The Basics of Biscuit Joinery

!±8± The Basics of Biscuit Joinery

If you're a new woodworker then the chances are good that you've heard the term "biscuit joint" but had visions of grandma baking up a piping hot tray of buttermilk biscuits. You're on the right track if you're thinking "a method for joining two pieces of wood," because that's precisely what a biscuit joint is. Not only that, it's one of the simplest methods of true joinery and a great place for beginning woodworkers to get started with learning the basics.

1) What Is A Biscuit?

A biscuit is a thin, ovular piece of compressed wood - typically birch. They are remarkably strong because they're constructed with a diagonal grain pattern, meaning they're tough along the length and the width. Biscuits are also designed to be porous. Biscuits come in three sizes: the #0, which is 5/8" x 1-3/4"; the #10, which is 3/4" x 2-1/8"; the #20, which is 1" x 2-3/8".

2) How Does The Biscuit Work?

Biscuits are the connecting pieces between the two pieces of wood you're seeking to join - think of them as the dowels in a dowel joint. But in a biscuit joint you're cutting holes in your pieces that are more like trenches, made to accept the biscuit as a toaster accepts a piece of bread. Once you glue your biscuit in it absorbs the water in the glue and expands, making your joints rock solid.

3) What Are The Best Applications For The Biscuit Joint?

There are woodworkers who use biscuit joints whenever possible. Your professionals and extreme hobbyists tend to use them primarily when joining panels, corners, miters, face frames and T-joints. If you're just getting started then be sure to pick a very simple application - try just an edge-to-edge joint and see how it goes for you before you launch into any new projects.

4) Why The Biscuit Joint?

Many woodworkers swear by biscuit joints because they are so much faster than traditional methods for joining wood. Further, it's one of the best joining methods for new woodworkers seeking to go beyond the standard butt joint, or who are tired of their glued joints always breaking on their projects.

5) What are the Required Tools and Accessories?

Biscuit joining requires you to purchase biscuits plus either a biscuit joiner (they're also called plate joiners) or an appropriate add-on for your router. Typically the biscuit joiner itself is going to give you an easier out-of-the-box experience with less fussing with set up. It will be more expensive though and if you're on a tight budget then look for something that will work with your router. Also you will need a good supply of the wood glue of your choice.

6) Biscuit Joining Tips

Here are a number of tips to help you on your way as you begin using biscuit joints in your projects.

a) Cut each slot 1/32 of an inch deeper than half of the width of your biscuit on both boards. This ensures a clean and even fit for your biscuit.

b) Cut a practice slot in scrap wood before cutting into your working piece. Test your biscuit in the practice slot so that you're sure that your cuts are accurate.

c) Assemble your biscuit joints in a dry run before you glue up. This will help you see if you're missing anything or are misaligned in any way on your project. And you definitely want to know this before you've got the glue out.

d) Biscuit joiners are notoriously bad on dust collection. Empty the dust bag frequently and make sure that you're wearing your face mask and have your dust collection filtration system working over time while cutting the biscuit slots.

e) If you're having trouble picking which size biscuit to use on your project, pick the biggest that fits. When joining you want as much biscuit in your project as possible to ensure a strong joint.

f) If your stock is one inch thick or more you should use two biscuits. This is a general rule of thumb that doesn't apply in all circumstances.

g) If you mess up cutting your slot just add a biscuit, glue it and then trim it to the edge of your board. Then just recut the board in the right place.

h) Your joiner blade can collect just as much gunk as your saw blades. Keep your WD-40 handy for cleaning the blade off and always replace the blade if it starts to burn your wood.

7) What Are You Waiting For? Get In The Shop And Start Joining!

Now you know the basics of biscuit joinery and have an arsenal of tips to help you along on your next project. It's time for you to research and choose your biscuit joiner and start getting what no article in the world can give you - biscuit joining experience. Good luck, have fun, and most of all... BE SAFE!

The Basics of Biscuit Joinery

Cheap Graco Car Seat Stroller Combo Saving Mcculloch Leaf Blowers Yamaha Home Theatre Systems Compare

Kreg SML-F125 - 5000 1-1/4-Inch Pocket Screws, #7 Fine, Washer Head, 5000-Pack

!±8±Kreg SML-F125 - 5000 1-1/4-Inch Pocket Screws, #7 Fine, Washer Head, 5000-Pack

Brand : Kreg
Rate :
Price : $74.99
Post Date : Nov 23, 2011 09:00:36
Usually ships in 24 hours

This 1-1/4" fine thread, #2 square drive washer head screw works well in 3/4" thick, hardwood material such as oak, maple, hickory, cherry and walnut. The washer head of this screw is our most popular head style as the wide bearing surface of the head will not overdrive in the bottom of the pocket. This is especially important in softer material such as plywoods and composites. The screw also features a type 17 auger tip that self-taps its' own hole, eliminating the need to predrill in even the hardest materials. Kreg screws also have larger diameter steel shanks than many other screws on the market today making for an impressively strong screw that is almost impossible to break. Our screws have a bronze colored finish and a dry-lubricant coating that eases driving torque and provides greater rust resistance. For maximum rust resistance, look to our Sun-Seal coated weather resistant screws.

