History and Production
– Invented in 1956 by Hermann Steiner in Liestal, Switzerland
– Lamello AG incorporated in 1969
– Manufactured by Porter Cable, DeWalt, and Makita
– Compatible biscuit joiners have interchangeable blades
– Used for joining sheet goods like plywood and particle board
– Can replace mortise and tenon joints in solid wood
– Used for aligning pieces when joining edge-to-edge
– Adjustable fence allows for joining mitered pieces
– Specialty biscuits available for removable panels and hinges
Usage
– Biscuits are marked on the workpieces and slots are cut
– Machine has reference marks for easy alignment
– Spring-loaded blade is used to make the cut
– Slots are slightly longer than the biscuits for adjustment before glue sets
– Depth of cut can be altered and slots can be cut at different angles
Standard biscuit sizes
– H9: 38 × 12 × 3mm
– #10: 53 × 19 × 4mm
– #20: 56 × 23 × 4mm
– Furniture hinge: depth of groove is 13mm
– Slide-in connector: depth of groove is 14.7mm
Blades and depth
– Nominal 4 inch or 100mm diameter blade used for #0, #10, #20 biscuit cuts
– Blade is set deeper for larger biscuits
– Blades have 4, 6, or 8 teeth and fit a 7/8 inch or 22mm arbor
– Blade thickness is typically 0.156 to 0.160 inch or 4mm
– Portable plate joiners use these blades
Miscellaneous
– Allows for cutting both 4-and-2-inch biscuit slots
– Predominantly used in joining sheet goods
– Can be used for aligning mitered pieces
– Depth of cut can be adjusted
– Slots can be cut at different angles Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscuit_joiner
A biscuit joiner or biscuit jointer (or sometimes plate joiner) is a woodworking tool used to join two pieces of wood together. A biscuit joiner uses a small circular saw blade to cut a crescent-shaped hole (called the mouth) in the opposite edges of two pieces of wood or wood composite panels. An oval-shaped, highly dried and compressed wooden biscuit (beech or particle wood) is covered with glue, or glue is applied in the slot. The biscuit is immediately placed in the slot, and the two boards are clamped together. The wet glue expands the biscuit, further improving the bond.
