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.
Traditionally a tool known as a biscuit joiner is used to cut the required recesses in each piece of timber, but it is also possible to use a router, or in the case of this project, a relatively modern palm router to cut these recesses. Before we go any further it has to be noted that using a propper biscuit jointer will provide a more accurate and precise hole, but with a little practice and care there is no reason why you can’t cut a comparable hole using a router. 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. A router can only cut a biscuit slot on the edge of a piece of timber and not into the face and also not along a beveled edge. As we have stated above, in the below steps you will learn how to make a biscuit joint without a biscuit jointer, instead we will be using a router. 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.
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.
how to make biscuit joint with router Related Question:
Can you biscuit joint 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.
What tool make biscuit joint?
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.