Replies

1. 
   AlanWS | Jan 14, 2005 06:07am | #1

   5/32"

2. 
   hammer1 | Jan 14, 2005 07:45am | #2

   It could be your biscuits. They need to be kept in air tight containers or they will take on relative humidity. It doesn't take much to make them too tight.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

3. 
   dondownunder | Jan 14, 2005 08:26am | #3

   Zach

   The jointer should cut a 4mm slot.

   It may be humidity causing your biscuits to swell, some brands also seem to have trouble geting the thickness consisently right. Some jointer blades are not right either (I have had one which was closer to 5mm reground by my saw doc).  When fitting the biscuit should bed in fully by hand without being loose.

   Some posters have advocated microwaving to dry biscuits, you may want to check the archives to follow up that line.

   Don

4. 
   301 | Jan 14, 2005 08:47am | #4

   I am pretty certain that I have detected thickness differences between different brands.  I strongly beleive Bosch biscuits are thinner then PC brand.

1. 
   69STINGRAY | Jan 15, 2005 01:46am | #5

   Thanks everyone, I will measure the slot to ensure it is not my joiner.  I just did not want to buy another container of biscuits if the joiner can't make the correct width slot.  I will try the microwaving trick also!

1. 
   eddiefromAustralia | Jan 15, 2005 02:08am | #6

   Zach,If you have a metalworking vice, try using that to squash the biscuits again.The biscuit cutter cuts a 4mm slot as others have said.The biscuits are cut from 4mm veneer(?). To get them to fit, they're stamped out of this (thick) sheet of veneer and compressed. To keep them compressed, they need to be stored away from sources of moisture (including humidity).The idea behind this is that moisture from the glue will re-expand the biscuit, making the joint tight while allowing you to get the biscuits in the slot initially.When I only need a few biscuits from swollen stock, I just squash the biscuit flat in an engineering vice.Just food for thought and a possibly different approach.Cheers,eddie

1. 
   knottyone | Jan 15, 2005 12:29pm | #7

   Hi, I am new to the board and have been reading it lately. I was wondering if vacuum packing the biscuits with a foodsaver would help with the moisture and humidity problem.

5. 
   douglas2cats | Jan 15, 2005 04:44pm | #8

   Zach

   I occasionally run into the same problem, with biscuits either swelling or being made a little too thick. I'm kind of in the habit now of pushing the jointer back in for a 2nd cut. That's often enough to clean the slot out an extra few thousandths and make inserting the fatter biscuits easier while still not making the normal ones have a sloppy fit.

    

    

   I love the smell of sawdust in the morning.

6. 
   DougU | Jan 15, 2005 09:28pm | #9

   Zack

   I have had problems with the thickness of biscuits, swithced to Lamello  biscuits and have had no problems. Cant afford the Lamello jointer but the biscuits are nice and uniform. PC biscuits seem to be the worst IMO.

   If you just have an odd biscuit to thick hit it hard with your hammer before inserting it, it will expand back when the glue is applied.

   Doug

1. 
   69STINGRAY | Jan 15, 2005 10:31pm | #10

   Thanks everyone, I haven't measured the slots yet, but I will.  The biscuits that came with the joiner did not fit, I was not surprised, they looked and felt cheap.  I went to the big orange box and bought Porter Cable biscuits, again, too thick, so I started thinking it was the joiner.<!----><!---->

    <!---->

   Where can I bought another brand of biscuit?  I do not have many good stores local to my area.  Any good internet sites with cheap shipping?<!---->

    

1. 
   DougU | Jan 16, 2005 06:06am | #11

   Zach

   I ordered my Lamello biscuits through Bear(out of Chicago)

   I'm sure that you can get them from other sources, I'd have to look and see. Someone will come on here with other places, if not I'm sure I can find some.

   Doug

1. 
   Sancho | Jan 16, 2005 08:23am | #12

   a bud told me  to nuke'em in a micro wave it will take the moisture outta them. havent tried it yet but thats what he said 

    

7. 
   Lwood | Jan 17, 2005 12:47am | #13

   Heres a possible solution . Loosen up your blade, insert a narrow strip or two of paper  about 1/2"x1-2" long onto the inside of your blade. Paper should run from out side edge of interior washer blade toward center. This makes your cutter blade act like an adjustable dado head. With a little experimenting with different thickness of paper you should be able to get most all of them fitting just right . I have been using this technique for years. Hey it Works

   Good luck