I bought a biscuit joiner the other day. Not exactly a fine
woodworking tool, but it's good for making plywood boxes and
I have some boxes to make.

So, I've been playing with the thing and have a few questions,
for those with more experience to answer:

When glueing up a biscuited assembly, do you
a) pour a bead of glue into the slot & insert a dry biscuit
b) wipe a layer of glue on the biscuit & insert in a dry slot
c) glue both the slot and the biscuit

If you're not paying attention and slightly miscut a slot, do you
a) recut the slot, accepting it'll now be a little wide
b) glue a biscuit or piece of scrap in the slot, plane flat,
and then recut

If you're trying to put 2 biscuits in a piece not quite wide
enough, but think you need 2 for strength, do you
a) use the next smaller size, even tho your work piece is
plenty thick enough for the larger size
b) cut the slots overlapping and cut the ends off the biscuits

If you're cutting slots in a face (e.g. to make a T joint)
do you
a) clamp a straight edge down as a guide
b) freehand the joiner to a line

If you're dry-fitting an assembly, and won't glue up for a
while, do you
a) disassemble it and put the biscuits back in the container
b) leave it together so everything is right handy when you're
ready to glue up

thanks much for any opinions & suggestions,

John

"John McCoy" wrote in message
...
I bought a biscuit joiner the other day. Not exactly a fine
woodworking tool, but it's good for making plywood boxes and
I have some boxes to make.

So, I've been playing with the thing and have a few questions,
for those with more experience to answer:

When glueing up a biscuited assembly, do you
a) pour a bead of glue into the slot & insert a dry biscuit
b) wipe a layer of glue on the biscuit & insert in a dry slot
c) glue both the slot and the biscuit

If you're not paying attention and slightly miscut a slot, do you
a) recut the slot, accepting it'll now be a little wide
b) glue a biscuit or piece of scrap in the slot, plane flat,
and then recut

If you're trying to put 2 biscuits in a piece not quite wide
enough, but think you need 2 for strength, do you
a) use the next smaller size, even tho your work piece is
plenty thick enough for the larger size
b) cut the slots overlapping and cut the ends off the biscuits

If you're cutting slots in a face (e.g. to make a T joint)
do you
a) clamp a straight edge down as a guide
b) freehand the joiner to a line

If you're dry-fitting an assembly, and won't glue up for a
while, do you
a) disassemble it and put the biscuits back in the container
b) leave it together so everything is right handy when you're
ready to glue up

thanks much for any opinions & suggestions,

John

First, allow me to apologize for not being able to come up with something
clever at this time regarding "bisquick" in the subject. I'll post back if
something comes to mind.

In the small number of times that I find biscuits necessary, I moisten the
biscuits with water, then apply glue to both biscuit and slot.
If I badly miscut a slot, I would probably just cut another one somewhere
else.
If I really needed two biscuits for strength, I would cut the slots and trim
the biscuits.
If I was cutting slots in a face, I would definitely use a straight edge.
I would disassemble after dry-fitting.

FWIW, I would typically use a cross-grain spline in this situation.

todd

I like biscuits for edge jointing and reinforcing miters, mostly.

I glue one edge, including the biscuit slot (with brush to cover the
entire slot area,) then insert the biscuit, then glue the other edge,
again including the slot. A biscuit will absorb some of the glue, and
swell slightly. The biscuits go in dry.

If you miss the mark, recut, I don't think it's a problem if the slot
is a bit wide.

I cut biscuits to fit miters, I've not had a problem.

When making t-slots, I use a strait-edge. I've only done this a few
times. I do a lot of plywood boxes and find dados and rabbits much
stronger, and just as fast.

When dry fitting, why bother putting the biscuits away?

You questions and project seem to be plywood related, and I'd
recommend using joinery. A t-slot joint may be the exception. If your
joint needs to carry any significant weight, the shear strength of a
biscuit joint is not much better then a simple butt joint using
plywood.

