A Really Wide Rabbit...

[Jim Frye]

I needed to make a 10" wide by 1/4" deep rabbit in an 11 1/2" wide by 1" thick oak stair tread. I thought about cutting an 1 1/2" wide piece of the tread off, planing the remainder down to 3/4" thick, and then glueing the 1/ 1/2" wide piece back on with a spline or biscuits to reinforce the joint. Since the entire thick section was going to be unsupported from underneath, I decided against that and proceeded to cut the monster rabbit from the single piece. I mounted up my full dado set (all 29/32" of it) on my old 13 amp. BT3K and proceeded to carve away the wood. I started at the front of the work piece and continued working towards the back of the tread so I would have two support points that were 1" thick. When I got to the last 1/4" to be removed, I simply sawed it off by turning the work piece vertical and ripping it off. The old BT3K had no problem hogging the stock off the bottom of the board, even with all the passes it took. I think it took less time this way too.

[pelligrini]

Wouldn't have been easier to laminate a 1/4" thick 1 1/2" wide piece of oak to a 3/4" thick board?

Or do you really just enjoy using a dado stack?

I wouldn't have thought about ripping the last piece off. I'm sure I would have taken a chisel to it.

I've never had really good luck doing similar cuts. The last time I was doing that was on a half lap joint for a 2x12 and a 2x8. My wood was still a little wet and the 2x8 really started moving with the material removed. I ended up changing the joint & design.

[RodKirby]

At the risk of offending you, Jim

I thought I was going to see a long-eared, fat furry hopper

I think it's rabbet

[Jim Frye]

Silly Wabbit!

At the risk of offending you, Jim

I thought I was going to see a long-eared, fat furry hopper

I think it's rabbet

Yep, I did spell it wrong.

[Jim Frye]

Lamenting Laminating...

Wouldn't have been easier to laminate a 1/4" thick 1 1/2" wide piece of oak to a 3/4" thick board?

Or do you really just enjoy using a dado stack? .

The nose of the stair tread is quite visible in this instance. I am building the landing for this stairway and you will see the end of the tread every time you climb the stairs, so I wanted to keep it looking like all of the rest of the steps. I am using 3/4" oak for the landing planking, but all of the stair treads are a full 1" thick. 1" oak is a lot more expensive than 4/4 oak at the local hardwood dealer, so I am cheaping out here. Necessity may be the mother of invention, but unemployment/early retirement is surely the father.

[just started]

Wouldn't it have been easier to add a 1/4" layer of some sheet goods under the landing planks to match the existing thicknesses?

[RayintheUK]

Wouldn't it have been easier .......

Maybe it would have been, but Jim's method sounds far more satisfying!

Ray

[Uncle Cracker]

Maybe it would have been, but Jim's method sounds far more satisfying!

Not to mention the marvelous pile of shavings this must have generated...

[Stytooner]

I thought I was going to see a long-eared, fat furry hopper

I expected to see that or a modified Volkswagon on a Hummer frame.

I have done rabbets like this before, Jim. Maybe not quite as wide, but the technique works well. Works best on straight lumber though.

[LCHIEN]

here's a really wide rabbit (Jessica)

[radhak]

...there's wide, then there's Broad...

[Uncle Cracker]

You guys really gotta lay off the coffee...

[radhak]

No, need more coffee... distract me from that pic Loring posted...

But Jim, thanks for posting - I think I would have chickened out and tried some 'patch-up' (and have done so in the past). You remind me that woodworking is supposed to take the lazy out of me. Shall remember this and do it the 'right' way the next opportunity.