Thanks Larry, I only hope I didn't leave anything significant out.
I was surprised to read in one of the magazines you sent along a use of the biscuit joiner to cut grooves by sliding the unit along while running. It never crossed my mind to do so but it is a quick and should be accurate way of cutting for splines and probably even the grooves to receive drawer bottoms and other applications. Mine is a porter cable which I have had for four or five years now, it includes a small cutter for #0 biscuits which I have used for mitering frames corners. It means changing the cutter blade but pretty cool. I read another article or rather you did but the builder used it to assemble drawer boxes. quick and strong if not classic joinery. For a lot of applications though this is exactly the answer, strong, accurate and fast. Any time that list members feel I may be over stepping they should feel free to say so. I often put quite a bit of effort into writing what I think is a clear explanation or description of things I have done or have observed and I do so because I am grateful for others who have taken the trouble to inform me. It is difficult for most of us blind people to learn from observation and sometimes it is just a very simple concept or understanding which, if missed can become a block to building more learning or understanding. This is not unique to the blind but we have fewer opportunities. I just hope to speed the process for others as others have for me. Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada [EMAIL PROTECTED] Skype DaleLeavens Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 9:39 AM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Yankee workshop and questions. > Dale, that was a thorough and well written response on biscuit joiners. > > -- > Larry Martin > Woodworking for the Blind > --joining the world of blind wood workers > > -------------- Original message ---------------------- > From: "Dale Leavens" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> Max, it wasn't a router he was using although there are router bits for >> cutting biscuit slots, he was using a specific tool called a biscuit >> joiner >> or also called a plate joiner. >> >> You purchase the biscuits which are actually elongated ovals made of dry >> and >> compressed beach wood. They swell when glue is applied. They come in >> about >> four sizes. >> >> The biscuit does fit or should fit pretty well half way into the slot on >> one >> side how ever it might have looked to you. As for strength, dowels and >> biscuits are not primarily for strengthening although they do that. The >> primary function is to align the joint in most applications. Dowels >> suffer >> from the direction of the grain which is usually across the grain of the >> mating surfaces and glue more firmly attaches in the long direction of >> the >> grain. The other main disadvantage of dowels is that accuracy is >> absolutely >> critical, not only must the holes align absolutely directly but they must >> be >> absolutely in line. Biscuit joinery allows for a little error. >> >> The plate joiner has a carbide tipped blade which is on a spring loaded >> travel. There is a fence, these vary from machine to machine but you can >> set >> the fence a particular distance from the slot through which the blade >> will >> protrude and will be parallel to the slot. Most will allow the fence to >> be >> tilted in both directions to allow you to cut slots in mitered assemblies >> and other angled fixation of differing angles. You can index off the >> fence >> or index off the bottom flat surface of the joiner. >> >> You then set the fence on the face of a board and bring the face with the >> slot tight against the edge of the board holding it there using a handle >> built for that purpose then turn on the machine and using the other hand >> you >> force the cutter through the slot and into the edge against the springs >> which plunges the blade into the edge of the board. Release so it runs >> back >> out with the spring assist then release the trigger so it shuts off. >> >> When I built my work bench I made up a frame rather like the shape of >> angle >> iron using three quarters plywood one edge to the face of the other and >> joined those with biscuits. I then mitered the corners and joined them >> with >> biscuits and clamped them up square. I might have used screws but I never >> would have got the corners strong that way and doweling the edges of >> plywood >> isn't all that satisfactory or probably reliable. >> >> when the biscuits get wet with glue not only does the glue bond but they >> swell and actually if you don't work fairly quickly they can be very >> difficult to set. This can be a disat\dvantage, Norm has mentioned on a >> couple of shows that biscuits set too close to the surface can cause >> slight >> dimpling to telegraph through the surface as the glue ages and I suppose >> the >> wood responds to changes in environmental moisture. On a very smooth >> finish >> this can be visible. So far I haven't noticed this. >> >> There is a new unit out there, called a domino joiner I believe, cuts a >> more >> rectangular hole and uses rectangular biscuits and an oscilating cutting >> action. These work more like floating mortise & tennon joints. I am not >> otherwise sure of the advantages, if they index easily enough I suppose >> you >> could use them to join rails & styles without cutting proper mortise & >> tenon >> joints. The biscuit joiners are plenty expensive but these domino joiners >> are really a lot more costly. >> >> Generally the correct term is Jointer. The machine is also sometimes >> called >> a planer but more usually that refers to a device for thicknessing the >> face >> of wood or for the hand held planers more usually with a 3 inch wide >> cutter >> head intended primarily for removing stock like the edge of a door. >> Joiner >> is sometimes used to refer to a jointer and I hear it more commonly used >> these days but the manufacturers still seem to refer to them as jointers. >> >> Hope this helps clear things up for you. >> >> >> >> Dale Leavens, Cochrane Ontario Canada >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Skype DaleLeavens >> Come and meet Aurora, Nakita and Nanook at our polar bear habitat. >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Max Robinson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "Blind Handyman" <[email protected]> >> Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 11:36 PM >> Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Yankee workshop and questions. >> >> >> >I have watched only one episode of the Yankee workshop and already I >> >have >> > questions. >> > >> > He did a bisket joint. They didn't show him making the bisket. Do you >> > buy >> > them pre made? It was elliptical in shape which seems hard to make. >> > He >> > made the cutout with a plunge router which looked like he was making a >> > basically rectangular shaped cutout. When he dropped the bisket into >> > the >> > cutout it didn't fit at all tight. Also it went in more than half the >> > width >> > of the bisket. There was just a little peaking out. All in all this >> > doesn't seem like a very strong joint. In an infomercial I saw someone >> > making a dowel joint. It seems to me to be a much stronger joint. How >> > does >> > a bisket joint compare to a dowel joint. Also I'm not sure but I think >> > he >> > was using some kind of guide to keep the router in the center of the >> > edge >> > of >> > the board. If there is such a thing, what is it called? >> > >> > Also a pronunciation question. Dale and I had a conversation the other >> > night on FTP about a jointer. The yankee used one on the show but he >> > pronounced it joiner. Which is correct? Does it depend on where you >> > come >> > from? >> > >> > Regards. >> > >> > Max. K 4 O D S. >> > >> > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > >> > Transistor site http://www.funwithtransistors.net >> > Vacuum tube site: http://www.funwithtubes.net >> > Music site: http://www.maxsmusicplace.com >> > >> > To subscribe to the fun with tubes group send an email to, >> > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > >> > >> > >> > To listen to the show archives go to link >> > http://acbradio.org/handyman.html >> > or >> > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ >> > >> > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. >> > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday >> > >> > The Pod Cast address for the Cooking In The Dark Show is. >> > http://www.gcast.com/u/cookingindark/main.xml >> > >> > Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From >> > Various >> > List Members At The Following address: >> > http://www.jaws-users.com/handyman/ >> > >> > Visit the new archives page at the following address >> > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man >> > list just send a blank message to: >> > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > Yahoo! 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