Laying Out The Stopped Recess

The layout for a stopped housing dado is practically the same as that for a through housing dado, except that you ‘stop’ a certain distance from one of the edges (presumably the front edge). Simply use the shelf piece to mark the exact width on your side piece.

Remember to lay out with a square and pencil first (including the stop line near the front). Then mark the depth using a marking gauge or router plane. You should also use a marking gauge to define the exact end of the housing near the front as this will give you a more accurate line to work to, especially if you are still relatively new to hand tools.

With all your general layout done, you can now make your first knifewall which will define the exact wall of the recess.