Biscuit Joiner Instructions & Types of Joints

Basic Joiner Use

• The joiner has a motor that drives a round, horizontal blade. The blade is spring loaded to protrude from the front when the joiner is pressed into position. A metal plate on hinges fits to the top of the material to be cut. It is adjustable, allowing the blade depth and angle to be set precisely. The blade is controlled by a trigger. Once the blade depth and angle are set, the joiner is aligned with the material. The trigger activates the blade, which is plunged forward to cut the slot.

Edge Joints

• Align two panels to be cut and mark them with a pencil, so that the marks extend onto each panel for alignment. Biscuits are typically installed every 8 to 12 inches along the edge. Most joiners are adjustable to cut slots in the center of material up to 1 1/2 inches thick. Thick panels and lumber are often joined with two rows of slots, one cut below each face. Center the joiner on the alignment marks and cut a slot into each edge at each mark. Apply glue into the slot, insert a biscuit in each and press the edges of the panels together, clamping them in place until the glue dries.

Corner Joints

• Simple 90-degree corners made with overlapping material are marked and cut in much the same way, with the joiner fitted to the outside faces of the two pieces so that they are aligned. Apply glue in each slot and insert a biscuit. Use a framing square to align the corners at a true right angle, fitting the slots of the remaining piece over the biscuits you inserted into the first. Clamp the parts together until the glue dries.

Specialty Joints

• Picture frame style joints for face frames of cabinets and other purposes can be joined with the biscuit joiner similarly to fitting panel edges. Cut the slot into the angled face of each piece and glue and fit them with biscuits as for panel and corner joints. A 90-degree joint may be made mid panel using the biscuit joiner. The adjustment plate is tilted up to allow the joiner to cut into the panel face squarely. Use a piece of lumber, clamped to the panel to align the joiner for proper positioning.