I have a DeWalt Biscuit Joiner that I use to make boxes or cabinets.
That is 2 sides and a top and bottom.
The fence for the joiner is set at a height of 3/8" and is is down, or
parallel to the blade. I am using 3/4" plywood.
My method is to place the top and bottom pieces on a flat surface with
their inside faces up. I have one end of a piece overhanging whatever
surface the piece is on. The other end is clamped to the work surface.
I then place the joiner wherever I have made a mark and position it so
the fence is pressed against the end edge. The slot is then made into
the inside face, parrallel to the end edge. The distance from the end
edge is the same as the distance of the fence from the blade. I now
lay the side pieces down with their outside faces up. I place the
fence of the joiner on the outside face and hold it there. The joiner
is pushed against the end edge of the side and the slot is cut. I then
place the biscuits and glue and clamp the pieces together.
My problem is that when the glue is dry the top and bottom pieces
overhang the side pieces by about 1/16". This happens at all 4 joints
and has happened on several cases I have built.
Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong? I use a router with a flush
trim bit to correct things but I would like to avoid having to do
that.
Thanks for any and all help.
In article <[email protected]>, Martin
H. Eastburn <[email protected]> wrote:
> 3/4" isn't made any more. Measure it! It isn't 3/4" anymore.
>
> It is likely 11/16. Being 1/16 thin because it is metric or they are
> stealing
> 1/16 due to some tree hugger law or judgment.
You do know that pretty much everybody except you guys in the US has
been measuring things in metric for a Very Long Time... Right?
So... if you a) import or b) export you're pretty much required to use
metric even if you pretend otherwise domestically... Right?
In article <[email protected]>, Leon
<[email protected]> wrote:
> The MDF
> consistently measures out at. 97/128", that is actually wider than 3/4" and
> that does not convert evenly to metric.
I wonder why. That's a very odd number.
"Lee Michaels" <leemichaels*nadaspam*@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Swingman" wrote
>
>> "Leon" wrote
>>
>>> GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>>
>>
>> Ah, yes ... the cry of frustrated testosterone being overwhelmed by the
>> logic of estrogen. We know it well! :)
>>
>>
> That we do.
>
> My favorite is the which restaurant do we eat at routine. I go, "Where do
> you want to eat honey?" She sez, "Oh, anywhere is fine with me." I go,
> 'OK, we will eat at the __________ ." She goes,
> NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!......., we can't eat there!!!!"
>
> Feminine logic at its best.
Being a card carrying coonass, I'll eat just about anything, so I just let
her decide ... of course, and once the menu is presented, it has to be
properly scrutinized for substitutions, and lengthy negotiations commenced
with the wait staff, because there is obviously no way in hell you can just
simply accept what is on the damn menu, eh?
There was a story in the news this morning about a hermit in the piney woods
of East Texas. I've begun to understand the appeal ....
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)
"Swingman" wrote
> "Leon" wrote
>
>> GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>
> Ah, yes ... the cry of frustrated testosterone being overwhelmed by the
> logic of estrogen. We know it well! :)
>
>
That we do.
My favorite is the which restaurant do we eat at routine. I go, "Where do
you want to eat honey?" She sez, "Oh, anywhere is fine with me." I go, 'OK,
we will eat at the __________ ." She goes, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!.......,
we can't eat there!!!!"
Feminine logic at its best.
"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> exactly centered in the workpiece, it's much simpler to just make sure the
> reference surfaces are in the proper orientation when the piece is
assembled.
Sure, you're right. As far as alignment goes, it doesn't matter where the
slot is really as long as the mating slot is lined up with it. Having them
centred only adds to the strength of the join and has nothing to do with
alignment.
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
>
> Absolutely! I have learned through out the years that proper technique
> or method is EVERYTHING. I seldom measure anything on a project anymore
> except for the length and widths that have to be a particular measurement.
> The more things you can do with out a tape measure the less mistakes you
> will make.
>
Let me change that last sentence.
The more things you can do with out measuring, the less mistakes you will
make.
