Straighter, Stronger Shelves
Add a rabbet to shelf nosing to keep plywood shelves rigid and free from curves.
Unfortunately, plywood is not always flat, and cupped or wavy plywood can lead to curved shelves. When installing shelf nosing to cover up the edges of plywood shelves, I add a rabbet to the back side of the nosing board. A rabbet provides much more support for the shelf, creates a larger surface area for glue, and allows fasteners to be driven through the front of the nosing or through the top of the shelf, or both.
— Aron Jones Grand Manan Island, N.B., Canada. Drawing by Martha Garstang Hill.
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