On many biscuit joiners, setting the fence height for various thicknesses of stock can be time-consuming work. “Solve both problems by making a set of gauges from scrap. To start, place your biscuit joiner on a flat table so its base rests flush with the surface. Use a piece of material of the desired thickness and set the fence for a centered cut. For 11⁄2” and thicker stock, it makes sense to center two slots. To set the fence, place the joiner on a table, loosen and lift the fence, place the correct block under it, and tighten the fence locking screws while holding it against the block.
Because biscuit joints are easy to mark out and quick to cut, using one almost seems like cheating. The safest way to cut biscuit slots is with a biscuit joiner. The oversized slot lets the biscuit move slightly, enabling you to tweak parts into perfect alignment.
“I know!” I thought, “I’ll use my new freud biscuit joiner to drop in some of those biscuits for alignment that everyone’s always talking about!”. Most of it went fine, but I kept encountering biscuits that were out of alignment in regards to the height, i.e. how far down the edge of the board from the face. “I went out and checked over the biscuit joiner, but it was still securely set at 3/4”. I tried to wiggle the height fence, but it was rock solid.
A Biscuit Jointer otherwise known as a Plate Joiner is a wood cutting machine which is used to cut out a shallow, oval shaped notch in each face of 2 pieces of timber so that they can be joined together using a biscuit. As we have briefly mentioned, a biscuit jointer is a specialist tool specifically designed for forming the oval-shaped cut in a piece of timber to take a timber joint biscuit. You should now be a little more familiar with your biscuit jointer in terms of what needs to be done to set the tool up correctly, what you are precisely trying to achieve by cutting a biscuit joint e.g. align and strengthen a joint and also what a biscuit is and how it works.
biscuit joiner height adjustment Related Question:
How far apart should biscuit joints be?
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.
What is the difference between a plate joiner and biscuit 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.
Are biscuit joiners worth it?
They will definitely provide more strength than glue alone, but not a lot. If your boards are too narrow, you can reinforce the joint by adding the biscuit on the back side of the face. But again, I would prefer to just use pocket screws, dados, or rabbets.
What size biscuit do I need?
What Size Biscuit to Use. As a general rule, try to use the largest size biscuit possible, as this will provide the greatest amount of strength to the joint. In most cases, use #20 biscuits, but when working on narrower material, switch to smaller biscuits where appropriate.
Can you biscuit joint a 45 degree angle?
Mark the center lines for each biscuit to align with the biscuit joiner. Most biscuit joiners have a variety of fence positions; on a 45-degree miter, the fence should be on the 45-degree setting. After test cuts, it is a very fast operation!
What makes a biscuit joint so strong?
They are more for alignment, where the dowels will add a good deal of strength. In my use of biscuits they are designed to keep joints from pulling apart. The clearances the cutter makes to insert the biscuit allows for enough movement that alignment is not guaranteed.
Can you biscuit joint a Mitre?
face miters A few biscuits can solve both problems. They can register the ends so that the corners can’t slip during clamp-up and strengthen the otherwise end-grain joint. A biscuit-reinforced miter is as strong as a full table saw-cut spline, but biscuits can be hidden within the miter for a cleaner-looking joint.
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 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.
Can you use a biscuit joiner to make 90 degree joints?
Biscuit joiners are great for when you want to securely fasten a butt joint on your woodworking projects. George Vondriska teaches you how to use the biscuit joiner to attach a shelf at a 90-degree angle to the face of another board.
How many biscuits should I use to join wood?
Two biscuits per foot is a great rule of thumb, but the goal is just to make the alignment task easier. So, if you have a couple of edges that are 24″ in length and are dead straight & perhaps you would only need two biscuits to do the job.
Do wood biscuits swell?
What makes biscuits better than dowels? The size and shape of the slot. The oversized slot lets the biscuit move slightly, enabling you to tweak parts into perfect alignment. However, once glued, the biscuits swell and lock the parts in place.
What is the strongest type of wood joint?
Mortise and Tenon Woodworking Joints One of the strongest woodworking joints is the mortise and tenon joint. This joint is simple and strong. Woodworkers have used it for many years. Normally you use it to join two pieces of wood at 90-degrees.
Is a rebate joint as strong as a butt joint?
The advantage that the shoulder joint has over the butt joint is its strength as the rebate provides a much greater fixing area and, once glued, forms a solid corner. If you need even more strength in your joint you can combine the adhesive with screws, nails or even dowels that will further reinforce your corners.
Are dominoes better than biscuits?
The biscuit joiner cutter is shallower than the domino limiting the lateral strength compared to Festool Domino. Biscuits are made from beech wood and have a short grain which is not as strong as a timber with a straight grain which I make my Festool dominos from. The Festool Domino has a greater glue area.