Biscuit Joining...

[sammii - boii]

When you biscuit join wood together how is the best way to get the wood flat in the end... i.e if i join three pieces of pine together how would i get all three peices to feel like just one peice when you rub your hand over it??

Cheers for your help..
Sam

[Ashore]

Use an aussie jig and dowel
or any sort of dowel jig and put 1 dowel every 450mm in conjunction with the biscuits
The biscuits allow for movement so laying the 3 pieces on a flat surface ( put some cooking paper down along the joints to stop it sticking to the flat surface) and use heavy weights to hold it flat , don't apply too much pressure on the clamps as this causes the boards to bow up
using f clamps and wedges is another way , depending on how many and what type of clamps you have :U

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Basically, you won't get it feeling "smooth" immediately after biscuitting together. Your fingertips will feel even a fraction of a mm deviation.

The best you can realistically hope for is to get the lip as small as possible, so it doesn't take much sanding to bring it all to a nice, babysmooth (and hopefully flat :U) surface.


When biscuitting, always use the board's top face as a reference. ie. always cut with the boards face up, so that the biscuits always go in at the same height. Try to always hold the biscuitter the same way and with the same pressure on every single cut. Double-check that the fence on the biscuitter is tight, and not going to "creep" during use. (Cheap biscuitters cause so much grief because of exactly this!)

When clamping, position the board's face down on a flat surface or if using sash-clamps, with the boards' faces hard up against the "spine" of the sash-clamp. (Using cling-wrap or similar to stop glue from sticking to the clamps/bench is also a good idea.)

Before tightening the clamps, it's a good idea to use cauls/ clamps to keep the boards pressed flat, so that tightening the main clamps doesn't introduce a bow.

That's really about all you can do.

[sammii - boii]

Basically, you won't get it feeling "smooth" immediately after biscuitting together. Your fingertips will feel even a fraction of a mm deviation.

The best you can realistically hope for is to get the lip as small as possible, so it doesn't take much sanding to bring it all to a nice, babysmooth (and hopefully flat :U) surface.


When biscuitting, always use the board's top face as a reference. ie. always cut with the boards face up, so that the biscuits always go in at the same height. Try to always hold the biscuitter the same way and with the same pressure on every single cut. Double-check that the fence on the biscuitter is tight, and not going to "creep" during use. (Cheap biscuitters cause so much grief because of exactly this!)

When clamping, position the board's face down on a flat surface or if using sash-clamps, with the boards' faces hard up against the "spine" of the sash-clamp. (Using cling-wrap or similar to stop glue from sticking to the clamps/bench is also a good idea.)

Before tightening the clamps, it's a good idea to use cauls/ clamps to keep the boards pressed flat, so that tightening the main clamps doesn't introduce a bow.

That's really about all you can do.
i am currently trying to use a hand held planer but im not having much luck any tips?

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

i am currently trying to use a hand held planer but im not having much luck any tips?

Hand-held planing? Sorry, not my forte. [shudder]

I like jointers, thicknessers and wide drum-sanders for a reason. :U

[BrettC]

i am currently trying to use a hand held planer but im not having much luck any tips?


Stop using it. A hand held planer is about good enough to trim down doors to fit or other odd carpentry jobs but pretty useless for anything else. It was one of the first tools I bought when getting in to woodworking but I quickly relegated to the odd job basket. In all seriousnes a well tuned stanley number 4 would help you more following glue up of a flat panel and, as said, sanding.

Just repeating the advice above:

Ensure you biscuit consistently;
Alternate clamps one from above one from etc...
Clamp some straight pieces of hardwood (cauls) across the panel to keep it flat;
tighten all clamps consistently
check as you go

[sammii - boii]

Stop using it. A hand held planer is about good enough to trim down doors to fit or other odd carpentry jobs but pretty useless for anything else. It was one of the first tools I bought when getting in to woodworking but I quickly relegated to the odd job basket. In all seriousnes a well tuned stanley number 4 would help you more following glue up of a flat panel and, as said, sanding.


Just repeating the advice above:

Ensure you biscuit consistently;
Alternate clamps one from above one from etc...
Clamp some straight pieces of hardwood (cauls) across the panel to keep it flat;
tighten all clamps consistently
check as you go

thanks alot "brettc".. i have a random orbital sander? you say that sanding is the best way to go.? so if i just keep sanding and sanding these lips should just disapear?

thanks heaps mate

[Tung tied]

You could try a belt sander with a 120grit belt. This will get you a reasonable finish and the boards should be flat. Take is easy with the belt sander though coz it can remove a lot of material quickly, especially if you let it sit in the one spot. Follow up with a ROS or 1/3 sheet finishing sander with finer grades.

Cheers

bryan

[plunger]

As per posts above in regard to biscuits and clamping....and

I always clamp my boards with the face up and run my finger over joins. If I feel one board slightly higher I give it a tap or whack with a mallet to get it closer....there always seems to be some give with biscuits. This won't always completely fix the problem but will usually get it a lot closer which means less sanding. If you overtighten the clamps you won't be able to do this but just ease off the clamps...Overtightening clamps is the worst thing you can do anyway.

I'm not convinced the biscuits add significant strength to the joint but just help line the boards up. I sometimes butt join thick boards with epoxy glue and tap with mallet while they are in the clamps to get them lined up.

Garry

[sammii - boii]

Tung tied, thankyou very much will buy a belt sander in about half an hour.

plunger, my boards are 42mm thick? should i be useing some sort of epoxy glue? 5 minute araldite? thanks for the tip mate

[plunger]

plunger, my boards are 42mm thick? should i be useing some sort of epoxy glue? 5 minute araldite? thanks for the tip mate

Sammii boii
I always use 2 part epoxy (West Systems) when joining boards. If you use PVA etc there will usually be some 'creep' and you will only notice after the job is finished. Not sure of the theory behind it but since switching to epoxy I've never had any problems. I'm pretty sure the pros use epoxy when joining boards. It's good as a filler too.

Garry

[sammii - boii]

cheers and you say you just sand the boards flat right?

[plunger]

Bit of a sand to get rid of excess glue then put it through the thicknesser. Sanding should be fine though. With a bit of effort to line the boards up there should only be minimal sanding.

I think a lot depends on how straight your boards are before joining. If you have 42mm boards and they are not straight, biscuits won't pull them into line.

[sammii - boii]

well thanks everyone... i just bought a belt sander from bunnings. works a treat, my jarrah chopping boards are now flat! YAY!

Hope to pick your brains another time

Sam

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

It's a good feeling when things start going right for you, isn't it? :U

[sammii - boii]

Yeah mate! about time if you ask me! :2tsup: