# Need help correcting a mistake...



## Ripper70 (Nov 30, 2015)

Hey All,

I'm in the process of making a kitchen storage sideboard (I guess that's what it's called) using 3/4" Chinese birch ply with simple butt joints to attach the top to the sides of the main case. After some deliberation I decided to purchase a plate joiner and use biscuits for these joints.

Problem is this:

After cutting the slots for the biscuits and dry fitting the pieces together, I didn't get them perfectly aligned with the edge. Just to be clear, I did do some test cuts and joins on some scrap pieces to make sure I had the machine correctly set up and did manage to get a perfectly aligned joint on my scrap pieces. Then I went ahead and screwed up on my actual pieces. It ain't off by much but one edge is off just shy 1/16" while the opposing edge lines up close to perfect. As a result the joint is a bit skewed. Of course, the biscuits fit nice and snug, just the way you'd want them to.

I've considered adjusting the height of the joiner blade a skosh to widen the slot to give me enough play to properly align the edge but that will result in a sloppy fit with some play that I fear might weaken the joint. If this is the proper way to address my mistake, I'll go ahead with Plan A, but I figured I'd ask if anyone here knows if I'm on the right track or might save me from making my mistake worse.

Thanks in advance.


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## Ripper70 (Nov 30, 2015)

Hmmm. Over 100 views but no suggestions. Thought maybe I needed to clarify so here's a pic showing what I've described above.

As you can see, my butt joint edge is off on one end by just a bit but enough that I don't want to leave it that way. Problem is, the biscuit slots have already been cut and they fit nice and snugly. Is there a method that anyone might suggest to properly correct this error and get a proper fit?

Thanks in advance.


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

I doubt you need to re adjust your biscuit cutter. 
I would glue a biscuit into the slot, cut it off flush and try to re cut it.


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

You can glue in the biscuits, wait for them to dry, then cut/plane flush and re-cut the slots. Or if there is room, cut new slots. Making sure to be extra careful you are applying flat even force to the pieces, and you have good contact with the machines reference points.


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

^Jbay typed faster than I did.


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## Ripper70 (Nov 30, 2015)

Eureka! Bingo! That's it!

Thank you jbay and ShaneA for sharing your experience and knowledge. That's the perfect solution and one that never occurred to me. I knew my LJ brothers would come through.


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

It sounds like you cut the slots using the wrong edge on the board where you cut the slot in the edge? If you just make the slot wider, I think that you might as well not use the biscuits at all. The primary purpose of the biscuit is to make the edges align properly. It does add some minimal strength but a rabbet would probably be stronger in my opinion. The best way to correct that is to just cut totally new slots in new places on both pieces this time making sure that you use the outside edge of both as your reference.

Not sure why I didn't see this when you posted a couple of days ago?

Edit: It won't hurt to recut the existing slots from the correct side so that you can put a biscuit in those during glue up. Either that or just glue a biscuit in them and cut/sand them flush.


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## 000 (Dec 9, 2015)

> ^Jbay typed faster than I did.
> 
> - ShaneA


LOL, I hate that.
(great minds think alike….)


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

Dang it. My verbose response too way longer to type than the others.


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