Replies

1. 
   Rob_Millard | Dec 05, 2001 12:39am | #1

   *
   My Dewalt does basically the same thing. I have never used it for edge joint; because I believe a well made edge joint needs no reinforcement. I overcome the alignment problem, when edge jointing, by tapping here and there with a mallet, until things look good. I also, limit the amount of glue, since it acts like grease. I buy the Dewalt biscuits, they seem to be better than the PC ones.

1. 
   phil_eves | Dec 05, 2001 04:22am | #2

   *...and Freud biscuits are better again..(secret, keep them dry, or if they are consistently small, let them swell in ambient)

1. 
   Howard_Acheson | Dec 05, 2001 07:08pm | #3

   *Let me suggest something else. If you are not carefull, you can slightly raise or lower the biscuit cutter as you move it in. This creates a slightly oversized slot and this can lead to alignment problems.Also, I have never felt that bisquits or dowels would give perfectly aligned boards. I use cauls for my glue ups to keep the boards aligned. However, for cauls to work, your boards must be planed to the same thickness. Even then, sometimes they are not perfect and that is what my planer or belt sander is for. If it is too much out of line, I take it to a local woodshop and run it through their widebelt surface sander.

1. 
   Curly | Dec 06, 2001 01:03am | #4

   *What are cauls?

1. 
   Howard_Acheson | Dec 06, 2001 06:49pm | #5

   *Cauls are boards clamped across the panel to keep the individual boards even. Most pro shops will use them for glue ups.I have made a number of different types. Some are concave so the they only need to be clamped in the center. Some are convex and require clamping on both ends but these still apply pressure to the middle of the panel. I leave the cauls on until the panel glue joints are fully dry--generally 12+ hours for casein glue.

2. 
   Curly | Dec 08, 2001 04:30am | #6

   *Thanks

3. 
   scott_murray | Dec 08, 2001 07:28am | #7

   *Curly,If you use cauls, make sure you run some package tape on the edge which is going against the work. Otherwise, the caul will end up being glued to the panel. Not a pretty sight.Scott

4. 
   Sgian_Dubh | Dec 08, 2001 05:04pm | #8

   *Another thing to watch for. If you don't leave your glueup long enough to dry thoroughly before getting at it with stain and/or polish, and the biscuits are purposely glued in, those biscuits can telegraph their position through to the visible surface as slight rugby ball shaped (oval) distortions/depressions/humps. Actually this seems to happen sometimes even if you do leave them a good long time to dry and I've seen them reveal themselves months, even years later. For a table or cabinet top where light tends to hit at angles that reveal all flaws, I recommend setting the biscuits a little to the bottom side of the parts rather than dead centre. If I do use biscuits as an alignment aid in plank glueups I don't aim to glue the slot, but if a little glue dribbles in, that's okay. In other words, my intention is to 'dry biscuit' the job. I haven't used dowels in such glueups for maybe 20 years, because they are a pain in the posterior requiring precise boring, but they too can reveal themselves in cabinet and table tops. Naturally, this telegraphing is of less significance in vertical surfaces. Generally, I prefer to assemble wide panels of solid stuff without alignment aids, which is similar to Rob's preference, but on occasion biscuits, splines, dowels, slit feathers, etc. can be useful. Lamello make the best biscuits that I've come across. Porter Cables' poor offerings were far too flaky to be of any use. Bits flake off preventing closure of the joint. Slainte, RJ.

5. 
   Rich_Watkins | Dec 10, 2001 06:07am | #9

   *And another thing: Be careful to make sure your biscut joiner is PERFECTLY level to the board you are joining. It takes very little cant up or down to produce an acute angle which will leave the biscut inserted into the slot at an angle. This will in turn apply opposing pressure to the other board being joined. I have made this mistake when doing production work and letting my concentration slip.