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  1. #1
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    Default Advice on biscuit usage

    I'm making some small frames that will be doors on the front of a bathroom vanity unit that will have leadlight panels in them, with the frames being milled out of very old oregon roof beams to make sides of only 32x21mm and the top & bottoms 60x21mm.

    To make it easy I'm thinking of using my biscuit joiner machine to cut out slots either side and then assembling the joint with PVA glue and a standard 50mm biscuit. Hard to picture I know, but in essence, is using biscuits a crappy way to join frame corners instead of either dowells or mortice&tenon?

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  3. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by jabell View Post
    but in essence, is using biscuits a crappy way to join frame corners instead of either dowells or mortice&tenon?
    In short, yes.

    Biscuits are good for aligning boards when you're gluing up a table top and that's about it.

  4. #3
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    When using biscuits you need to take into account that they are only a alignment aid, they do not add strength.

  5. #4
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    When using biscuits you need to take into account that they are only a alignment aid, they do not add strength.
    While this is true for long grain to long grain joints, which should be strong enough on their own, they do indeed add strength to mitre or end-grain joints. Biscuits provide long grain contact on both sides, so as well as helping to align the joints, they do add strength.
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  6. #5
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    Thanks all, I'll do dowells instead. Some years ago I got a biscuit joiner machine from Aldi, and it is fantastic, I love it, so easy to set up and use, hence my desire for any excuse to use it, but I take your consensus that it has its place, and this ain't one of them.

  7. #6
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    If the biscuit ends up only 5-8mm under each surface, the gluing process 'may' result in the joint swelling. We found this when doing a number of jobs at Dattner, even on jarrah and messmate.
    Steve
    Kilmore (Melbourne-ish)
    Australia

    ....catchy phrase here

  8. #7
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    While it's a popular belief that biscuits don't hold their weights. My experience has been to the contrary. For example, I extended the height of a children's bunk bed to an adult size one with biscuits 17 years ago using biscuits joints on the posts and rungs. It is used everyday and is still solid as ever.

    In terms of stress analysis, the common stress failure of timber are tension, compression and shear. Compression stress is well taken care of by the timbers being joined, and glued biscuits are surprisingly strong in resisting the joints being pull apart. Shear stress as well as twisting on the joint is dependent on cross sectional area and as long as there are enough biscuits, they should do as well as other joining methods.

    Biscuits are still widely available and if they were as weak as some would believe. They would have been improved, for example, by being made thicker or disappeared from use altogether. But they are still here and widely used.

    Finally, there is the Rockler's take on the comparsion of dowels vs biscuits: Doweling vs. Biscuit Joints / Rockler How-to

    Quote Originally Posted by jabell View Post
    Some years ago I got a biscuit joiner machine from Aldi, and it is fantastic, I love it, so easy to set up and use, hence my desire for any excuse to use it, but I take your consensus that it has its place, and this ain't one of them.
    How much shear strength do you need from a vanity unit door frame? Not much I suspect. .... Also a misaligned doweled door looks pretty ordinary.

  9. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by justonething View Post
    How much shear strength do you need from a vanity unit door frame? Not much I suspect. .... Also a misaligned doweled door looks pretty ordinary.
    Well aint that the truth! It was my past history of lousy dowel and m&t joints that steered me towards the biscuit joiner, given it has repeatedly had good results for me. Well bugger it, it's only a bit of wood that I can replace, I'm going to biscuit join it and see what happens!

  10. #9
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    Some years ago -- before the advent if the Domino -- Fine Woodworking tested several methods for constructing cabinet doors.

    From memory, biscuits wee strong enough for a typical kitchen door.
    regards from Alberta, Canada

    ian

  11. #10
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    Go with the biscuit joiner mate. If your concerned about strength cut two slots in each joint and use a pair of biscuits.
    Honestly, since the Domino came out there has been an awful lot rubbish written about previous tools and techniques ( most of it cork sniffing).
    Cheers

  12. #11
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    I'll have you know I've been writing rubbish since long before the Domino

  13. #12
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    EJ, wasn't directed at you in particular, hats off to you responding in good humour

  14. #13
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    'scuse igorance - what is domino?

  15. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by jabell View Post
    'scuse igorance - what is domino?
    It's how they join the segments of their pizzas for transport.
    Steve
    Kilmore (Melbourne-ish)
    Australia

    ....catchy phrase here

  16. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by jabell View Post
    'scuse igorance - what is domino?

    Have a look at this

    http://www.festool.com.au/epages/too...roducts/574328

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