-nick

On Feb 11, 1:58 pm, John McCoy wrote:
I bought a biscuit joiner the other day. Not exactly a fine
woodworking tool, but it's good for making plywood boxes and
I have some boxes to make.

So, I've been playing with the thing and have a few questions,
for those with more experience to answer:

When glueing up a biscuited assembly, do you
a) pour a bead of glue into the slot & insert a dry biscuit
b) wipe a layer of glue on the biscuit & insert in a dry slot
c) glue both the slot and the biscuit




If you're not paying attention and slightly miscut a slot, do you
a) recut the slot, accepting it'll now be a little wide
b) glue a biscuit or piece of scrap in the slot, plane flat,
and then recut



If you're trying to put 2 biscuits in a piece not quite wide
enough, but think you need 2 for strength, do you
a) use the next smaller size, even tho your work piece is
plenty thick enough for the larger size
b) cut the slots overlapping and cut the ends off the biscuits

If you're cutting slots in a face (e.g. to make a T joint)
do you
a) clamp a straight edge down as a guide
b) freehand the joiner to a line

If you're dry-fitting an assembly, and won't glue up for a
while, do you
a) disassemble it and put the biscuits back in the container
b) leave it together so everything is right handy when you're
ready to glue up

thanks much for any opinions & suggestions,

John

"todd" wrote in
:

First, allow me to apologize for not being able to come up with
something clever at this time regarding "bisquick" in the subject.
I'll post back if something comes to mind.

That was an attempt to provoke comment from any of the old-timers
hanging around. Patrick Leach, he of the famous Stanley Blood
and Gore, came up with that 10 or 15 years ago.

Thanks for your advice on using the thing. It had not occured to
me to moisten the biscuits before glueing, but that sounds like a
good idea.

John

"John McCoy" wrote in message
...
"todd" wrote in
:

First, allow me to apologize for not being able to come up with
something clever at this time regarding "bisquick" in the subject.
I'll post back if something comes to mind.

That was an attempt to provoke comment from any of the old-timers
hanging around. Patrick Leach, he of the famous Stanley Blood
and Gore, came up with that 10 or 15 years ago.

Thanks for your advice on using the thing. It had not occured to
me to moisten the biscuits before glueing, but that sounds like a
good idea.

John

To be honest, I don't recall where I read about moistening the bisuits, and
I'm sure there will be someone along soon to say that it's exactly the wrong
thing to do.

todd

When glueing up a biscuited assembly, do you
a) pour a bead of glue into the slot & insert a dry biscuit
b) wipe a layer of glue on the biscuit & insert in a dry slot
c) glue both the slot and the biscuit

I like to put glue on the biscuit with a brush. It is fine to put glue in
the slot, but then you have less control over the amount.

If you're not paying attention and slightly miscut a slot, do you
a) recut the slot, accepting it'll now be a little wide
b) glue a biscuit or piece of scrap in the slot, plane flat,
and then recut

The one time I did this (actually I had the joiner set at the wrong angle) I
filled the slot in with epoxy putty and recut it after it set.

If you're trying to put 2 biscuits in a piece not quite wide
enough, but think you need 2 for strength, do you
a) use the next smaller size, even tho your work piece is
plenty thick enough for the larger size
b) cut the slots overlapping and cut the ends off the biscuits

Two in a row aren't going to be enough stronger to fuss over. Put one in.
Two side-by-side are supposed to be substantially stronger.

If you're cutting slots in a face (e.g. to make a T joint)
do you
a) clamp a straight edge down as a guide
b) freehand the joiner to a line

If you can get it straight to a quarter of a degree, go for it! I couldn't.

If you're dry-fitting an assembly, and won't glue up for a
while, do you
a) disassemble it and put the biscuits back in the container
b) leave it together so everything is right handy when you're
ready to glue up

Doesn't much matter.

thanks much for any opinions & suggestions,

Someone suggested wetting them first. Unless they have thoroughly tested
the idea first, I would be concerned it would interfer with the glue.

