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What is a Biscuit Jointer?

Posted by Katy | Toolstop on 1st Jan 2021

Biscuit Jointers, sometimes referred to as a Biscuit Joiner, are used in many trades for multiple tasks. They are a simple and effective way of joining wood. This Toolstop guide will explain what is a biscuit joiner used for and how you can make the most of yours.

Biscuit Jointers, sometimes referred to as a Biscuit Joiner, are used in many trades for multiple tasks. They are a simple and effective way of joining wood. This Toolstop guide will explain what is a biscuit joiner used for and how you can make the most of yours.

what is a biscuit jointer

What is a Biscuit Jointer Used For?

In this short guide to owning and using a biscuit jointer, we’ll cover:

  • Why own a biscuit jointer
  • Setting up your biscuit jointer
  • Tips for making your biscuit joint as strong as possible

We’ve also got a couple of demonstration videos for you to watch, one focusing on a Dewalt Biscuit Jointer and one on a Makita Biscuit Jointer. To find out how to get the most from your biscuit jointer, look out for these videos below.

Why Own a Biscuit Jointer?

Any decent joiner knows that there are many ways to join two pieces of wood. It’s important, however, to know which joint to use based on the workpiece! Few joints, though, are beaten by the biscuit joint.

A biscuit jointer, sometimes referred to as a biscuit joiner, cuts notches in both pieces of wood you wish to join, into which you insert and glue a biscuit. The resultant joints are strong and reliable, preventing any lateral movement in your workpiece.

Both work pieces are assembled (and possibly clamped) together, the glue dries and you’ve got a solid joint. Easy. Biscuit joints really come into their own when joining together two pieces of wood of varying thicknesses. You can see this below in our guide on Toolstop TV.

Toolstop stocks a wide variety of biscuit jointers from DeWalt, Makita, Draper, SIP, Trend and more.

How to Make Biscuit Joints

First of all, setting up your biscuit jointer

In order to make a biscuit joint, it’s imperative that your biscuit jointer is set to the correct size of biscuit you’ll be inserting into the slot. Your biscuit jointer’s manufacturer’s instructions (AKA the manual) will show you exactly how to do this.

Equally, setting up the biscuit jointer to the correct height for the cut is important. We’ll explain more about that in the next section. Again, refer to the manual on how to set up the correct height on your biscuit jointer.

Often biscuit jointers are fitted with adjustable fences which will allow you to make a variety of mitre cuts. As above, the manual will show you how to adjust the fence to allow you to easily make a variety of angled mitres.

Good quality biscuit jointers should come supplied with some form of dust extraction, make sure you have this hooked up before you make the cut.

Mark both pieces where you want the joints to be. Then simply line up the centre line of your biscuit jointer with the pencil mark and make the cut in both work pieces.

A good quality biscuit jointer will provide you with a clear line of sight for your cut, per the Makita PJ7000.

Tips for Making Strong Joints in a Piece of Wood

Measure the thickness of the pieces you wish to join and set the depth of cut on the biscuit jointer to half the thickness. This will ensure that the joint is right in the middle of the pieces you wish to join.

As you cut, be sure to use press down on the thumb rest at the front of the jointer to prevent any wobbling. For joining 2 pieces of worktop, a biscuit joint is an excellent choice, but its recommend that you also use traditional worktop bolts to ensure maximum strength of joint.

Biscuit Jointers and Biscuit Dowels at Toolstop:

Bosch 2608596132 CYL-1 Drill Bit For Masonry
Bosch 2608596132 CYL-1 Drill Bit For Masonry
Bosch 2608596132 CYL-1 Drill Bit For Masonry
Bosch 2608596132 CYL-1 Drill Bit For Masonry

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