I have just purchased a DeWalt DW682 Plate Joiner. I cut a few test slots with the saw setup just as it came out of the box. Worked great, but it seams like it cuts a very large slot for the size of biscuit I had the dial set at. I was using #20 biscuits and I used the ‘0’ setting and I still think the slot is to big. The saw has some adjustment for plunge depth, but I am not sure what a good biscuit fit should look like.
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Wow! I'm surprised it could be so far out coming out of the box.
So as not to fight oversized biscuits and glue, fool with the depth setting until your slot depth is equal to about half a biscuit width plus one sixteenth inch.
Measure a few biscuits to get an average width.
If you have a digital caliper, you can check biscuit width and slot depth much more readily.
Biscuits can swell with humidity, and I like to keep them in the original poly bags until using them. Sometimes a batch go in the microwave to cook out the water and shrink them down to slot size.
One big advantage to using bisquits over dowels is that they align the faces, but allow end to end play. The slots are supposed to be oversized for length, so glue ups aren't a big hassle trying to get everything to go together.
I don't know how much bigger your slots sre over the bisquits, but an 1/8" or so is about right. The other way to check on the right size is to cut a slot, insert a bisquit full depth, and draw a line at the point where the bisquit sticks out.
Remove the bisquit. The line should be a bit more than 1/2 way. If not, adjust the depth as necessary.
What you said.
I inseert a biscuit and draw a pencil line on it where it meets the edge, then take it out and flip it around and put in the other edge and make another line..get about a 3/32" space between the two lines and yer good to go.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"If you want something you've never had, do something you've never done"
Well I did the setup the weekend and set the excess gap at 3/32 inch and then I did a test joint with a 20 biscuit. When I broke the joint apart I found I still had a solid strip of glue between the wood and one edge of the biscuit. I am thinking I might set the excess gap at 1/16 inch. I will try a second joint with 1/16 inch excess gap and let everyone know the results.
On a slightly related subject, I need to build a cubic spaceframe of 2x2 redwood (modern rabbit hutch) and would like to use #0 biscuits (1 7/8" or so in length) on the diagonal of the redwood.Any ideas of how to align the cuts so that they're accurately on the diagonal, without spending much effort on a jig? I have the DeWalt plate joiner mentioned at the start of this thread.TIA, Mike
I think you will end up making a jig to do it right. Maybe a small jig that would attach to the fence. I have not tried to do this myself.
Good luck
Yeah - my concern is that a small slip in the jig can result in pretty misaligned joints... a corner/diagonal fence would be a neat solution!
My machine's the high dollar version but I just use an adjustable miter guage to mark the registration. Never had a problem, lots of miters.
You have trouble with the tool moving sideways? I don't, but some sandpaper on the face will solve that.
Take a peek at this miter. I've been asked by the somewhat knowledgeable if it's really safe to sit on.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
That's beautiful! But I gotta admit, that miter looks pretty vulnerable. I'd like to see the engineer's specs on that before I sign off on it!
View Image
View Image “Good work costs much more than poor imitation or factory product†– Charles GreeneCaliforniaRemodelingContractor.com
Edited 11/28/2007 10:28 am by Huck
I think it needs a couple of these
View Image View Image “Good work costs much more than poor imitation or factory product†– Charles GreeneCaliforniaRemodelingContractor.com
Bench's been in steady service for a decade. You did notice it's a 2-seater? Pair of #20s in each joint. Biscuits are often under-estimated and I'm picky about brand/fit.
Anybody over 250 lbs I steer elsewhere. Have not tested to failure, but it's good for better than 400 lbs combined.
LOL ... How big is your butt? Pretty sure I don't want those braces inside here. Be kinda hard to move the bench around. And might look like I was trying to shore up my walls or something. Which are working just fine now under my 240 ton roof.
The one bench complaint: those feet stick out so far they've hung a toe or two. I'm not changin' 'em. PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
The most important fit for a biscuit is the thickness of the slot. The biscuit should be a snug fit going into the slot, and should not be loose at all. And thenj the slot nees to be deep wenough so the two faces mate ... if the slot is too shallow, the biscuit will bottom out and leave a gape between the boards.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
DeWalt makes some good tools and some bad tools but, as near as I can tell, they make a good biscuit joiner. I’ve been using a DW682K for about the last 5 years with no problems. The only odd thing about it is that the depth settings are a bit counter-intuitive. To set for a #20 biscuit you turn the 20 mark in and down, not up and out.
There is an adjustment on the tool to make tighter/looser fits.
Doug