So you need to cut a few biscuit grooves but don’t own a biscuit joiner – No problem, cutting the grooves with your router and a slot-cutter bit is easy. If you can’t afford a $200 or so biscuit joiner, then a router and a $40 biscuit joining router bit set is a real money saver, assuming you already own a router. Grooves cut using a router setup do not match the shape of a biscuit as well as grooves cut using a biscuit joiner.
There are two situations where a router can’t substitute for a biscuit joiner: A router can cut slots only along the edges of a board, not across its face; and it can only cut along square edges, not beveled ones. Here’s how you can use your router with a straight bit to plane wide material: Mount an oversized base plate on your router and screw the base plate to a pair of stiff, straight “Stretchers.” Make your stretchers at least twice as long as the width of the workpiece, plus 8 in. Finding the right router bit Router bit shank options.
Q: I would like to try biscuit joinery but I do not own a biscuit joiner. You can alter the slot depth to accommodate No. 0, No. 10 and No. 20 biscuits by using different router bits or by changing bearings. To cut a biscuit slot with a router, you generally need to make the initial plunge cut and then move the router approximately 1/2 in.
Yes, it’s true, for the cost of a bit you can turn your router table into a biscuit joiner and save yourself … well, $100 to $200 or if you look at it another way, you can get more use out of your existing router table by just adding a biscuit joining bit to your collection. Remember, when you are cutting wood with a router table the flow of the wood wants to go from right to left, this means you are forcing wood into the cutting path of the bit just as you force wood into the cutting path of a table saw blade. If your wood has a bow or twist in it, you need to make an extra effort to get that wood flat against the router table top as it enters the winged cutter.
biscuit joiner jig for router Related Question:
Can you do biscuit joints with a router?
If you want to make biscuit joints, you don’t have to buy a biscuit joiner. In most cases, a router equipped with a 5/32-in. slot bit can cut perfect slots to fit the biscuits. Mark the biscuit positions on both adjoining boards as you would with a biscuit joiner.
What can I use if I don’t have a biscuit joiner?
Some tests suggest a dowel joint will provide stronger joinery than biscuits. Tests also indicate that dowel joints are not as strong as tenon joints or dovetail joints. They do make solid and accurate joints, though. A dowel joint will be a better method than nails or screws and are much less susceptible to breakage.
Are biscuit joiners worth it?
Biscuits joints serve best as a quick and easy way to keep glue-up parts in alignment, and that they add appreciable pull-apart to strength joints that would be otherwise too weak to stand on their own – like butt joints and miter joints.
Can you use a router sideways?
Yes you can use a router on a vertical surface.
What cuts can a router make?
A router is arguably the most versatile portable power tool you can buy. With this single tool you can shape decorative edges, trim laminates and veneers, rout hinge mortises, and cut a wide variety of woodworking joints, including dado, dovetail, rabbet, mortise-and-tenon, and tongue-and-groove, to name a few.
What is the difference between a biscuit joiner and a plate joiner?
A plate joiner is the same as a biscuit joiner and are used to create an oblong hole in two matching pieces of wood. After the joiners have created the hole, a biscuit is glued, inserted and typically clamped until the wood is dried.
Do biscuit joints add strength?
Some folks (including me) may use biscuits for alignment or “reinforcement”, but the truth is they do very little to strengthen the joint. In this long-grain situation, its really the glue that’s doing all the work. As you have heard me and others say many times, the glue joint is stronger than the wood itself.
How far apart should Biscuits be placed?
Biscuit Spacing Once you’ve determined the positions for the edge biscuits, you can calculate even spacing for the biscuits between the edges. Anywhere from 6 to 12 inches apart, measured on-center is usually sufficient.
How do you use a router against the grain?
Ease the router gently into the corner and pull it slowly back toward you a half inch or so. Then, stop the tool and start the cut where you normally would, routing across the end grain to meet your climb cut (see Photo 5). Presto… no tearout!