Go out to your shop and get a biscuit. Now, tear it in half, lenthwise (no
bending, we're talking shear strength). After you have done that, come back
and explain how a biscuit has no strength.
"Nicky" wrote in message
oups.com...

the shear strength of a
biscuit joint is not much better then a simple butt joint using
plywood.

In article ,
says...
I bought a biscuit joiner the other day. Not exactly a fine
woodworking tool, but it's good for making plywood boxes and
I have some boxes to make.

So, I've been playing with the thing and have a few questions,
for those with more experience to answer:

When glueing up a biscuited assembly, do you
a) pour a bead of glue into the slot & insert a dry biscuit
b) wipe a layer of glue on the biscuit & insert in a dry slot
c) glue both the slot and the biscuit

Bead of glue into the slot(s), run a 3/4" stiff artist's brush through it, then
paint the excess glue on to the bisquit before inserting it. Minimises
squeezeout.


If you're not paying attention and slightly miscut a slot, do you
a) recut the slot, accepting it'll now be a little wide
b) glue a biscuit or piece of scrap in the slot, plane flat,
and then recut

Depends. Making a slot longer is no problem. Making a slot wider is.
In the second scenario I'd either cut two new slots left and right, or I'd cuss
a lot and redo the piece. The trick of course is to use the right fence setup
on the wee machine and hold it tightly onto well marked pieces so's you don't
miscut in the first place. It comes with practice ;-)


If you're trying to put 2 biscuits in a piece not quite wide
enough, but think you need 2 for strength, do you
a) use the next smaller size, even tho your work piece is
plenty thick enough for the larger size
b) cut the slots overlapping and cut the ends off the biscuits

If I am doing an end cut in a 65mm wide bit of timber, I'll use #10 bisquits.
Other than that I'd probably go with your solution b or just make up a floating
tenon with the thicknesser in the first place. You CAN move the bisquit joiner
along the pice to cut a long slot, but much like a router you need to make sure
you have good control over where it goes. I wouldn't want to try it with a
cheap and nasty machine. In the Makita you need to take out the rubber insert
that is supposed to stop it from sliding ...

If you're cutting slots in a face (e.g. to make a T joint)
do you
a) clamp a straight edge down as a guide
b) freehand the joiner to a line

Neither. I clamp the cross-member to the face exactly on the line where it's
supposed to end up. I then mark the top edge of that for the bisquits. Using
the joiner without fences into the corner, cutting both pieces, I cut both
slots for each bisquit in one process using the single mark. You may end up
with the bisquits slightly off centre that way, but that doesn't matter as far
as I am concerned; at least not in mdf cabinet construction using 16mm-18mm
mdf. Should work well with ply too a.f.a.i.c.t. and I've not had complaints
using this technique connecting timber to mdf.


If you're dry-fitting an assembly, and won't glue up for a
while, do you
a) disassemble it and put the biscuits back in the container
b) leave it together so everything is right handy when you're
ready to glue up


We have very high humidity here. I put the bisquits back into their airtight
bucket. Swollen bisquits don't assemble well, in fact have caused splitting
both in timber and mdf for me. Not a good thing. This may not be a problem if
you are living in a desert area ;-)


thanks much for any opinions & suggestions,

John


h.t.h. -Peter

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

"Toller" wrote in message
...
When glueing up a biscuited assembly, do you
a) pour a bead of glue into the slot & insert a dry biscuit
b) wipe a layer of glue on the biscuit & insert in a dry slot
c) glue both the slot and the biscuit

I like to put glue on the biscuit with a brush. It is fine to put glue in
the slot, but then you have less control over the amount.

They have glue bottles just for this. Generally, I put it in the slot and
leave the biscuit dry.


If you're not paying attention and slightly miscut a slot, do you
a) recut the slot, accepting it'll now be a little wide
b) glue a biscuit or piece of scrap in the slot, plane flat,
and then recut

The one time I did this (actually I had the joiner set at the wrong angle)
I
filled the slot in with epoxy putty and recut it after it set.

