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.
Purchasing a biscuit jointer to cut, maybe, 8 or 10 biscuit joints per year doesn’t make financial sense, unless you have the spare cash of course, so using a router in it’s place makes sense, but then again, if you are likely to be forming a fair few biscuit joints, then it’s advisable to purchase the correct tool for the job. Apply plenty of glue to each biscuit hole on both pieces of timber and then a decent amount along the flat faces between each biscuit joint, again on both pieces of timber and also a little on each biscuit as you push them into each hole. Cutting a biscuit joint using a router may seem quite tricky to begin with but as long as you measure everything out and take your time you can easily create a biscuit joint and successfully join two pieces of timber.
how to use a biscuit router bit Related Question:
How do you cut biscuits with a router?
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. Then cut a slot that’s about 1/2 in.
Which is stronger dowel or biscuit joint?
When done correctly, a biscuit joint is at least as strong as a similar size mortise and tenon joint, and decidedly stronger than a dowel joint.”
Why does the grain of a biscuit run diagonally?
Biscuits are made from compressed beech wood. The grain runs diagonally across the biscuit. The biscuit is weakest along this grain line. When you install two biscuits in a joint, put them in with the grains running in opposite directions.
What tool is used to cut slots in wood for biscuits?
A biscuit joiner or biscuit jointer (or sometimes plate joiner) is a woodworking tool used to join two pieces of wood together. A biscuit joiner uses a small circular saw blade to cut a crescent-shaped hole (called the mouth) in the opposite edges of two pieces of wood or wood composite panels.
What is the spacing for biscuit joints?
Biscuit Spacing The plate joints should be positioned so that the edge of the biscuit is two to three inches from the edge of the wood stock. Closer than that, and you risk splitting the wood; further away and you compromise some of the holding strength at the ends.
What are the disadvantages of a biscuit joint?
Biscuit joints do not stand up well against other joinery methods. We won’t spend any time comparing with mortise and tenon joints because all other joinery methods pale in comparison when measuring strength. But, as an example, the use of dowels as opposed to biscuits is a step up in strength.
Do you need to biscuit joint worktop?
john chippy New Member. I’ve never seen any benefit in biscuit jointing worktops. It won’t hold your joints flush and level to the degree of accuracy required because the chipboard at the core of the work top is usually too soft to prevent any movement.
How do you cut a groove in wood without a table saw?
If you want to cut a groove in a piece of wood, a plunge router is the easiest tool to use for straight or curved grooves. Using a rotary tool also works for cutting short channels, but it’s more difficult to make long, straight lines with them.