"trvlnmny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:90bcdaff-837b-476a-8739-b2803ffcf506@p20g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
>I have a DeWalt Biscuit Joiner that I use to make boxes or cabinets.
> That is 2 sides and a top and bottom.
> The fence for the joiner is set at a height of 3/8" and is is down, or
> parallel to the blade. I am using 3/4" plywood.
The problem id that you are not using 3/4" plywood. The 3/8" mark is not
the center of the plywood sheet. It is, however, making the slots 3/8" from
the edge of the side, thus the mis-match.
It may be OK if you flip the top and bottom plywood over so that the 3/8"
slots align. You can make fine adjustments until they do align. Meantime,
measure the true thickness of the plywood.
"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Ed Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>>
>> "Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> wrote in message
>> news:230320090720142182%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca...
>>> In article <[email protected]>, Leon
>>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> The MDF
>>>> consistently measures out at. 97/128", that is actually wider than 3/4"
>>>> and
>>>> that does not convert evenly to metric.
>>>
>>> I wonder why. That's a very odd number.
>>
>> Dries out to 96/128
>
>
> I don't think do. Some of the MDF is a couple of months old, some is 7+
> years old, and some is in between.
Could have swelled from moisture, but I doubt they'd all swell at the same
rate.
In article <[email protected]>, "Martin H. Eastburn" <[email protected]> wrote:
>3/4" isn't made any more. Measure it! It isn't 3/4" anymore.
>
>It is likely 11/16. Being 1/16 thin because it is metric or they are stealing
>1/16 due to some tree hugger law or judgment.
It doesn't matter whether it's a full 3/4" or 1/16" shy or whatever. If he's
cutting slots at some fixed distance, whether it's 3/8", 5/16", or
whatever, from some reference point on each of the mating pieces, and
installing them with the reference points in the correct relationship to each
other, everything will fit. His problem is that he's reversing the pieces
somewhere, somehow, between the cut step and the fit step.
My guess is that the OP *thinks* he's cutting slots exactly in the center of
what he *thinks* is true 3/4" plywood and therefore *thinks* the orientation
of the reference surfaces doesn't matter.
It's true that if you really are cutting slots in the exact center of the
plywood, then the orientation of the reference surfaces doesn't matter -- but
that's not the optimal way to look at the problem. Things work much better if
you realize that if you keep the reference surfaces oriented correctly, it
doesn't matter if the slots are in the exact center of the plywood, or a
little bit off-center, or a lot off -- the pieces will still line up.
I agree Doug -
All that is needed is for him to cut a slot, flip the board and cut the same
slot. Is it the same slot or requires a thick biscuit.
Martin
Doug Miller wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, "Martin H. Eastburn" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> 3/4" isn't made any more. Measure it! It isn't 3/4" anymore.
>>
>> It is likely 11/16. Being 1/16 thin because it is metric or they are stealing
>> 1/16 due to some tree hugger law or judgment.
>
> It doesn't matter whether it's a full 3/4" or 1/16" shy or whatever. If he's
> cutting slots at some fixed distance, whether it's 3/8", 5/16", or
> whatever, from some reference point on each of the mating pieces, and
> installing them with the reference points in the correct relationship to each
> other, everything will fit. His problem is that he's reversing the pieces
> somewhere, somehow, between the cut step and the fit step.
>
> My guess is that the OP *thinks* he's cutting slots exactly in the center of
> what he *thinks* is true 3/4" plywood and therefore *thinks* the orientation
> of the reference surfaces doesn't matter.
>
> It's true that if you really are cutting slots in the exact center of the
> plywood, then the orientation of the reference surfaces doesn't matter -- but
> that's not the optimal way to look at the problem. Things work much better if
> you realize that if you keep the reference surfaces oriented correctly, it
> doesn't matter if the slots are in the exact center of the plywood, or a
> little bit off-center, or a lot off -- the pieces will still line up.
