# Home made biscuits for aligning boards



## MarkCh (Jul 7, 2020)

Just saw recent John Heisz video about making home made biscuits. I have some boards to join up for a table top, and want to use biscuits for better alignment/less sanding, and am thinking of the tighter tolerance allowed by home made versus the store bought that are supposed to swell up after gluing. Since the home made biscuits are not compressed, it seems they will swell less and not expand wood at the joint. Or at least it would swell back down after completely drying. Any collective thought on this? Also, thinking of just cutting diamond biscuits rather than bothering with the hole cutting bit.

Any thoughts?


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## Vandon (Jan 21, 2020)

If woodworking for you is a job and income then your time is valuable and shouldn't be spent on making biscuits of undetermined quality when buying the compressed commercial ones is relatively cheap.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

My thoughts are to stay away from Woodworking influencers on YouTube. Everything you need to learn in the craft you will learn by keeping your nose to the grind stone. Shoulder to the wheel. Endeavor to persevere.
Pay very little attention to what others do. Look to the wood for guidance.
Good Luck


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## northwoodsman (Feb 22, 2008)

How do you plan on cutting the slot? If you don't have a biscuit joiner you may as well save yourself a bunch of time of trying to cut slots and make biscuits the correct size and use a dowel jig and dowels.

If you need a biscuit joiner I have a nice Dewalt that is in excellent condition in a metal case that I haven't used in over 8 years that I would be happy to part with relatively cheap. I'll even throw in a couple jars of biscuits. I have a Domino so that poor thing will never see the light of day again.


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## MarkCh (Jul 7, 2020)

I guess I'm actually more concerned about getting a tight fit than the time it takes. Tighter fit = better aligned boards = less finishing work.
Thoughts?


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## LeeRoyMan (Feb 23, 2019)

I would use a slot cutting router bit and use a spline. 
Stop short of the ends so they don't run through.
Cut your splines to the fit the way you want, not so tight you have to pound them in, 
just snug enough that they can be pushed in by hand or with just a little persuasion.


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## corelz125 (Sep 23, 2015)

The biscuits I use with a slot cutting bit on my router have a good fit. If you're concerned with a tight fit do what Lee Roy suggested. You are using the right size biscuit to match your cutter?


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

Truthfully, I think its a guy looking for content. I've never seen anything that would make me question manufactured biscuits.

I've never had an issue with alignment, but truthfully I never use them for panels anyway.

Any slight discrepancy, you loose the clamp a bit and hit is with rubber hammer till its flush then retighten.

You should give that no biscuit approach a shot. I only use them if a board is bowed.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

bisquit joiners have been around for over 50 years and the manufactured bisquits seem to work quit well.why try and reinvent something so simple and works so well ?


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## dbw (Dec 2, 2013)

I agree with everything the responders to your post have said. Personally, I don't use biscuits even though I have some. Two things I have noticed in the wood working world is this: 1) some people want to, for whatever reason, make things as difficult as possible. 2) There are people on You Tube who don't have the slightest idea of what they are talking about. I call them yahoos.


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

I find a lot of You Tubers do videos of things because they can. For me that doesn't automatically convert to I should. Dominos, biscuits and dowels all come with a price, but versus wasting precious shop time making them for the small cost they are. I'll keep buying what I use


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

If you want a tight fit, leave them out in the humidity for a little while. I've found many that swelled to the point they wouldn't fit the slot. As for the glue swelling them up, if you're worried about that just don't use any glue on the biscuits.


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## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

If you want to compare costs of store bought verses DIY. Make 85 of the #20 biscuits yourself, BUT, KEEP TRACK OF TOTAL TIME SPENT, even if you used a scrap piece of wood. Now compare the cost of Store bought, 85 pieces, #20 biscuits @ about $6.50 https://www.menards.com/main/doors-windows-millwork/dowels-wooden-pins-plugs/milescraft-reg-20-biscuits-85-count/53360713/p-1444440250170-c-12188.htm?tid=-2884758892842224800&ipos=1

How much time is wasted or lost to save $6.50, You just lost over $30 at least in time.


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## MarkCh (Jul 7, 2020)

Yeah, this isn't a time versus money thing, or at least not directly. This is a 7' table top glue up that would go over better with some guiding joinery. One could use a domino for that, but enter money into the equation and I don't want to buy one. I would be using the biscuit joiner instead of the slot cutting bit on a router, however now that you mention it, I'm liking the slot cutting bit more and more. Store bought biscuits fit too loosely for my purpose, and the last time I used my biscuit joiner (Ryobi), the height of the cut wasn't terribly even. I also have a zillion 1/4" loose tenon pieces that yes, I made on my own, and no it didn't take very long. Slot cutter = domino with one degree of freedom. Thanks LeeRoyMan and Corelz!


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## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

> ... Store bought biscuits fit too loosely for my purpose, and the last time I used my biscuit joiner (Ryobi), the height of the cut wasn t terribly even. - MarkCh


IMHO - If you can not cut an accurate slot for biscuit location, need to perfect how to use the tool. 
Otherwise, might as well use buttermilk biscuits for alignment.

+1 Moisture content vastly impacts initial biscuit fit. They will quickly expand when wet with glue, fill the entire slot.

+1 Use a spline and cut slots to fit if you want tight fit. Can use router slot bit, or table saw. 
Suggest you round the edges of glue up splines. If boards are not perfectly straight along entire length, square edges will crush or splinter and can ruin a glue up; or at very least be a mess to clean up when they do not fit perfect.
BUT:
There has to be some tolerance, or slop between the insert and slot. 
With out extra room, there is no where for glue to reside. So any effort to make a perfect fitting biscuit/spline alignment system; will always be compromise between ease of assembly on long parts or proper gap to create a proper glue joint. 
That is one reason the common recommendation is biscuits on edge glue up (were you don't need strength), and splines on short edge grain joints (where you need extra strength).

IME - even with perfect slots, and perfect biscuits, if you put too much glue on 1 side of biscuit; you end up with slight mismatch in edge joint. So can not complain when an biscuit aligned edge joint is 1/64 too high/low, as that is the price of tolerances in a quick and easy alignment system. If the misalignment is more than 1/32" then check your slot cutting and make sure you are using the right size biscuit for saw blade in joiner.

YMMV


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

this issue is way over thought.every bisquit ive used with my dewalt has been snug.with the glue it swells very tight.try to pull one out after 5 minutes ! ive used them for alignment of boards many time with no problems.forget about it and glue up your top.by the time you get done making home made bisquits ill have the top done and ready for the table base.have fun ?


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## LeeRoyMan (Feb 23, 2019)

Splines done right work better than biscuits in my opinion.
I just did a bunch of them in plywood, they came out flush enough to sand without going through the veneer.
I made the splines out of baltic birch.
And as the captain said break the edges of the spline, and I break the edges of the slot as well.


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## corelz125 (Sep 23, 2015)

I have the Katana slot cutting bit from MLCS and a #20 biscuit fits snug in it. Maybe there's some play in the Ryobi biscuit jointer that makes an over sized slot.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> I have the Katana slot cutting bit from MLCS and a #20 biscuit fits snug in it. Maybe there s some play in the Ryobi biscuit jointer that makes an over sized slot.
> 
> - corelz125


ryobi…..well that could be part of the problem ?


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## Knockonit (Nov 5, 2017)

figure there is nothing wrong with knowing how to make them in a pinch, but for a stable supply the store bought work just fine, and here in Arizona, humidity is not an issue for 9 months outta the year. 
happy friday, 
rj in az


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## MarkCh (Jul 7, 2020)

Can't rule out the tool nor the user. It has a DeWalt blade in it, since the factory blade cut gargantuan slots.



> ryobi…..well that could be part of the problem ?
> 
> - pottz


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## LeeRoyMan (Feb 23, 2019)

> Can t rule out the tool nor the user. It has a DeWalt blade in it, since the factory blade cut gargantuan slots.
> 
> - MarkCh


Some tips that might help? I have an old Lamello (pretty worn out) but still get great results.

