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
A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit ( caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...
and is thus differentiated from a
groove 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 (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 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
*
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