How to Use a Biscuit Joiner: Registering Off the Bottom
George VondriskaWoodworkers commonly use biscuits as a quick, lightweight substitute for dados, splines and tenons. For joints of these types, biscuit joinery provides a great option in situations where the joint does not demand extreme strength. As you learn how to use a biscuit joiner, it is helpful to understand the exceptional versatility that this tool brings, as many biscuit joiners have high quality fences that allow you to cut biscuit slots at a wide range of reference depths and angles, enabling you to position a biscuit in nearly any situation. The more you use the tool and explore how to use a biscuit joiner, however, the more you will discover applications where the fence does not offer a sufficient range that allows you to use it. For example, when using biscuits to attach shelves in a bookcase, you are required to mill biscuit slots into the middle of a large panel, often several feet from the nearest reference surface. Using the fence is out of the question in this situation, so, will you be using a biscuit joiner in these situations?
Fold up the fence
If the situation calls for a biscuit slot outside of the range of your fence, simply fold it up out of the way and use a different reference surface. Using the base of most biscuit joiners as a reference will position the biscuit slot’s center 3/8” above the base, which is perfect for ¾” material.
Use a consistent reference surface. If you use the base as reference for one biscuit slot, for consistency, also use it for the mating slot. for consistency. Be sure to apply this technique as you are learning how to use a biscuit joiner, and you might find that you prefer to use this approach even in situations where the fence would be an option.
When you use a biscuit joiner we have to be sure that you're using it consistently. So biscuit joiners can bring a lot of accuracy, a lot of versatility to your woodworking, but it's all predicated on the idea that you're using it correctly. So here what I want to specifically look at is application where you must register off the bottom of the biscuit joiner, not use the fence at all. So here's what I've got going. This would be a pretty common approach, we're making a bookshelf or a cabinet or something, and this component is gonna be right in the middle of the project, located on that line, covering the X, just like that, and I'm gonna use biscuits to join the two together.
So what defines how I do this, whether or not I use the fence? If we can't use the fence for every cut, you shouldn't use the fence for any cut. So when we look at the idea of putting biscuit slots here to locate the shelf in the middle of this board, could we possibly roll that down, engage the fence somehow to make that cut? No way. So instead, what we would do, the way I would do this, is I would clamp a guide right on that pencil line.
That becomes where my biscuit joiner is gonna rest so that I can make these cuts. I'm gonna go ahead and clamp this in place, and it is very convenient, you'll see in a second, to use the mating piece as the guide. And then I'm gonna go ahead and mark out, we're gonna put a biscuit there, and we're gonna put a biscuit there, and we need a little electricity for this. Okay. So now, think about this.
The X is showing where the component is gonna go, so the bottom of my biscuit joiner is gonna go against this ledge. That means I'm aligning the bottom of the biscuit joiner with the bottom of the shelf. Okay? When I do this, what I'm gonna be doing is aligning this mark, that indicates the center of the cutter, with the pencil marks that I've put on this piece. Hold the base of the biscuit joiner tight to the ledge, align the marks, make a cut.
Now you might be tempted to take this piece off and get your fence on your biscuit joiner activated, and putting the fence on here cut these two slots? Don't do it. We want to make sure that we're registering consistently off the same surface. On these cuts we registered from the bottom up, so on these cuts we also need to register from the bottom up. This is where it's very convenient if the piece that we've clamped here is the piece we're gonna use here, 'cause now what I can do is use that line, indicates the center of the cutter, align that with the pencil mark, I'm just gonna leave everything in place, and with the bottom of my biscuit joiner on this face that is aligning the bottom of the machine with the bottom of the shelf.
So the thing that's key out of this, if you look at the front of the biscuit joiner, is distance from the bottom to the center of the cutter is always gonna be the same. By virtue of the way we did this, distance from the bottom to the center of this cut, bottom to the center of this cut has to be identical. And what that means to this piece, then, is the face that I put the marks on is what will be the top face of our shelf, so this will simply fold up like this. And that'll keep us right on that layout line that we created earlier. So again, the rule for this to work is, if you can't use the fence on every piece, don't use the fan sign any piece, then that'll give you consistent and accurate layout and cutting when you're using a biscuit joiner.
I have done this before, but it only seems to work with sheets that are 3/4 inch or more. Since the biscuit position is “fixed”, from base to center line of cutter, the biscuit will not be centered on the edge of the sheet. Ultimately, if you have thick enough material, it will be aligned with the mark across the board. So, I guess that is as good as it gets, even if the biscuit is not perfectly centered on the edge.
Just bought me a biscuit joiner. Now off to apply the new video skills I go!
Great. I bought a biscuit joiner for a song a while ago, but haven't used it yet. Good to get some good tips before venturing out to use this tool.
Excellent! You solved a problem I have been struggling with using my biscuit Joiner. Thanks!! Great site by the way!!