How to Use a Biscuit Joiner: Tips and Techniques

An easy beginner’s guide to successful wood joinery with a biscuit joiner

Co-authored by Matt Mimnagh

Last Updated: December 31, 2023

A biscuit joiner, also known as a plate joiner, is an electric woodworking tool. It joins two pieces of wood together without staples, nails, or screws. A biscuit joiner uses a small blade (4 inches or 101.6 millimeters) to cut a crescent shaped hole in the opposite edges of two pieces of wood. An oval wooden "biscuit" is covered with glue, placed in the slot, and the two boards are clamped together to form a joint. This simple process creates tight, smooth, and seamless joints. To get the results you want in woodworking, you need to know how to use a biscuit joiner.

Steps

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2
Make marks at the places where biscuits will be placed.
- Use as many biscuits as needed to secure the pieces of wood.
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3
Mark the other piece of wood at the same locations.
- The biscuit process allows some leeway in aligning the pieces of wood, so perfect alignment is unnecessary.
6
Turn on the joiner and push it forward to cut a crescent shape into the wood.
- Apply pressure to release the blade, allowing it to cut the wood.
- The joiner's cutting blade will retract while it is idle.
- The crescent shaped slots may be longer and larger the joiner biscuit; this allows a user to better align the joined pieces just before the glued joiner biscuit starts to set.
10
Clamp the two pieces of wood firmly with wood clamps.
- Upon being clamped, the compressed biscuit will expand to fill the crescent shaped slot and create a strong bond between the two pieces as it dries.

Community Q&A

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Question

Does the blade have vertical movement for different wood thickness?

Dean V

Community Answer

Yes. You will want to align/center the cutter to the thickness of the wood you are using. The adjustment is at the side of the fence. Check during your progress to make sure the setting hasn't changed.

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How do you remove black mold stains in a washing machine?

Community Answer

Full-strength Clorox will easily take mold out. Pour directly onto the stain, then do a light wash to clear the drum (without any clothes in the machine).

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I'm having a problem holding down the wood. I've tried clamps, but they just don't work. How can I better fix this situation?

Guitarteacher91

Community Answer

This depends on lots of things if clamps don't work for whatever reason, you have to get aggressive and in whatever ways are necessary Like take two other boards for top and bottom, and use screws or bolts to tighten with wrenches exerting more force that clamps or it's holes don't matter. Screw the screws into the project.

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Tips

Because they are made of compressed wood, biscuits need to be stored in tight dry containers, or they will absorb moisture and swell.

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Practice placing your components before gluing to make sure everything fits.

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The biscuit is usually made of compressed wood.

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Warnings

If the joiner is burning or smoking the wood in the slots, it is time to sharpen or replace the blade.

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Wear goggles and a dust mask when working with a biscuit joiner.

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Things You'll Need

Wood glue
Wood clamps
Biscuits come in three sizes:

0 - 5/8 inch wide x 1-3/4 inches long (13 mm x 44.45 mm); #10 - 3/4 inch wide x 2-1/8 inches long (19.05 mm x 2 mm); #20–1 inch (50.8–2.5 cm) wide x 2-3/8 inches long (25.4 mm x 2.38 mm). Biscuits are .148 inches (3.76 mm) thick.