Cutting rabbets

[Perry]

For those that have decided that cutting finger joint corners for their boxes is too much trouble, and want to perhaps try cutting rabbet joints, here's how I do it:
NOTE: This is the way I do it, I do not advise anyone else to necessarily do it this way.
When I first started to cut these I was laying my boards flat, stacking all the dado blades allowed by the tablesaw manufacturer (all of them) and not being happy with the end result. After a trip to my buddy Hans' shop he quickly showed me an easier way to do it.
He also showed me how to quickly rig up a push block that helps hold the wood against the fence while pushing it into the blade. It also prevents any "tear out" when the wood leaves the blade.







I use the block against the side of the board until I'm about half way through.



Then I slide my push block so that it hooks in behind my board as I push it all the way through, providing support against tear out.



I was busy today, first doing the rabbets for the box ends, and once I had those all done, I lowered my dado blades and ran them all through again to make the frame rests.
First cut to exact length.





Then start running through for the rabbets.
Please excuse the mess, but things are crowded until I get my honey house up and running. Note the bags (4) of free smoker fuel??







So far I have 60 mediums and 70 deeps ready to glue and screw, with around another 60 to 70 mediums still to go. Once they are all together I will let them sit till spring and then cut hand holds in them and paint.

[apisbees]

Perry uses custom milled lumber 7/8" thick Just wider than most stacking dado blades and what the saw arbor length will accommodate. Use caution when running like Perry does as the chance for kick backs is greater and with a higher dado height exposes more finger grabbing blade. this being said I would dado like Perry, but I also have a black thumb nail right now from a kicked back piece of wood so use caution.

[G3farms]

Another thing to watch out for, is on the smaller table saws the throat plate can be thin and it will bend down just a wee bit when running the board across it. Looks like Perry's home made throat plate is thick plywood, just the ticket for this type of job.

[lazy shooter]

I've thrown wocks at rabbets.  Does that count?

[Perry]

Only if you hit 'em!
(and as long as it isn't Thorin, our pet rabbit).

[Slowmodem]

Perry, at the rate you're going, your products are going to be a common sight all across Canada and the US! 

[pistolpete]

one more tip: for boards that are slightly cupped face the inside of the cup inside of the hive.  That's because the inside of the hive is humid and the board will swell slightly on the inside, making it want to cup out.  By cupping it the opposite way you end up with less stress in the final product.    If that doesn't make sense, here is a visual aid  the bracket is the board viewed on end:
   inside of hive ) outside of hive

[Yankee11]

Perry,

I have hooked up with a couple of sawmills now. They are tell me 1x12 1 inch thick for 50 cents a foot. I am thinking about buying some to make
boxes with. That would save me around 75% or more on the boxes.

[brooksbeefarm]

I make mine out of #4 pine 1"x12"'s,  i just butt them up, put #111 titebound glue on them and use wood screws, 4 to each corner on the deeps and 3 on the med. supers. My hand holds are 1" by 2" across the front and back, don't use inner covers any more, went to migratory lids. Bees have not complained I figure the less time on the table saw, the better chance of loosing my fingers,besides i'm getting lazy in my old age. Jack
PS. Spend extra money on a good paint, they will last longer, no matter how you put them together.