Alternatives to biscuits?

[bffulgham]

I haven't used biscuit joiners a ton but seems they are much quicker then the joining options you mentioned and as I mentioned above, the slots are cut oversize lengthwise on each piece for the biscuit, so you have the ability to shift pieces laterally a bit as you glue them, so an easier and more efficient means to accurately join two pieces together. Certainly for making things like bookshelves and cabinets, they are far quicker means to make good, accurate joints. I have the SS biscuit joiner but haven't had a chance to use it yet, so I'm not sure how it compares to using your typical handheld unit. I've eyed the DeWalt handheld unit for a while now as it seems like it would be more versatile then one that mounts on the SS...I need to have enough consistent use for one before I can justify the new toy.

I have the PC biscuit joiner.....absolutely love it. Have used it a ton on my bookcases, pantry, etc. Another option for those that have routers is to get a slot-cutter bit set that has the cutter width the same as the biscuit thickness. There are a couple of companies that make one.

I've always had problems getting dowel holes to exactly match up...but that was also before I got my 510.

[db5]

Biscuits have the advantage of being able to adjust pieces laterally when you glue them up, whereas with dowels you need to drill your holes on each piece in the exact locations or you'll have alignment problems when you glue them up.

Well, you don't really. There is a lot of play if you drill one side larger than the other. Learned that from JPG and others when I wanted to adjust a badly warped cross-member from a bench that used dowels.

I'd go with the dowels. Cheap, easy and easily fixed if it doesn't fit perfectly.

[letterk]

Doweling seems to make sense for saving money. You probably have almost everything you need with the Shopsmith. Also, someone directed you to PTWWFE for pocket hole screws which might work well.

If your really want a biscut joiner there is always Harbor freight. With a 20% coupon and the sale price you can get a biscuit joiner less than $50. People complain about the fence, but there are suggestions online for using spacers underneath it instead. If you were considering spending any money on alternatives, this would atleast get you originally needed.

Otherwise, if you have router you can get router bits to cut biscuit slots.

[robinson46176]

My biscuit joiner is a Bosch, works nice. I acquired a SS biscuit joiner when I was buying stuff but I sold it since I already had the Bosch.
I love pocket screws in the right place.
I have used dowels and the SS is great for them.
On gluing up panels I have also used T&G joints either by shaper or table saw, just be sure that your groove is deeper than your tongue so that the shoulders will fit tightly together and the tongue not bottom out in the groove. I can't even remember what the project was but I do remember learning that the hard way.


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[eagleta2]

I tend to use dowels, again because the ss makes it easy to do so and end up with a successful panel.

But just to play devil's advocate for a moment...wouldn't it be possible to mount a slot cutter of the proper thickness in the ss drill or router and produce the exact same results in vertical drill press mode as you would get by using a biscuit jointer?

I like the ss biscuit jointer, just haven't seen the need enough to run out and pick one up. For me, I have to be able to say that I wish I had a specific tool three times before I run out to buy one. Perhaps thats the reason it took me 20 years to finally get a shopsmith jointer!

Thanks
Geo

[charlese]

I'd like to make the Build-to-suit Study Desk in the March 2013 issue of WOOD ( http://www.woodstore.net/bustde.html ) but it calls for biscuits.

I don't have a biscuit joiner or the $$ to get one.

What would be a good alternative for the joints?

Thanks!

Wow! You got a lot of good responses!:)

After looking at the picture of the desk. I would probably go with dowels. You could also use thru dowels from the sides of the boxes into the shelves, base and top. When sawn off and sanded flush to the sides they would look smart.

Assuming you will be using boards rather than plywood, you will need table top fasteners like the figure 8 ones or a type of metal clamp that will fit into a slot and slide a bit to accommodate wood movement.

[trainguytom]

Although you've already gotten plenty of good advice, I couldn't resist putting in my 2 cents worth. It might not be worth that much, but what the heck.

I've always thought that biscuit joinery came about because some guy invented a tool that cut that size slot & wanted to make some money & sell it to other guys that didn't have enough tools. There already were enough ways to align boards, like dowels & splines (also easy to do on the SS, by the way), but that's never stopped guys from wanting more.
Biscuits don't add strength, they only help in alignment, so I figure my money's better spent on a tool or accessory that does something I can't already do with my existing tools.
Anyway, just my rant on tools I consider to be of little real use (at least to me)

[dgale]

Although you've already gotten plenty of good advice, I couldn't resist putting in my 2 cents worth. It might not be worth that much, but what the heck.

I've always thought that biscuit joinery came about because some guy invented a tool that cut that size slot & wanted to make some money & sell it to other guys that didn't have enough tools. There already were enough ways to align boards, like dowels & splines (also easy to do on the SS, by the way), but that's never stopped guys from wanting more.
Biscuits don't add strength, they only help in alignment, so I figure my money's better spent on a tool or accessory that does something I can't already do with my existing tools.
Anyway, just my rant on tools I consider to be of little real use (at least to me)

While I agree with some of what you've said, I'll still claim that a biscuit joiner is much faster for doing joining work than any of the other stated options, which is significant if you are going to make a bunch of bookcases, cabinets etc. If you want to make a desk and otherwise your need is only here and there, I'd agree to go with dowels or whatever approach works that you can do with existing gear, but if you want to be able to make a bunch of something quickly, accurately, and consistently, I'm a believer that the biscuit joiner beats out the other options.

[trainguytom]

While I agree with some of what you've said, I'll still claim that a biscuit joiner is much faster for doing joining work than any of the other stated options, which is significant if you are going to make a bunch of bookcases, cabinets etc. If you want to make a desk and otherwise your need is only here and there, I'd agree to go with dowels or whatever approach works that you can do with existing gear, but if you want to be able to make a bunch of something quickly, accurately, and consistently, I'm a believer that the biscuit joiner beats out the other options.

Since I don't do any kind of volume work, I'll have to acknowledge that you probably have a point. For "one off" work, I've used both splines & dowels.

[fjimp]

I enjoy trying all of the joining methods mentioned. The only time I prefer biscuits is for fascia joints. They allow wiggle room and can cover up small errors. Jim