Good idea. Much faster than gluing a biscuit and trimming it flush.


If you're trying to put 2 biscuits in a piece not quite wide
enough, but think you need 2 for strength, do you
a) use the next smaller size, even tho your work piece is
plenty thick enough for the larger size
b) cut the slots overlapping and cut the ends off the biscuits

Two in a row aren't going to be enough stronger to fuss over. Put one
in.
Two side-by-side are supposed to be substantially stronger.

Next time someone works on your car, tell them it's OK to leave out a bolt
or two. You don't need them all anyway.


If you're cutting slots in a face (e.g. to make a T joint)
do you
a) clamp a straight edge down as a guide
b) freehand the joiner to a line

If you can get it straight to a quarter of a degree, go for it! I
couldn't.

If you're dry-fitting an assembly, and won't glue up for a
while, do you
a) disassemble it and put the biscuits back in the container
b) leave it together so everything is right handy when you're
ready to glue up

Doesn't much matter.

thanks much for any opinions & suggestions,

Someone suggested wetting them first. Unless they have thoroughly tested
the idea first, I would be concerned it would interfer with the glue.

"todd" wrote in message
. ..
To be honest, I don't recall where I read about moistening the bisuits,
and I'm sure there will be someone along soon to say that it's exactly the
wrong thing to do.

You're doing exactly the wrong thing!!!

Well, I don't really know about that but I suspect it's unnecessary. I
squirt the glue directly into the slot and then press the biscuit in. The
downside to that method is that as often as not the excess glue squirts back
out and ends up in places and on pieces I didn't particularly want it on.
Often, it's gonna get painted anyway and so it doesn't matter.
But, if I can control the excess then I'll brush it out along the glue
edge before clamping the pieces to dry.
Of late I've taken to using those smallish 1/2 inch disposable brushes and
I'll jam one of those into the slot with the glue (I think that's the way
Nahm does it) and then insert the biscuit. Then I don't have any excess
glue to brush along the glue line and that necessitates running an
additional bead of glue along the glue edge.
--
NuWave Dave in Houston

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 18:04:08 +1300, Peter Huebner
wrote:

The trick of course is to use the right fence setup
on the wee machine

Please keep your wee machine away from the bisquick


-Leuf

Changing the subject somewhat but still on biscuits. I got tired of buying
small containers of biscuits and usually running out before I was done so I
ordered a 1000 count box of Lamello biscuits. They come in a cardboard box
pretty well open to the atmosphere. I had always heard there could be
moister problems so always kept them sealed. Apparently, Lemello doesn't
think so. Anyone have any input?

"NuWaveDave" wrote in message
...

"todd" wrote in message
. ..
To be honest, I don't recall where I read about moistening the bisuits,
and I'm sure there will be someone along soon to say that it's exactly
the
wrong thing to do.

You're doing exactly the wrong thing!!!

Well, I don't really know about that but I suspect it's unnecessary.
I
squirt the glue directly into the slot and then press the biscuit in. The
downside to that method is that as often as not the excess glue squirts
back
out and ends up in places and on pieces I didn't particularly want it on.
Often, it's gonna get painted anyway and so it doesn't matter.
But, if I can control the excess then I'll brush it out along the glue
edge before clamping the pieces to dry.
Of late I've taken to using those smallish 1/2 inch disposable brushes and
I'll jam one of those into the slot with the glue (I think that's the way
Nahm does it) and then insert the biscuit. Then I don't have any excess
glue to brush along the glue line and that necessitates running an
additional bead of glue along the glue edge.
--
NuWave Dave in Houston

CW wrote:
Next time someone works on your car, tell them it's OK to leave out a bolt
or two. You don't need them all anyway.

My mechanic puts the extra bolts in the wheel covers in case I need them
later.

;-)

Bill

--
Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one
rascal less in the world.
Thomas Carlyle (1795 - 1881)
http://nmwoodworks.com


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LOL!