I clamp the work piece down so it doesn't move. Keeping it solid helps it not wiggle.
Once I line up the marks I hold it by the top plate that sits on top of the material. (The handle is worthless)








Then I push it from the back of the motor smooth and steady and only make 1 stroke.

If you can replicate the same method throughout all of the holes it should pay off.

This is just my way, and may not work for everybody, but if you're doing it differently give it a try.


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## northwoodsman (Feb 22, 2008)

I watched the referenced video on making biscuits. No thanks. That looked to be a very tedious process. I like the idea of a simple straight forward spline for alignment.


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## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

I have a domino but have never used it to Aline the edge of the board for gluing up a table top. I have used it for plywood like LeeRoy shows.
My thoughts are every piece of wood fiber I cut alway from the edge is less glue surface.
Spending time and effort to mill lumber flat and square. Setting up a proper assembly table is the way to go.
Here a pic of a long pine board ripped faced and square to the edge. All ready for glue.








Very slight uneven surface easily fixed with a card scraper.








White woods are the hardest to hide a glue line. 
Always worth the effort 
Good Luck


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## MarkCh (Jul 7, 2020)

At the top of the priority will be preparation, followed by patience. Maybe everything else is moot. It is a 4 board glue up of some white oak stock that was $$$. Preparation is milling, as you say. Patience is 3 separate glue ups, two pieces each.

The advice here "it sound like you are trying to use a biscuit joiner to make a spline, why not make a spline?" is golden. Ordered the whiteside 1/4" spline cutting bit yesterday, will pick up today. I don't think I'll be able to mill all the boards perfectly flat while keeping them moderately thick (~5/4 starting material), so hoping the splines will help.

John's videos are a mix of feeding the content gods, and some decent ideas. To the beginner, the main benefit is seeing the generally efficient workflow, even if it is something that would never make sense to do, or paired with some cringeworthy shop safety.


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## PCDub (Sep 24, 2017)

> I watched the referenced video on making biscuits. No thanks. That looked to be a very tedious process.
> 
> - northwoodsman


Agreed. Maybe if I was stuck somewhere in the wilderness with no way to purchase biscuits, but somehow I still had electricity to run my machines…. but otherwise, why?!


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## Sylvain (Jul 23, 2011)

I understand the concern when using plywood.

For one table in solid wood, I would
- hand plane two edges at a time to have a good mating;
- glue up;
- and then hand plane the table-top.

I am pretty sure no biscuit/domino/spline/tongue & groove
was used in making this table:
https://paulsellers.com/2022/01/newest-piece-of-the-year/


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## TheSnekkerShow (Feb 1, 2020)

Since the biscuits are just for alignment, and you're concerned about swelling at the joint, then there's no reason they need to be glued. Regular PVA glue would hold the joint together, and some snug-fitting homemade biscuits or short rectangular splines would keep things aligned. There would obviously end up being a little glue in the slot, which would be beneficial, but probably not enough that it would cause issues with swelling. If you ultimately decide on home-made biscuits or splines, just make sure that the grain is NOT running in the same direction as the glue joint, otherwise it will split, probably during assembly. The grain in biscuits runs diagonally, or at least it does in the 25-year-old biscuits stored in mason jars above my workbench.

You can trust me; I have a YouTube channel. Watch out for influencers on LumberJocks.


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## HowardAppel (Feb 3, 2010)

> I agree with everything the responders to your post have said. Personally, I don t use biscuits even though I have some. Two things I have noticed in the wood working world is this: 1) some people want to, for whatever reason, make things as difficult as possible. 2) There are people on You Tube who don t have the slightest idea of what they are talking about. I call them yahoos.
> 
> - dbw


Re: the "yahoos." Completely agree. Especially when it comes to safety-these yahoos don't use fundamental safety practices and are encouraging their followers to do stupid things. As a woodworker who is also an attorney (retired), the legal yahoo followers are referred to as having attended the YouTube School of Law, where they learn not only anything valid, but learn incredibly wrong conceptions of how the law works, which often results in them screwing themselves over. End of rant.

But yeah, splines or store bought biscuits. Home made biscuits are only good if they come with butter or gravy.


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