A dado (US and Canada), housing (UK) or trench (Europe) is a slot or trench cut into the surface of a piece of machinable material, usually
wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...
. When viewed in cross-section, a dado has three sides. A dado is cut across, or perpendicular to, the
grain and is thus differentiated from a
groove
Groove or Grooves may refer to:
Music
* Groove (music)
* Groove (drumming)
* The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s
* The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station
* Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station
...
which is cut with, or parallel to the grain. Dados are often used to affix shelves to
cabinetry
A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves and/or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood (s ...
bodies. Similar to the dado, see
rabbet
A rabbet (American English) or rebate (British English) is a recess or groove cut into the edge of a piece of machinable material, usually wood. When viewed in cross-section, a rabbet is two-sided and open to the edge or end of the surface in ...
(rebate).
Variations
* A ''through''
dado involves cuts which run between both edges of the surface, leaving both ends open.
* A ''stopped'' or ''blind'' dado ends before one (stopped) or both (blind) of the cuts meets the edge of the surface.
* A ''half dado'' is formed with a narrow dado cut into one part, coupled with a
rabbet
A rabbet (American English) or rebate (British English) is a recess or groove cut into the edge of a piece of machinable material, usually wood. When viewed in cross-section, a rabbet is two-sided and open to the edge or end of the surface in ...
of another piece. This joint tends to be used because of its ability to hide unattractive gaps due to varying material thicknesses.
See also
*
Dado set
A dado set or dado blade is a type of circular saw blade, usually used with a table saw or radial arm saw, which is used to cut dadoes or grooves in woodworking
Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet makin ...
*
Woodworking joints
Joinery is a part of woodworking that involves joining pieces of wood, engineered lumber, or synthetic substitutes (such as laminate), to produce more complex items. Some woodworking joints employ mechanical fasteners, bindings, or adhesives, ...
References
{{Woodworking
Dado, Housing, Trench