On Apr 2, 12:36 pm, "Richard" wrote:
Is there any rule of thumb about how deep to cut a rabbit or dado? I
have typically cut them to half the thickness of the stock, but I'm
wondering if this may be overkill. Does the strength of the joint
increase with the depth of cut?

Thanks,
Richard

This article doesn't give a 'standard' depth but it does explain how
to cut a 'standardized' dado and end up with a joint that appears easy
to cut and could be stronger in some situations.
http://www.newwoodworker.com/stndrdados.html

As far as your original question I go somewhere between 1/3 to 1/2
deep depending on what 'feels' right for that joint.