Was Norm Abram WRONG about biscuit joiners?

I recently saw a video with the title that said biscuit joined hers are completely useless accredited the popularity of the biscuit joiner in part 2 norm Abram of the new Yankee Workshop who never seemed to make anything that didn't contain at least one wooden biscuit so I wondered why would a master carpenter like norm Abram be so fond of a tool that is completely useless the answer of course is that biscuit joiners are not completely useless they're either just misunderstood or they simply don't fit into everyone's workflow so I wanted to add to the discussion of what I think is the real value of a biscuit joiner I'll tell you whether it's worth investing in one I'll give you a few tips and I'll show you something I see folks do all the time you should never do with a biscuit joiner though they're stronger than some people give them credit for biscuits shouldn't be confused with loose Tenon's like dominoes or even a good dowel joint you never saw norm trying to connect legs to a table or chair with biscuits they aren't strong enough what you did see him do was use biscuits to edge glue panels to assemble casework boxes for cabinets and chests in these applications the biscuits add little strength but they greatly assist in assembly well cut biscuit slots will help your parts to go together perfectly flush and prevent them from slipping out of alignment when you add glue and clamps that can mean faster stress free glue ups and a lot less sanding later notice I said well cut biscuit slots if your biscuit fits too loosely so it wobbles in the slot it's not going to help you align anything biscuits are meant to absorb glue and swell for a tighter fit but even without glue a biscuit should not fit too loosely in the slot poorly fitting slots are usually caused by a bad biscuit jointer the cutter may not run true or the fence might not remain rigid and this can create a slot that's wider than the thickness of the blade and too loose for the biscuit another problem may be the biscuit itself they can shrink or expand based upon the climate so you have to keep them in sealed containers if your biscuits usually fit well but seem a little extra loose on a dry day spritz them with a little water to swell them a bit this is especially useful if you don't intend to you glue which would swell them inside the slot as well if it's a humid day and your biscuits have to be hammered into the slots throw them in the microwave for a minute or two of drying of course I'm not saying biscuits should be used in every joint there are other ways to align your work pieces in fact most of the time you really don't need them at all but they can be really helpful enlarge glue ups like big casework or giant panels for countertops or tabletops recently we were edged gluing thick walnut planks for some counters and without biscuits it would have been very difficult to force out the bows and get things together before the glue started to set up the biscuits didn't replace the calls to keep the panel flat while it dried it just made things a lot easier to align of course there are some downsides to using biscuits as well for one thing if you cut the slot too close to the outer edge of a workpiece over time the biscuit can shrink more than the panel itself if the biscuit was glued in its slot as it shrinks it can pull down the wood fibers and create visible indentations in the finished surface so you have to install them properly now here's something I see people do all the time with their biscuit joiners this image is from an early episode of the new Yankee Workshop norm himself was guilty of this the cutter on a biscuit joiner is like a small saw blade and just like a table saw it can bind in a kerf and kick that piece of wood out of your hand leaving nothing between you and the cutter I know the blade is designed to retract but dirt and corrosion can slow that spring mechanism do you really want to see if your hand gets to the blade before it's withdrawn don't do that to your biscuit you don't want to risk it a biscuit joiner is a useful tool but remember a biscuits not a tenon think of it as a spline it'll help you align project parts but it won't add a lot of strength to the joint is that enough to justify buying a biscuit joiner no but it is enough to justify borrowing one from a friend once in a while just make sure it's a good one a cheap biscuit joiner is worse than none at all if you find yourself using it a lot offer to buy it from your friend because he's probably not using it at all bottom line is a biscuit joiner is a tool that can be very useful if it's used proper and if it fits your personal workflow Steve Ramsey isn't a fan norm Abram is you have to decide which category you fall into now before you head to the comments and tell me that Steve made a follow up video that acknowledged some of these things I just said I saw that but I decided to post this anyway because I think it adds to the discussion see you next time power carving is a plaster you should try it sometime grab some scrap wood and some carbide burrs from saber-toothed power carving tools and just give it a go you may be surprised what you're capable of like this folk are eagle I made from two by sixes check out what Sabretooth has to offer at the link below this video wait don't go yet if you're new here please subscribe and remember to ring the bell I would really appreciate that give us a thumbs up or better yet leave us a comment I always read them and be sure to check out the latest issue of stumpy nubs woodworking journal it's always packed with tips tricks and tutorials designed to make you a better woodworker

Channel: Stumpy Nubs

Views: 272,798

Rating: 4.9315052 out of 5

Keywords: woodworking, stumpy nubs, tips, workbench, table saw, scroll saw, drill press, quick tip, band saw, bandsaw, lumber, hack, hand plane, sharpening, tormek, worksharp, diamond stone, water stone, wood turning, bowls, lathe, biscuit joiner, norm abram, new yankee workshop, joinery

Id: LcdReQeS9S4

Length: 5min 21sec (321 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 02 2020