All About Biscuit Joiners (Plate Joiners)
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What is a Biscuit
Joiner used for?
A Biscuit joiner is a woodworking tool used to join two pieces of wood together. |
How does a biscuit
joiner work?
A biscuit joiner uses a small (4") blade to cut a crescent shaped hole in the
opposite edges of two pieces of wood. An oval shaped wooden biscuit is covered with glue,
placed in the slot, and the two boards are clamped together. |
Why would I want
to use a biscuit joiner?
Simplicity! A biscuit joiner is simple and quick to use. You can create joints in a
fraction of the time it takes using more traditional woodworking techniques. |
Are Biscuit Joints
strong?
Yes, for most applications a biscuit joint is sufficiently strong. |
What are the
biscuits made of?
Most biscuits are made from compressed beech shavings stamped out into an oval pattern.
Glue in the joint soaks into the biscuit causing it to swell and tighten up in the joint. |
What
Biscuit sizes are available?
The three most common sizes are:
#0=5/8" wide X 1-3/4" long
#10=3/4" wide X 2-1/8" long
#20=1" wide X 2-3/8" long
All of the above biscuits are .148 " thick.
Some manufacturers are now offering biscuit joiners that use mini biscuits. |
Click To Enlarge |
What size biscuits
should I use in my joints?
Generally you should try to use the largest biscuit that will fit. In most cases this will
be a #20. Sometimes, especially when building thin frames, you will need to scale down to
a #10 or #0 biscuit. |
What's the
difference between a biscuit joiner and a plate joiner?
There is no difference. Both names refer to the same tool. The term "Biscuit
joiner" is used more commonly in the U.S. than Plate Joiner. |
What Types of
Joints are Biscuit Joiners used for?
The most common joints are:
Edge to Edge (i.e. table tops), Miter Joints (i.e. picture frames), Butt Joinery (end to
end), Corner joints (i.e. drawers), T Joints (i.e. book shelf) |
How
do I make a T-Joint?
Step 1 - Lay the two boards you wish to join on top of each other and
mark the locations of the biscuits then cut the horizontal slots.
Step 2- Cut the vertical slots.
Step 3 - Assemble the joint.Click on the image to enlarge. |
Click To Enlarge
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How do I lay out
joints?
Laying out a joint for a biscuit is one of the best features of this tool. For most butt
joints all you have to do is draw a line between the two pieces and align the center mark
on your joiner up with this mark. |
I'm interested in
purchasing a biscuit joiner. What should I look for?
There are a number of different models of biscuit joiners on the market from companies
such as: DeWalt, Freud, Porter-Cable, Makita, Ryobi, Delta, Skil, and Lamello. Before
buying a biscuit joiner you should make sure it is well made. A tool with loose tolerances
and parts that slip easily will cause more aggravation and mistakes than it's worth. In my
opinion, the price and features of the DeWalt push it to the top of the pack. I own this
tool and am always impressed with the design and ease of adjusting the fence and depth
mechanisms. The fence is mounted on a rack-and-pinion mechanism with measurements and
common settings clearly marked. |
| Do you have any
tips for biscuit joinery?Dry-fit your Components before gluing to make sure everything fits.
Store your biscuits in a clean dry container. They can absorb humidity from the air and
swell.
If you notice your joiner burning or smoking the wood in the slots it's time to sharpen
or replace the blade.
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