TONGUE AND GROOVE
Hand-Cut Tongueand-Groove Joint
A
Combination planes work well for plowing a through groove cut. The no. 45 plane shown here, like all combination planes, needs careful alignment so the iron is well supported during the cut (A). Don’t let too much blade be exposed or you’ll experience chatter.
B
Tongue cuts can be made with a rabbeting plane (B). Keep the plane square to the edge of the board so the shoulder remains square to the tongue. Set the plane fence so the tongue is almost as deep as the groove.
Tongue-and-Groove Joint with a Router The groove is cut using a straight bit chucked in a plunge router. Using a plunge router allows you to easily control the depth of cut. The cut is guided by the router’s edge guide fitted with an auxiliary fence (A). Since edge cuts like this are precarious, mount another board next to the workpiece to support the cut (B).
A
B
You could also use a slotting cutter in a router table to make the groove cut. Or you could clamp on a second fence to the router base and trap the workpiece between the fences (C). Use a rabbeting bit topside to cut a tongue on a plywood panel (D). Make sure that the cut is deep enough to hold but not so deep that it weakens the tongue.
D
C
98
Rabbet, Groove, and Dado Joints