There are few joints I use as regularly as grooves and dadoes. They may lack the flair of a dovetail or the outright strength of a mortise and tenon, but, for a functional and efficient joint, it’s hard to ask for more.
Grooves and dadoes are an integral part of most case and drawer constructions. They’re easily made with either a router or table saw (or even by hand), and secured by glue or screws. Not only do they provide mechanical strength to a joint, but these joints also make it easy to register all the pieces during assembly.
The box at the top of the next page illustrates the difference between grooves and dadoes (as well as rab-bets). Put simply, the difference between the two is grain orientation, and the
