Basic Woodworking Joints - Rebate and Housing Joints

A rebate joint, at its simplest, is a slightly stronger version of a butt joint it provides contact between the mating components in two planes instead of one. A rebate is formed by removing a square or rectangular section across the end or along the edge of a piece of wood using hand or power tools.

Rebate joint
In the simplest type of rebate joint, the rebate is normally cut to half the wood thickness, leaving a projecting tongue equal to the thickness of the other, square-cut component. This type of rebate is often used on the tops of bookcases and shelf units where the top rests on and between the top ends of the sides. It may also be used for joining drawer fronts to and between the sides. At least half the end grain is hidden.

The joints are usually reinforced with pins, driven through the overlap in pairs at opposing angles - this is called dovetail nailing.

The rebate is usually cut with a rebate plane. This has a width guide and a depth stop and cleans the vertical edge of the cut as it is used. Short rebates in a board end, for example can be cut with a saw but care is needed.

Bare-faced halving
This is another type of rebate joint often used for fixing shelves in bookcases. The shelves have rebated ends with the projecting tongue lilting into the horizontal slots in the inner faces of the bookcase sides. The joint is made shoulder-up for strength. This joint may be used in drawers; a rebated back may be housed between the sides, or a front

Housing joints
Not all housing joints are rebated, but whether they are or not. they fall in two categories: the through housing, in which the construction is visible at both back and front edges of the joint; and the stopped housing which from the front edge appears to be a simple butt joint.

Through housing
This is a simple joint to set out and cut. The shoulder lines of the housing (the thickness of the board to be housed apart) should be marked across the inner face of the board and squared over the edges. The depth of the housing - between one-third and half the thickness - should be marked with a gauge. Then shoulders should be sawed and the waste removed with a chisel again work from each edge towards the centre. Finish the bottom of the housing with a router or a paring chisel.

Stopped housing
In this joint the cut should be taken only part way across the board, stopping about 20mm from the front edge. The end of the board to fit into it should be cut at the front corner to accommodate the 'stop'.

Mark shoulder lines across the inner face as far as the stop and on the back edge. Gauge the depth on the back edge too. To allow room to work the saw, the first 50mm of the housing back from the stop should be cut out with the chisel -used with its bevel down. Then saw shoulders, and chisel out the remaining waste and finish the bottom of the housing with a router if you have one.

Basic Woodworking Joints - Rebate and Housing Joints

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Basic Woodworking Joints - Rebate and Housing Joints

Basic Woodworking Joints - Rebate and Housing Joints
Basic Woodworking Joints - Rebate and Housing Joints

Now you have known about rebate and Housing joints. Working with wood requires a lot of expertise. You should know how to control wood pests and how to work with Plywood.

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