . . . . .

Regards

Phil


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

I see you have a jointer. If the pieces aren't assembled that's the machine I would use. You have to make sure it's set properly on scrap before you run the good stuff.


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## russmatt (Aug 27, 2014)

If you have access to a router table with a lift, "sneaking up" with gradual increases in both the depth and width is the way to go. If not, gradual depth increases, followed by gradual width increases, will give you a better result than trying to find a bit to do the whole thing at once. Think about it this way.. In the time it takes you to drive to a supplier and buy a different bit, you could have increased the depth and width 1/16" at a time and ended up with a very smooth finish with no errors. Working carefully and gradually is always more accurate and safer (!) than speeding through things. Thomas Chippendale's workers in the 18th c. did all he directed with hand tools with no power, and their stuff is good enough for museums. If you are running a production shop, on the other hand, get yourself a 220 volt Shaper and you can get cutters big enough for one pass to do damn near anything.


russmatt, Pa, USA


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

hog it out w/ a dado or router...
fit/finish w/ a rabbet or shoulder plane....


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## curly1 (May 7, 2010)

Thanks for the info guys, the rabit(dado) are the ends of a 54" piece of plywood so a little awkward for the jointer or table saw, I"ll use a 19mm bit on the 19mm plywood(damm metric up here in Canada) going a little at a time, using my Emerson clamp straight edge with the router plate.


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