"Bill in Detroit" wrote in message
...
CW wrote:
Next time someone works on your car, tell them it's OK to leave out a
bolt
or two. You don't need them all anyway.

My mechanic puts the extra bolts in the wheel covers in case I need them
later.

;-)

Bill

--
Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one
rascal less in the world.
Thomas Carlyle (1795 - 1881)
http://nmwoodworks.com


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Bill in Detroit wrote in
:

CW wrote:
Next time someone works on your car, tell them it's OK to leave out a
bolt or two. You don't need them all anyway.

My mechanic puts the extra bolts in the wheel covers in case I need
them later.

;-)

Bill


Does he also leave a nut behind the wheel for you?

Puckdropper
--
Wise is the man who attempts to answer his question before asking it.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

On 11 Feb, 20:58, John McCoy wrote:

When glueing up a biscuited assembly, do you
a) pour a bead of glue into the slot & insert a dry biscuit
b) wipe a layer of glue on the biscuit & insert in a dry slot
c) glue both the slot and the biscuit

You buy yourself a couple of magic glue bottles first (coupel of
bucks). One is a roller / brush / narrow nozzle for general gluing.
The other is a specialist biscuit-slot filler and wiper. They aren't
expensive, you don't need the $50 Lamello one. However biscuiting is a
rapid build task with a lot of fast glue-up involved, so it's worth
having something.

Then you glue the slots first. Keep the biscuits dry, because good
biscuits in good slots won't fit easily if they're wetted beforehand.

Oh, and buy yourself a clean _white_ rubber mallet and don't let it
get used for anythign other than carcase assembly.


If you're not paying attention and slightly miscut a slot, do you
a) recut the slot, accepting it'll now be a little wide
b) glue a biscuit or piece of scrap in the slot, plane flat,
and then recut

Just recut. Sometimes you abandon it and recut a new slot alonglside
it. I never worry about leaving odd voids of unused slots behind.

If you're trying to put 2 biscuits in a piece not quite wide
enough, but think you need 2 for strength, do you
a) use the next smaller size, even tho your work piece is
plenty thick enough for the larger size
b) cut the slots overlapping and cut the ends off the biscuits

Don't do a), because biscuits are all a standard thickness.

I've never done b), and if I were tempted to, then I'd use rectangular
biscuit spline stock instead of cut-downs. You can slide most
biscuiters sideways to cut a slot.


If you're cutting slots in a face (e.g. to make a T joint)
do you
a) clamp a straight edge down as a guide
b) freehand the joiner to a line

I often freehand, but I'd advise the straight edge. It's often quicker
(one clamp is quicker than 4 eyeballings)

If you're dry-fitting an assembly, and won't glue up for a
while, do you
a) disassemble it and put the biscuits back in the container
b) leave it together so everything is right handy when you're
ready to glue up

I'd disassemble, but this is usually because I'd be short of space to
make the next panel.

I have some biscuits that might be 15 years old that work fine.They
have been sitting in carboard box open to the air. They were in a shop
that had AC. Now they sit in my basement shop that is conditioned. I
suspect if you open a plastic container of bicuits, the air humidity
in the plastic container equalizes to the shop humidity. Then the
bisquits act as a desicant. Next thing you know you have a plastic
container full of pulp. The bisquits have swollen exponentionally
because of all the shop humidity that got in. Proper technique for
extracting bisquits from their factory hemetically sealed no humidity
storage container is to go in to your safe room in your shop. The one
you built that has the dehumidifier running with the external
drain.That room you specified to be at 68F and no more than 3%
relative humidty. Only remove the biscuits in that room. Run to the
project with the biscuits you need after you resealed the container in
the safe room. Do no use adhesives that have H2O in it because the
biscuits will swell and crack the project. Also be careful about using
the project in an unconditioned space. The bisquits will swell or turn
in to pulp which may cause Aunt Fanny some discomfort when the chair
you built with biscuits fails.

