# Making A Rabbet in 1/2' Baltic Birch Plywood Best Practice



## Shopguy (Aug 24, 2012)

I am building a sanding downdraft box from 1/2" Baltic birch plywood and need to make 1/4"W x 1/2"H rabbets in the box sides to accept the bottom panel.

I have both a stackable and wobble dado blade for the table saw and a router table with both upspiral and regular straight bits of various sizes.

As I was planning the cut, I asked myself should I stand the side on edge and make rabbet or put the side on the face and make the rabbet.

What is the best practice to make this rabbet that would minimize tear out? Should the router bit or saw blade be parallel or perpendicular to the plywood plys when making the cut?

Thanks,

Roger


----------



## RockyTopScott (Nov 16, 2008)

On the face. Use some tape and a score line to minimize tear out


----------



## ajosephg (Aug 25, 2008)

+1 on Rocky

If you use a sharp up cut router bit you shouldn't have any tear out, at least I never do. Direction makes no difference, but if you're nervous go parallel with the face grain.


----------



## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

Face down.


----------



## jumbojack (Mar 20, 2011)

Dig a DEEP hole like 5' or better. Throw a sack of fence post concrete in then the wobble dado blade followed by another sack of concrete. Soak with a hose and fill in with remaining dirt.
That said I never have a problem running rabbets with a sharp dado stack.


----------



## Shopguy (Aug 24, 2012)

Thanks to all that provided great ideas. I set up a 5/8" diameter straight carbide router bit in my router table that has an Incra/Jessem Router Lift II, set the fence for a 1/2" width cut and 1/4" bit height and routed a clean rabbet in the Baltic birch plywood. Used a backer board to eliminate tear out. Joints are perfect.
Roger


----------



## DangerDoug (Nov 22, 2013)

I found a use for a wobble dado they other day, they do cut 1/4" or less. Stack dadoes won't do that; not mine anyway.


----------