Frye Boots Engineer 8r This Instant

Kreg DB110 Foreman 3/4-Horsepower Electric Semi-Automatic Pocket Hole Machine

!±8± Kreg DB110 Foreman 3/4-Horsepower Electric Semi-Automatic Pocket Hole Machine

Rate : | Price : $795.00 | Post Date : Nov 12, 2011 22:42:59
Usually ships in 24 hours

When your production needs have outpaced the manual Kreg Jigs, look for the added speed and convenience of the FOREMAN Pocket Hole Machine. The semi-automatic FOREMAN features an electric drill motor and an adjustable clamping cylinder. To operate, simply position your material to be drilled and pull the lever forward. This motion activates the 3/4 hp drill motor and throws the clamping cylinder. Finish the drill stroke by continuing to pull on the lever and then return the lever to the home position.

• Kreg DKDB 3/8-Inch Step Twist Drill Bit for Pocket Hole Machines
• Kreg DDS 3-Inch No.2 Square Driver Bit and 6-Inch No.2 Square Driver Bit for Kreg Pocket Hole Systems
• Kreg SML-C125 1-1/4-Inch No. 2 Coarse Screw (1000-Pack)
• Kreg SML-F125-1000 1 1/4-Inch No. 7 Fine Pocket Hole Screws with Washer-Head, 1000-Pack
• Kreg KHC-RAC Right Angle Clamp

Where To Buy Watts Water Filtration System Brand New Olympus E420 Lenses

Is Kreg The Best Pocket Hole Jig? Read What Owners Say

!±8± Is Kreg The Best Pocket Hole Jig? Read What Owners Say

In woodworking jargon the process of joining two or more pieces together is called "wood joinery". To anyone who has never stood on a sawdust covered floor or suffered the pangs of slinging various types of glue between boards, this term seems simple enough. However wood joinery can include such diverse methods as tongue and grove joints, dovetail joints, mortise and tenon joints, biscuit joints, dowel joints and a few other methods that wood craftsmen have spent years perfecting and in many instances cursing.

Certainly the beauty of a dovetailed drawer in a dining room showcase or a bedroom dresser is something that is always admired. However these types of wood joinery can only be produced through techniques that even when using expensive jigs and fixtures will require skill and patience. In todays fast paced world where quality furniture must be produced with concerns for the cost of labor and the lack of sufficient experienced woodworkers, any technique that will produce a strong, quality joint is much sought after.

Glue has long been a product of strong joints. Even with mortise and tenon, dovetail, biscuit joinery and many other methods, glue has always been a necessary addition to the strength of the joints. Glues are expensive and messy to use which increases the labor and thus the cost of finished joints.

Making strong wood joints has long been a problem for many home woodworkers whose goal is a beautiful finished product without needing too much skill or expensive tools. Certainly the skills of some part time woodworkers equals that of professionals. But this skill takes tremendous amounts of time and experience to obtain. What is needed is a method to join wood without expensive tools or years of experience that will still produce quality, beautiful finished projects.

In 1986 such a system was given birth by a toolmaker who was also a part time woodworker. When presented with a challenge in a project in his home, Craig Sommerfeld combined his tool making skills and love of wood work to produce what would become an evolution in woodworking. The system was so simple and produced such strong joints without the necessity of glue that when wood workers finally realized what it was, only after a tremendous effort by it's designer, they quickly added the system to their workshops and toolboxes.

The system uses a clamping jig the guides a specialized drill at 15 a degree angle into adjoining wood parts producing a clearance hole in one piece and a hole in the second that hold sa special screw. All that is necessary is to drive in the screws and a perfectly aligned, concealed joint is produced. While glue is not necessary it can be used if desired.

Though the years of development a number of models and kits of the Kreg pocket hole jig have been developed. Some basic kits are designed to use for repair work and the occasional project. More complete complex kits are available for those who do a lot of woodwork at home and for professional shops.

To be expected anytime a new popular tool is designed there are sure to be copycat models produced by other companies. Kreg has long been called the best pocket hole jig system on the market. Is this claim held by owners? A quick search of owners comments on sites such as Amazon quickly show that Kreg owners love their kits. It is not unusual to find that 70 or more customers have taken the time to return to Amazon after purchasing a Kreg system to give positive reviews. Most of the reviews are in the 5 star range which is the highest review rating possible.

Amazon carries several other models of the pocket hole screw jig. It is readily apparent that while owners of one or more of the other models seem to be satisfied with their choice of tool they also admit that if they were going to be doing lots of woodwork involving screw joinery they would spend the necessary money to purchase a Kreg system.

One model produced by a manufacturer that is known for a large line of inexpensive tools has not received much respect for their screw jig. This only enforces the fact that if you are going to buy a screw jig you need to spend a little time researching the various models and owners comment to be sure you get the tool designed for your needs and budget. As with any quality woodworking tool it seems that price does matter and in most cases spending more results in a better tool.

Even with the finest tools, every new models is not guaranteed to please all users. Kreg discovered this in one of their latest kits. Owners of earlier models complained that while the new model did indeed offer valuable upgrades in some cases it did not seem to clamp certain sized boards as firmly as the previous model. Reading through the owners reviews however it was easy to find suggestions to overcome this issue and as before owners seem hard pressed to find fault with their Kreg pocket hole jigs.

A well known credit card company always admonishes us to never leave home without their product. I would like to similarly suggest that you should never purchase any tool without first doing a little research by reading through the available owner's comments. This could mean the difference between years of pleasant work or hours of cursing a tool that did not live up to your expectations.

Is Kreg The Best Pocket Hole Jig? Read What Owners Say

Breathable Mattress Pad Free Shipping Where To Buy Panasonic Dvd Vcr Recorder Cheep Wacom Intuos 3