Member
· Västra Götaland
· 219 posts
If I am going to fasten wooden boards together, biscuits seem to be the best option. I don't have a router, and it's a bit much to buy one for the few projects I have to do.
Today at Hornbach, I saw that they had two models/jigs that you use with other tools. One for an angle grinder/cut-off and one for a drill.
Does anyone have experience and opinions about these tools? I realize they are not as good as a proper router, but as I said, buying one is not an option.
I am considering if it is better to use dowels or some other method rather than using such jigs.
//Mats
Today at Hornbach, I saw that they had two models/jigs that you use with other tools. One for an angle grinder/cut-off and one for a drill.
Does anyone have experience and opinions about these tools? I realize they are not as good as a proper router, but as I said, buying one is not an option.
I am considering if it is better to use dowels or some other method rather than using such jigs.
//Mats
Once upon a time, I tested such an accessory for an angle grinder, and the results were not great. Dowel joinery is much better.
Purchasing a biscuit joiner was out of the question, but maybe you can borrow/rent one?
I think dowel joinery is the best option otherwise, if you spend some time on it, you can get almost the same fine results as with biscuit joining.
Finally, I just want to warn against budget biscuit joiners, these are useless!!! The fence is skewed, so the result is a disaster.
Purchasing a biscuit joiner was out of the question, but maybe you can borrow/rent one?
I think dowel joinery is the best option otherwise, if you spend some time on it, you can get almost the same fine results as with biscuit joining.
Finally, I just want to warn against budget biscuit joiners, these are useless!!! The fence is skewed, so the result is a disaster.
Member
· Västra Götaland
· 219 posts
elof said:
Yes, I suspected this!
Will check if I can rent one. There should be someone in GBG who has.
Mats
Member
· Västra Götaland
· 219 posts
I have a router. A green Bosch.
Can it be used?
Mats
Can it be used?
Mats
Member
· Västra Götaland
· 219 posts
Just sitting and looking at Clas's gadgets. Let's see if anyone has experience.elof said:
The thing about plugging feels a bit tricky when you're not used to it. I've done plugging before, in school (=geological era) So it might be interesting.
I'm working on an oak panel that will sit on top of a shelf I built by the stairs. It's a bit of a shame to practice (mess up) on that expensive board.
Mats
If I understand you correctly, it's about two boards that need to be joined together into one long one?
In that case, doweling is very simple
- Make sure to have two straight clean cuts
- Drill dowel holes in one of the pieces (number of dowels and dimension depend on the workpiece)
- Use marking pins that you place in the drilled holes
- Lay the boards on a flat surface and press them together as they should be
- Drill at the markings (a drill with a center point is very good)
- Glue holes and opposing surfaces
- Clamp the pieces, if you don't have clamps long enough, use a strap or similar.
Good Luck
In that case, doweling is very simple
- Make sure to have two straight clean cuts
- Drill dowel holes in one of the pieces (number of dowels and dimension depend on the workpiece)
- Use marking pins that you place in the drilled holes
- Lay the boards on a flat surface and press them together as they should be
- Drill at the markings (a drill with a center point is very good)
- Glue holes and opposing surfaces
- Clamp the pieces, if you don't have clamps long enough, use a strap or similar.
Good Luck
Member
· Västra Götaland
· 219 posts
I will splice them together at a 90* angle. They are 27 mm thick and about 300 wide boards.
Additionally, there is a post in the middle of the splice, supporting a beam.
Could have been an easier first-time task.
Mats
Additionally, there is a post in the middle of the splice, supporting a beam.
Could have been an easier first-time task.
Mats
Member
· Västra Götaland
· 219 posts
I'll bring this up again.
Something I'm pondering. Why use biscuits instead of dowels?
1) Are biscuits a newer invention?
2) Are biscuits more forgiving if you miss slightly sideways? Or rather, do you not need to be as precise sideways?
3) Why use them otherwise?
By the way, I went to Bauhaus today. They had a biscuit joiner, Alpha Tool, for 400 SEK. As mentioned, it felt a bit flimsy.
What is important to consider if I am going to glue boards together, biscuit or dowel?
Mats
Something I'm pondering. Why use biscuits instead of dowels?
1) Are biscuits a newer invention?
2) Are biscuits more forgiving if you miss slightly sideways? Or rather, do you not need to be as precise sideways?
3) Why use them otherwise?
By the way, I went to Bauhaus today. They had a biscuit joiner, Alpha Tool, for 400 SEK. As mentioned, it felt a bit flimsy.
What is important to consider if I am going to glue boards together, biscuit or dowel?
