Biscuit Joint Spacing

Even if you already own a biscuit joiner or plate joinersame animal im sure youll pick up a tip or two.

Biscuit joint spacing. Generally the distance between biscuits will determine how strong the finished plank will be and thinner lumber will hold better if the spacing is kept to a minimum. At least they are when you get the hang of them. Biscuit joints are very easy to do if you have the right kind of tools laying around your garage or workshop. How to make a biscuit joint is one of the most fundamental things you must learn in the art of woodworking.

Mark the location of the biscuits to be glued between the boards. This jig takes the guesswork out of spacing biscuits in narrow rails. Either way be sure to check out these biscuit joint articles and projects. Biscuit joinery also known as plate joinery is a woodworking technique in which pieces of wood are joined using football shaped disks of wood biscuits usually made of beechwood that are reinforced with gluethe technique is similar to dowel joints but the flat surfaces of the biscuits make for a more secure joint especially where edge glued stock needs to be carefully aligned.

This article is from the february 2007 issue of popular woodworking magazine. With careful spacing you can use the double biscuit technique on a thick rail and stile joint to cut the grooves i prefer to use spacers instead of my fence. Properly cut biscuit joints are strong and accurate particularly when cutting slots with a woodworking tool called a biscuit joiner or plate joiner. The family handyman editor ken collier explains the basics of using a biscuit joinera great tool for building cabinets bookshelves and other woodworking projects.

One inch nominal lumber joins fairly well at a twelve inch biscuit spacing two inch lumber can be cut at sixteen to eighteen inches on center with good results. Make the jig by cutting biscuit slots of three sizes 0 10 and 20 in a piece of 3 4 material. I put the bead of glue for the other slot of the joint on the biscuit plate as seen below right instead of in the empty slot. Heres a quick test to see whether your joiner is set right.

Cut a pair of slots of each size in the jig sides and leave 1 8 between slots. Biscuit slots that are too shallow wont allow the boards to go together. Cut a test slot slip in a biscuit and draw a pencil line. If youre new to biscuit joinery you can learn here how to do the four basic woodworking joints.

Cut the slots too deep and most of the biscuit is buried in one side weakening the joint. A new manual for biscuit joiners. For certain types of woodworking joints such as edge to edge joints miter joints t joints and corner joints there is hardly a better choice than biscuit joints.