Plate or biscuit joiners (not to be confused with jointers) are made for
one simple but important purpose--to cut small grooves for small oval-shaped pieces
of wood called biscuits.
Biscuits are a quick and easy way to join two pieces of wood. The joiner is a tool
that cuts uniform grooves into wood stock. After the grooves are made, a small wooden
biscuit is covered with glue and slipped into a groove, with half of the biscuit
jutting out. The other piece of wood, with its corresponding groove, is then fitted
over the exposed biscuit half.
Because of the oval shape of the biscuits, there is a bit of give when you fit the
two pieces of wood together. This allows you to adjust the joint as you clamp the
pieces and before it dries. Because of the material used for the biscuits (usually
birchwood), the moisture in the glue causes the biscuits to expand to fit tightly
into their grooves, strengthening the joint.
The system of biscuit joinery was created in Switzerland by Hermann Steiner. He
was a carpenter who opened a shop in 1944. In 1956, he developed the idea of using
wooden biscuits to join plywood and particle board. The idea caught on and in the
1960s, his family business incorporated into a company called Lamello.
The official name for this method of wood jointing is called the Lamello joining
system, but most people simply call it biscuit joining. For many years,
the only biscuit joiners were made by Lamello, but as the system became more popular,
other tool companies designed their own joiners. Now, there are several models available.
Biscuit joints are useful when attaching boards side by side (as in a tabletop),
or corner to corner (as in a drawer) or with beveled edges (as in a window frame).
They create very strong joints. Those who have had to tear apart these joints report
that they are stronger than the wood itself!
There are other ways of creating wood joints, in addition to biscuit joining. These
include cutting mortise and tenon joints, or using dowels to hold the wood together.
Still, the easiest and most popular method continues to be the one created by Hermann
Steiner back in 1956.
Types of Biscuit Joiners
Biscuit Joiner
Also known as a plate joiner, a classic biscuit joiner uses a 4" circular blade
with either 4 or 6 teeth. The 4" blade will make grooves that fit sizes #0, #10,
or #20 biscuits. Some biscuit joiners can also accomodate the smaller 2" blades
that are used to cut grooves for mini-biscuits.
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Detail Biscuit Joiner
A detail biscuit joiner is designed to make smaller grooves for mini-biscuits. These
joiners hold a 2" blade instead of the relatively larger 4" blade.
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Domino Joiner
Festool is developing a new type of joiner that uses a domino-shaped biscuit. This
new biscuit is supposed to combine the ease of biscuit joints with the accuracy
of dowel joints.
Things to Consider
Dust Extraction
How well you can collect dust is an issue for any power woodworking tool. But with
a biscuit joiner, it can be especially frustrating to deal with stray bits of wood.
There is only so much room in your grooves and if your dust collection system doesn't
work, you're going to have to stop and clean them out before gluing.
The spinning blade on a joiner creates enough wind to hurl the dust into a dust
bag--unless it gets clogged. A better method is to connect the joiner to your shop
vac and use it to suck the dust up as you go. However, you need to make sure that
your joiner will fit your vacuum hose. It can be expensive to buy an adaptor.
The Fence
On a biscuit joiner, the fence is set parallel to the blade. The distance between
the fence and the blade is adjustable, so that you can center the blade midway down
the edge of your board.
Fences are also designed to tilt, to allow you to make accurate cuts into an angled
or beveled edge. The most common angle is 45°. All biscuit joiners will have a detent
at that and other common angles. But if you are working with complicated pieces,
you may need a fence that can make micro-angle adjustments.
Depth Stops
All standard biscuit joiners have three set plunging depths. These preset stops
make sure that you cut your groove to fit the size of biscuit you're using. Some
joiners have extra depth stops, labeled S, D, and M. These allow you to cut holes
for other joining elements, such as duplex hinges.
Cutting smaller holes for FF biscuits requires changing to a smaller blade. Not
all standard joiners can make that switch.
Stop Pins
Stop pins hold the joiner in place as you make the plunge cut. Otherwise, the blade
would slip sideways before cutting. You want to make sure the pins hold the joiner
firmly in place.
Feel and Sound
If you do a lot of joining, it's important to get a tool that feels comfortable
in your hand. Some of the biscuit joiners have a D-handle, and some use a barrel
grip. In general, a D-handle design will be easier for someone with small hands
to use.
Also, while most joiners have about the same noise level, some joiners seem to have
a more annoying sound than others.
Try to work with the same model joiner before purchasing it, if possible. It's hard
to know how a tool feels or sounds until you start up the motor and use it.
Accessories
Wood Glue
You can't make a biscuit joint without wood glue! One good method of gluing the
joint is to spread the glue evenly through the groove with a small brush. Then,
as you slip the biscuit into the groove, it will become coated and swell to fit
tightly.
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Blades
Replacement blades are available for all biscuit joiners. For standard biscuit joints,
you'll need a 4" circular blade. Detail biscuit joiners require a 2" blade.
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Wooden Biscuits
Biscuits are the small pieces of wood that are used to form the joint. Depending
on the length of the join, you might need one or several to hold your material together.
The most common sizes of biscuits are #0 (5/8" x 1-3/4"), #10 (3/4" x 2-1/8"), and
#20 (1" x 2-3/8"). In addition, some companies make FF (face frame) mini-biscuits
that can be used in stock as narrow as 1-1/2". Extra large biscuits, sizes S-4 and
S-6, are also available.
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Other Joining Elements
Lamello has expanded their system to incorporate other types of biscuit-shaped joining
pieces. One of these is a plastic clamping plate. It looks like a red plastic biscuit
with grooves that help hold the joint together while the glue is drying. There are
also clear plastic biscuits for use with synthetic materials.
The 2-piece metal simplex clasp allows you to easily attach or detach two pieces
of material. Duplex hinges allow you to mount metal hinges quickly and easily.
Price Range
The amount you pay for a biscuit joiner will most likely
depend on the company and their reputation. Small manufacturers (like McCulloch
and Techtronics) offer basic machines for less than $100. Companies known for tool-making,
such as DeWalt, Makita, and Porter Cable sell their joiners for around $200-250.
Lamello is easily the most expensive, selling their joiners for $400-$700. But,
they are generally acknowledged to make quality, long-lasting joiners that are second
to none.
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