Mats
I continue to answer
The advantage of using biscuit joints ("biscuits") compared to dowels, I think, is that the joint becomes more stable, but especially that it is easier to achieve a good result. If you have a good biscuit joiner, it's nearly an achievement to fail No, but doweling can easily become misaligned and uneven. Additionally, the ~30-40mm long dowel is very difficult to adjust if you haven't drilled perfectly perpendicular to the piece, which can lead to a somewhat worse result than expected.
The biscuits are not just there to align the pieces when the glue dries... no, they are made so that when they come into contact with glue, they swell in their tight holes and thus reinforce the joint. It is therefore important to store the biscuits dry, otherwise you may have trouble getting them into the holes. I've once used the expression that they absorb water like a tampon : maybe not entirely accurate, but you get what I mean
The conclusion, therefore, is that using biscuits results in a nicer and more durable joint in a shorter time, even though dowels sometimes have their advantages, but that's another story
/AB
The advantage of using biscuit joints ("biscuits") compared to dowels, I think, is that the joint becomes more stable, but especially that it is easier to achieve a good result. If you have a good biscuit joiner, it's nearly an achievement to fail
No, but doweling can easily become misaligned and uneven. Additionally, the ~30-40mm long dowel is very difficult to adjust if you haven't drilled perfectly perpendicular to the piece, which can lead to a somewhat worse result than expected.The biscuits are not just there to align the pieces when the glue dries... no, they are made so that when they come into contact with glue, they swell in their tight holes and thus reinforce the joint. It is therefore important to store the biscuits dry, otherwise you may have trouble getting them into the holes. I've once used the expression that they absorb water like a tampon :
maybe not entirely accurate, but you get what I mean The conclusion, therefore, is that using biscuits results in a nicer and more durable joint in a shorter time, even though dowels sometimes have their advantages, but that's another story
/AB
Member
· Västra Götaland
· 219 posts
Suspected this.
Checked out Classe's milling gadget today. It looked solid. Wooden box and all.
However, it didn't say how it was meant to be used. I assume you set the right height on the router and mill straight in.
I don’t know how you steer sideways. Maybe with the parallel guide.
How do you guide a biscuit joiner so it doesn’t wander sideways?
Saw a guy use a biscuit joiner on Timell’s show some years ago. At that time, it wasn’t relevant to use one, so I didn’t remember how he did it.
Mats
Checked out Classe's milling gadget today. It looked solid. Wooden box and all.
However, it didn't say how it was meant to be used. I assume you set the right height on the router and mill straight in.
I don’t know how you steer sideways. Maybe with the parallel guide.
How do you guide a biscuit joiner so it doesn’t wander sideways?
Saw a guy use a biscuit joiner on Timell’s show some years ago. At that time, it wasn’t relevant to use one, so I didn’t remember how he did it.
Mats
How to operate the biscuit joiner.....
The joiner has a marking for the center of the blade, which you align with where the center of the biscuit should be. If you're joining two boards, simply place the boards together as they should be and draw a line across the seam where the center of the biscuit should be. Then, cut each side at the markings and it's done!
(I might just complicate things with my intricate descriptions :)
On my joiner (Bosch GFF 22 A), there's a rubber guard on the contact surface that increases friction and helps the joiner stay in place during operation. I've never experienced the joiner wanting to slide sideways; it stays nicely in place
On Bosch and Makita biscuit joiners (not sure if any others have this), there's an adjustable stop that makes operation easier. You can set the height distance from the edge to the grove in a simpler way.
Hope I cleared up some question marks
The joiner has a marking for the center of the blade, which you align with where the center of the biscuit should be. If you're joining two boards, simply place the boards together as they should be and draw a line across the seam where the center of the biscuit should be. Then, cut each side at the markings and it's done!
(I might just complicate things with my intricate descriptions :
)On my joiner (Bosch GFF 22 A), there's a rubber guard on the contact surface that increases friction and helps the joiner stay in place during operation. I've never experienced the joiner wanting to slide sideways; it stays nicely in place
On Bosch and Makita biscuit joiners (not sure if any others have this), there's an adjustable stop that makes operation easier. You can set the height distance from the edge to the grove in a simpler way.
Hope I cleared up some question marks
If you check out the Bosch router's manual, there are quite good pictures on how to use and set up the biscuit joiner.
http://scaptocs.bosch-pt.com/boptoc...lication/pdf&download=3609929471_0405.pdf
The extra fence I mentioned earlier is the one used in, among others, image B, D, and F.
/AB
http://scaptocs.bosch-pt.com/boptoc...lication/pdf&download=3609929471_0405.pdf
The extra fence I mentioned earlier is the one used in, among others, image B, D, and F.
/AB