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 05:35:34 GMT, "CW" wrote:

Changing the subject somewhat but still on biscuits. I got tired of buying
small containers of biscuits and usually running out before I was done so I
ordered a 1000 count box of Lamello biscuits. They come in a cardboard box
pretty well open to the atmosphere. I had always heard there could be
moister problems so always kept them sealed. Apparently, Lemello doesn't
think so. Anyone have any input?

"NuWaveDave" wrote in message
.. .

"todd" wrote in message
. ..
To be honest, I don't recall where I read about moistening the bisuits,
and I'm sure there will be someone along soon to say that it's exactly
the
wrong thing to do.

You're doing exactly the wrong thing!!!

Well, I don't really know about that but I suspect it's unnecessary.
I
squirt the glue directly into the slot and then press the biscuit in. The
downside to that method is that as often as not the excess glue squirts
back
out and ends up in places and on pieces I didn't particularly want it on.
Often, it's gonna get painted anyway and so it doesn't matter.
But, if I can control the excess then I'll brush it out along the glue
edge before clamping the pieces to dry.
Of late I've taken to using those smallish 1/2 inch disposable brushes and
I'll jam one of those into the slot with the glue (I think that's the way
Nahm does it) and then insert the biscuit. Then I don't have any excess
glue to brush along the glue line and that necessitates running an
additional bead of glue along the glue edge.
--
NuWave Dave in Houston

"John McCoy" wrote in message
...
I bought a biscuit joiner the other day. Not exactly a fine
woodworking tool, but it's good for making plywood boxes and
I have some boxes to make.

So, I've been playing with the thing and have a few questions,
for those with more experience to answer:

When glueing up a biscuited assembly, do you
a) pour a bead of glue into the slot & insert a dry biscuit
b) wipe a layer of glue on the biscuit & insert in a dry slot
c) glue both the slot and the biscuit

D. All of the above. Lamello makes a dispenser that will place a measured
amount of glue into the slot and it is applied to the sides of the slot.
Then put in a dry biscuit.
Unfortunately, if you like to drop the biscuit virtically into the slot
rather than slide it in horizonally like I do the glue in the slot on the
mating piece sill drop out when you invert the board. In this case I paint
the inserted biscuit with glue and then add the mating piece.




If you're not paying attention and slightly miscut a slot, do you
a) recut the slot, accepting it'll now be a little wide
b) glue a biscuit or piece of scrap in the slot, plane flat,
and then recut

Recut if you can or put a little extra glue.



If you're trying to put 2 biscuits in a piece not quite wide
enough, but think you need 2 for strength, do you
a) use the next smaller size, even tho your work piece is
plenty thick enough for the larger size
b) cut the slots overlapping and cut the ends off the biscuits

b.



If you're cutting slots in a face (e.g. to make a T joint)
do you
a) clamp a straight edge down as a guide
b) freehand the joiner to a line

ABSOLUTELY use a straight edge.




If you're dry-fitting an assembly, and won't glue up for a
while, do you
a) disassemble it and put the biscuits back in the container
b) leave it together so everything is right handy when you're
ready to glue up

a.

"CW" wrote in message
. net...
Changing the subject somewhat but still on biscuits. I got tired of buying
small containers of biscuits and usually running out before I was done so
I
ordered a 1000 count box of Lamello biscuits. They come in a cardboard box
pretty well open to the atmosphere. I had always heard there could be
moister problems so always kept them sealed. Apparently, Lemello doesn't
think so. Anyone have any input?


I have used PC and Freud and a no name brand in the last 18 years. In a
humid environment all brands have swollen to some extent and not all would
swell as much as others of the same brand. Some continued to fit well while
some would need to be hammered in.

"Nicky" wrote in message
oups.com...

You questions and project seem to be plywood related, and I'd
recommend using joinery. A t-slot joint may be the exception. If your
joint needs to carry any significant weight, the shear strength of a
biscuit joint is not much better then a simple butt joint using
plywood.


Actually a biscuit does not add much strength to a joint when gluing the
edges of solid wood together but does significantly add strength to a
plywood edge joint and to miter joints.

