I believe Norm's benchtop biscuit joiner had a flat bed with a fence along the back edge and the biscuit joiner came through the center of the fence toward the front in the horizontal plane. You can easily fashion one of these to hold your biscuit joiner and you simply position the board flat on the bed, against the front of the joiner and push back to make the plunge cut. It works great for sighted guys who simplly line up a mark for the center of each biscuit. A blind guy needs to use some type of stop setup or gauge for each cut. It does work, but be careful since the cutter is facing you.
----- Original Message ----- From: Dale Leavens To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:04 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Yankee workshop and questions. Yes, well my fence sticks out probably over four inches so using that for a reference wouldn't be good except for sheet goods. With it folded up flat though and using the base along a flat surface would allow milling narrower stock. Because I have the tools though I think i would sooner use a slot cutting bit on the router table for say cutting a groove around a sheet of plywood then cutting a tongue on surrounding edge pieces except that it is easier and much quicker to just use biscuits as intended. Many years ago I saw Norm Abrams use a bench biscuit joiner. I don't know just how it worked as I can't see but he seemed to have a bench arrangement with a fence and the cutter came up from the bottom when he stepped on a pedal. I am not aware that he has used that in several years but I thought it might be an interesting insert to build for my router table should I ever need to do a lot of biscuit joining. I have not seen such a device since. It is really getting on my t*its that here I have all this time on my hands and there my shop sits as it was left a month ago. I can't believe that the Hospital just called "to check on me" with a thought to modified work! Sure, the blind guy can do the photocopying and filing. The beggars wouldn't let me near their shop of course. She implied that I would have to use my vacation time for the trip we are taking next week. One more crack like that and I will be exploring the possibilities of total disability and they can start my pension early. Then we will see how much time I can put in my workshop! 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 12:29 PM Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Yankee workshop and questions. > p.s. using a biscuit joiner to cut a running groove in a workpiece never > crossed my mind either and strikes me as both difficult and dangerous. > Keeping the workpiece tightly clamped down would seem to be a significant > problem. > > -- > Larry Martin > Woodworking for the Blind > --joining the world of blind wood workers > > -------------- Original message ---------------------- > From: "Dale Leavens" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> 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! Groups Links >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> > >> > >> > >> > 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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