# Multi-bearings Rabbeting Set vs. Single Rabbet Bit.



## harpone (Feb 6, 2013)

I bought a Bosch Colt router for my craft work, primarily to round over edges. I have some wood which I would like to edge glue for a couple projects. I butt glued some previous projects with no particular problems but (from what I have read) I think rabbeting would give a better joint. Most of the wood I work with is 3/4" or less. Would a single bit or a set with the extra bearings be a better choice?


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## phillip.c (Aug 9, 2012)

For that one task I think a single bit would be best, since you'd know that each rabbet is the same distance from the edge of the board. You'd still want to joint the edges first if you have a jointer. 

You might consider using a biscuit joiner, though, for joining board lengths together.


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## harpone (Feb 6, 2013)

phillipdanbury said:


> For that one task I think a single bit would be best, since you'd know that each rabbet is the same distance from the edge of the board. You'd still want to joint the edges first if you have a jointer.
> 
> You might consider using a biscuit joiner, though, for joining board lengths together.


Phillip - 
Thanks for the advice. The end of my garage is really crowded with workbench, 3 different saws and a planer. I don't have a jointer or biscuit joiner. Can I still route rabbets and end up with a satisfactory glue joint?


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## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

You have a Dewalt contractor's table saw--if you can get a straight line rip (i use the Freud glue edge rip blade, would love to try a Forrest someday!!) you've got a good start on edge gluing. If i have a straight edge to start with--that's what i do to true them up. If i'm working with rough edges--i built a tapering jig that doubles as a straight line jig, just set it straight, clamp the board and cut one edge straight. As mentioned in your other thread, the rabbet will strengthen a glue joint by providing more glue surface--conversely, if they are not cut true it will weaken the joint if the edges don't make proper contact with each other. Accuracy will count a lot. Dowels may also be an option.

earl


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

harpone said:


> I bought a Bosch Colt router for my craft work, primarily to round over edges. I have some wood which I would like to edge glue for a couple projects. I butt glued some previous projects with no particular problems but (from what I have read) I think rabbeting would give a better joint. Most of the wood I work with is 3/4" or less. Would a single bit or a set with the extra bearings be a better choice?


Here's my two or three cents worth...

The multi bearing set allows you to cut several different size rabbets with one cutter. That could come in handy in the future. I bought my set from Woodcraft.

I have done quite a bit of edge gluing boards to make panels for raised panel doors, and for drawer pieces when the drawer is 5-10 inches deep. I have never used any sort of alignment tool such as biscuits, dowels or what have you.

Taking care to align your boards during glue up and proper clamping should help insure a good joint.
Sometimes it take a lot of clamps. 

Try it out on some test pieces.

Good luck.
Mike


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

harpone said:


> Phillip -
> Thanks for the advice. The end of my garage is really crowded with workbench, 3 different saws and a planer. I don't have a jointer or biscuit joiner. Can I still route rabbets and end up with a satisfactory glue joint?


do yourself a horde of favors...
that double rabbet joint is called a shiplap joint and it has issues you'll need to over come.... 
for what you are trying to do it's not really the best joint...... 
do a spline instead....
a lot less waste...
inherent accuracy...
faster...
way stronger...

Freud Tools | 2" (Dia.) Stacked Slotting Set

solve your no jointer issue...
use your router and/or table saw instead...

*table saw...*
use a glue line blade in your saw and rip an edge for a ready to go butt joint...

Freud Tools | 10" Industrial Glue Line Ripping Blade

the edge of your material is a bit hinky???
load it into one of the gizmos pictured and use it to carry your board through your TS...
you'll get a seriously straight edge w/ as little waste possible...
remove the board and rotate it 180°...
rip it again to make your two edges parallel...

Wallah!!! one hyper straight board w/ as little waste possible....
fast too...

*router...*
plan "B"...

load that hinky edged board into one of the gizmos pictured and use the base to guide your flush trim bit...

Freud Tools

parallel the other edge on your TS...
I made those carriers at 3, 5 and 12' long.... 
use a clamp on guide if you prefer to get that 1st edge straight...

PRO-Grip Straight Edge Clamps

*splineing...*

see the attachment...

*notes...*

using your TS or router to achieve straight are no muss/no fuss KISS/MISS operations w/ the least amount of waste by far...
your Colt router is a serious piece of equipment but you may be expecting a bit much from it...
for trimming I like to use a Bosch 1617EVS... 
at severe production levels I up the ante to a 1619EVS...
for splineing I found that a 1618EVS is made to order... Mine has been doing nothing but splineing for decades... (4+)...
easy to control and a real work horse...

cutting shiplaps....
every rabbet will have cut of height issues when you do your glue ups.. 
the panel won't be flat/flush and you'll need to thickness plane either by hand or w/ a machine...
can you sacrifice thickness??? 
Do you need more work??? 
also that joint complicates contributes to not getting a clean closed butt joint just because wood is wood and behaves like wood...

*Shiplap Edge Joints*

Shiplap joints are formed by cutting identical rabbets into opposite faces of adjoining boards. This produces a joint where the rabbets overlap, preventing gaps between the boards from being visible. Shiplap joints are often referred to as a poor-man's tongue-and-groove since the visual effect is very similar to tongue-and-groove, however less work is involved.

The area where shiplap joints are inferior to tongue-and-groove, though, is that shiplap joints do not keep the boards flush with one another. However if the boards are to be fastened at regular intervals along their length and the wood is relatively stable, shiplap joints can save you much time.

To hide any uneven boards, you can add an edge detail like a chamfer of bead to the end of each board, or you can cover the exposed edges with a decorative molding.


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## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

Here's my tapering jig, which doubles as a straight line ripping jig by pivoting to the center index. If it's off by a half degree or so, it doesn't matter--after the first pass on the jig i have one crisp edge, remove from the jig, put straight edge against fence and the other edge is parallel to the first. I've actually done some at an angle on purpose to "move the grain" to vertical, though not much of what i do requires that!!
earl


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I agree with these answers,Stick made a good analysis of the shiplap joint. I might add that it was intended not as a tight edge joint but more of a joint to work as a expand and contract joint and still not have a through crack at the edge. It was popular during the early 40's for sheathing on outside of houses and roofs and was milled into green lumber. This was BP,before plywood, and when it dried in place, it shrank and didn't allow air to migrate into the walls. It was also easy to saw with a handsaw, no skill saws yet.
Herb


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## harpone (Feb 6, 2013)

*Thanks*

I appreciate all the answers to my question………..I keep thinking I should have taken Woodshop instead of Latin in high school.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

harpone said:


> I appreciate all the answers to my question………..I keep thinking *I should have taken Woodshop* instead of Latin in high school.


not too late...


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Stick486 said:


> not too late...


I thought this was woodshop, version 2.0, the extended one for adult woodworkers. Now I'm wonderin if I bin on the wrong forum all this time.:haha:


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

cherryville chuck said:


> i thought this was woodshop, version 2.0, the extended one for adult woodworkers. Now i'm wonderin if i bin on the wrong forum all this time.:haha:


*snork!!!!*


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