"Toller" wrote in message
...
When glueing up a biscuited assembly, do you
a) pour a bead of glue into the slot & insert a dry biscuit
b) wipe a layer of glue on the biscuit & insert in a dry slot
c) glue both the slot and the biscuit

I like to put glue on the biscuit with a brush. It is fine to put glue in
the slot, but then you have less control over the amount.


Lamello makes an adjustable proportion glue injector made specifically for
glueing biscuit slots.
If you are doing a lot of glue ups this works very well.

http://www.csaw.com/lamello/gluebottles.html

Puckdropper wrote:

Does he also leave a nut behind the wheel for you?

Puckdropper

Yeah. But in an environmentally conscious move that surprised even me,
he re-used the same one that tech support left behind ... something
called a "keyboard nut".

Bill

--
Make yourself an honest man, and then you may be sure that there is one
rascal less in the world.
Thomas Carlyle (1795 - 1881)
http://nmwoodworks.com


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Peter Huebner wrote in
t:

Neither. I clamp the cross-member to the face exactly on the line
where it's supposed to end up. I then mark the top edge of that for
the bisquits. Using the joiner without fences into the corner, cutting
both pieces, I cut both slots for each bisquit in one process using
the single mark. You may end up with the bisquits slightly off centre
that way, but that doesn't matter as far as I am concerned; at least
not in mdf cabinet construction using 16mm-18mm mdf. Should work well
with ply too a.f.a.i.c.t. and I've not had complaints using this
technique connecting timber to mdf.

That is an interesting technique. I'll have to find a few pieces
of scrap and give that a try.

We have very high humidity here. I put the bisquits back into their
airtight bucket. Swollen bisquits don't assemble well, in fact have
caused splitting both in timber and mdf for me. Not a good thing. This
may not be a problem if you are living in a desert area ;-)

I live about a mile from the Everglades (a large swamp). Humidity
is one thing we have plenty of :-)

John

"Andy Dingley" wrote in
ups.com:

Oh, and buy yourself a clean _white_ rubber mallet and don't let it
get used for anythign other than carcase assembly.

Yes, I had noticed that a stout blow with the flat of the hand is
often necessary to get the pieces to set tightly together. Which
is kinda hard on the hands :-)

John

I've always given the biscuits a brief dunk in water when using
poly glue, just beacuse I read somewhere long ago that it was "a
good idea" These glues cure by reacting with moisture so it makes
sense. Moisture also makes the biscuits swell, so don't wait too
long to insert them after they are dampened.

With regular yellow glue I've found that using the head end of a
10d finish nail that's been partially tapped into a wooden handle is
useful for spreading the glue around inside the slots.
--
There is always an easy solution to every human problem -- neat,
plausible, and wrong." (Mencken)

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf.lonestar.org

It was written:
Oh, and buy yourself a clean _white_ rubber mallet and don't let it
get used for anythign other than carcase assembly.

I have a rubber "dead blow" (shot-filled) mallet of black rubber and yes
it will mark the wood, but covering it with an old heavy sock
prevents that and lets me use one of those many socks whose twin has
gone missing.

--
There is always an easy solution to every human problem -- neat,
plausible, and wrong." (Mencken)

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf.lonestar.org

On 13 Feb, 05:15, (Larry) wrote:

I have a rubber "dead blow" (shot-filled) mallet of black rubber
and yes it will mark the wood,

If you think black rubber marks the wood now, wait until someone has
used it for breaking up bitumen / emptying the cat litter tray with
it, and you didn't notice because it was already black.

With my white mallet, I can _see_ that it's clean.

I don't use my hands for this because they've often got glue on them.

On Feb 11, 2:58 pm, John McCoy wrote:
thanks much for any opinions & suggestions,

I recall a thread here years ago from someone who sanded his tabletop
and the next day found that it had depressions in it, and
coincidentally, they all seemed to be right where the biskits were.
Very visible after the finish was on.

