Chopping The Stopped Recess — Joint Variation: Stopped/Stepped Housing Dado

Secure your workpiece in the vise and use a wide chisel to pare down to the bottom of the cut to remove the waste immediately adjacent to the wall. Repeat once more with the square and knife to deepen the cut, followed by the chisel again.

Pare into the knifewall to deepen the first wall

Pare into the knifewall again to remove the waste

Switch between chopping vertically with your workpiece on the benchtop and paring diagonally in the vise, as you would with a common housing dado, until you are near to depth.

Go to your benchtop and begin to take even 'rows' of chops with a wide chisel

Pare into the knifewall so that the chisel chops will advance further towards your depth line

Check as you get close to depth so that you don't take too much off

With your first wall cut approximately to depth, take your corresponding piece and line it up against the existing wall. Tilt it ever so slightly so that it stays locked in place and make a very light nick on the other side with a sharp knife to mark the exact position of the second wall.

To mark the second wall, push your side piece tight against your first wall

Square this line across using a knife and then proceed to chop the wall as before. (Remember that your square should now be on the other side of the recess so that the bruising from the bevel of the knife goes on the waste wood.)

When chopping, it is generally a good practice to tilt your chisel ever so slightly to decrease the width of the recess towards the bottom. This will increase the chances of achieving a tight fit. Check that the recess is about right; ideally, the joint should be self supporting when you pick up the housed piece.

Angle your chisel slightly inwards to ensure a snug fit

Check for fit in case you need to angle the wall even more (or less if too tight)