Like many woodworkers, I embraced biscuit joinery years ago. But I never seem to have a nice, flat, usable space to register the base of the joiner while making cuts. This is mainly because my workbench tends to be covered with dried glue drops, shavings, and other whatnots.

I solved the problem with a simple, modified bench hook. It provides a flat, smooth registration surface and has a pair of fences to hold the work. The best one is the split fence, which simplifies cutting biscuit slots in the ends of mitered frames. The jig is made from 3/4-in.-thick melamine. Cut the base to 12 in. wide by 16 in. long and each plywood fence to 2 in. wide by 18 in. long.

Start by cutting a 1/4-in. by 1/4-in. rabbet along one edge of both fences. The rabbets provide a place for dust and shavings to collect, so they won’t prevent the workpiece from butting tightly against the fence. To install the split fence, first mount it in one piece by screwing from the top and bottom. Once it’s mounted, mark a 4-in.-long cutout in the center. Remove the fence and cut out the marked section. Then sand a small radius on all four corners of the gap. The radius is important because you’re going to be wedging workpieces against these corners and you don’t want them so sharp that they mar your material. Install all fences with glue and screws.

To cut a slot in the edge of a workpiece, simply hook the split fence on the edge of the workbench and place the workpiece against the straight fence. The melamine provides a smooth and true registration surface. The jig really shines when cutting the end of a mitered joint. No fussy setup here. Simply place the workpiece in the opening of the split fence, then rotate the workpiece until it binds in the gap. As you make the cut, apply continuous sideways pressure to prevent the workpiece from moving.

Drawings by Jim Richey.

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