Turned out that he'd sanded within twelve hours of joining the panel.
The biscuits had swollen, expanding the wood slightly, and then
returned to normal size. He had sanded before they'd shrunk.

And at a wood show once a guy who was demoing a biscuit joiner said
that glues these days were so strong the wood fails before the glue
does, you might as well use the biscuits just for alignment, and not
put any glue on 'em.

So for my last several panels I haven't put any glue on the biscuits
or in the slots. Everyplace except where the biscuits were. Oldest one
is two years old. No sign of a problem.

It appears as though there might be more than one way to do it. :-)

In article .com,


Andy Dingley wrote:
On 13 Feb, 05:15, (Larry) wrote:

I have a rubber "dead blow" (shot-filled) mallet of black rubber
and yes it will mark the wood,

If you think black rubber marks the wood now, wait until someone has
used it for breaking up bitumen / emptying the cat litter tray with
it, and you didn't notice because it was already black.

With my white mallet, I can _see_ that it's clean.

I don't use my hands for this because they've often got glue on them.


I see your point, but not even my wife would use a rubber hammer to
break up asphalt!

--
There is always an easy solution to every human problem -- neat,
plausible, and wrong." (Mencken)

Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf.lonestar.org

When gluing up panels, there is no need for the biscuit, strength wise. In
this situation, I don't glue them either. Try making a T joint with plywood
though, and things are different. Even if the glue is stronger than the
wood, the wood that you are gluing to is only 1/64" thick (the outer ply).
In this case, glue the biscuit, it needs it.

wrote in message
oups.com...

And at a wood show once a guy who was demoing a biscuit joiner said
that glues these days were so strong the wood fails before the glue
does, you might as well use the biscuits just for alignment, and not
put any glue on 'em.

So for my last several panels I haven't put any glue on the biscuits
or in the slots. Everyplace except where the biscuits were. Oldest one
is two years old. No sign of a problem.

It appears as though there might be more than one way to do it. :-)

In article .com, else24
@gmail.com says...

And at a wood show once a guy who was demoing a biscuit joiner said
that glues these days were so strong the wood fails before the glue
does, you might as well use the biscuits just for alignment, and not
put any glue on 'em.

So for my last several panels I haven't put any glue on the biscuits
or in the slots. Everyplace except where the biscuits were. Oldest one
is two years old. No sign of a problem.


Yeah, if I'm doing a benchtop or something from narrow stock I just use dry
bisquits as locating mechanism also. But for mdf joinery or t-joints I sure do
put glue on them. I often use bisquits in situations where they are the crucial
long-grain surface in a cross-grain joint.

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

In article ,
says...

I see your point, but not even my wife would use a rubber hammer to
break up asphalt!


Does she give lessons? I'd like to send my wife, and my mother, over ...

wink

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

I seem to recall some discussion here a few years ago in which
someone pointed out that gluing the biscuits introduces moisture into
the wood that can cause problems with the finish if not given ample
time to dry. And since the biscuits are on the inside of the piece,
it could take weeks for all the added moisture to wick out. In any
event, for simply joining panels, the buiscuits are purely for
alignment so glue is unnecessary, IMO.

In article .com,
says...
On Feb 11, 2:58 pm, John McCoy wrote:
thanks much for any opinions & suggestions,

I recall a thread here years ago from someone who sanded his tabletop
and the next day found that it had depressions in it, and
coincidentally, they all seemed to be right where the biskits were.
Very visible after the finish was on.

Turned out that he'd sanded within twelve hours of joining the panel.
The biscuits had swollen, expanding the wood slightly, and then
returned to normal size. He had sanded before they'd shrunk.

And at a wood show once a guy who was demoing a biscuit joiner said
that glues these days were so strong the wood fails before the glue
does, you might as well use the biscuits just for alignment, and not
put any glue on 'em.

So for my last several panels I haven't put any glue on the biscuits
or in the slots. Everyplace except where the biscuits were. Oldest one
is two years old. No sign of a problem.

It appears as though there might be more than one way to do it. :-)