"trvlnmny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:90bcdaff-837b-476a-8739-b2803ffcf506@p20g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
> I have a DeWalt Biscuit Joiner that I use to make boxes or cabinets.
> That is 2 sides and a top and bottom.
> The fence for the joiner is set at a height of 3/8" and is is down, or
> parallel to the blade. I am using 3/4" plywood.
> Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong? I use a router with a flush
> trim bit to correct things but I would like to avoid having to do
> that.
Kinda hard to tell from the description (got a headache, not your fault),
but there is one rule you want to follow without fail: Mark your reference
surfaces/faces (the ones you want to be flush to each other); and always
make cuts from that "referenced" surface, face, edge.
If your tool is in good shape and the blade is not wobbling, it's pretty
hard to not come out with flush surfaces providing you consistently cut ONLY
from that "reference" surface/face.
Do things line up when you do a dry fit?
If your biscuits are too loose in the slot due to a dull or wobbly blade
cutting an oversize slot, you may want to check your clamping technique.
In that case, these might help:
http://www.e-woodshop.net/Jigs.htm
Scroll down to "I-Beam Supports/Clamp Assists".
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)
"Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> wrote in message
news:220320092308040345%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca...
> In article <[email protected]>, Martin
> H. Eastburn <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> 3/4" isn't made any more. Measure it! It isn't 3/4" anymore.
>>
>> It is likely 11/16. Being 1/16 thin because it is metric or they are
>> stealing
>> 1/16 due to some tree hugger law or judgment.
>
> You do know that pretty much everybody except you guys in the US has
> been measuring things in metric for a Very Long Time... Right?
>
> So... if you a) import or b) export you're pretty much required to use
> metric even if you pretend otherwise domestically... Right?
IIRC the 3/4" plywood is actually 23/32", that is very close to 18 mm, about
1/64" over. I have at least bought MDF on 3 different occasions where I
still a piece laying around over the past 8 or so years. The MDF
consistently measures out at. 97/128", that is actually wider than 3/4" and
that does not convert evenly to metric.
"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Doug Miller"
>
>> Things work much better if
>> you realize that if you keep the reference surfaces oriented correctly,
>> it
>> doesn't matter if the slots are in the exact center of the plywood, or a
>> little bit off-center, or a lot off -- the pieces will still line up.
>
> Sheeesh, folks! Read the above and take it to heart ... if you want to
> give yourself every chance of success in this endeavor, in a world where
> things will go wrong if given a half a chance, there is NO better method
> ... PERIOD!
>
Absolutely true. But no matter how well you mark them, they eventually will
be put together the wrong way.
"Ed Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> "Doug Miller"
>>
>>> Things work much better if
>>> you realize that if you keep the reference surfaces oriented correctly,
>>> it
>>> doesn't matter if the slots are in the exact center of the plywood, or a
>>> little bit off-center, or a lot off -- the pieces will still line up.
>>
>> Sheeesh, folks! Read the above and take it to heart ... if you want to
>> give yourself every chance of success in this endeavor, in a world where
>> things will go wrong if given a half a chance, there is NO better method
>> ... PERIOD!
>>
>
> Absolutely true. But no matter how well you mark them, they eventually
> will be put together the wrong way.
Thus the inclusion of the phrase: "in a world where things will go wrong if
given a half a chance, "
:)
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)
"Doug Miller"
> Things work much better if
> you realize that if you keep the reference surfaces oriented correctly, it
> doesn't matter if the slots are in the exact center of the plywood, or a
> little bit off-center, or a lot off -- the pieces will still line up.
Sheeesh, folks! Read the above and take it to heart ... if you want to give
yourself every chance of success in this endeavor, in a world where things
will go wrong if given a half a chance, there is NO better method ...
PERIOD!
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)
On Mar 20, 5:44=A0pm, trvlnmny <[email protected]> wrote:
> I have a DeWalt Biscuit Joiner that I use to make boxes or cabinets.
> That is 2 sides and a top and bottom.
> The fence for the joiner is set at a height of 3/8" and is is down, or
> parallel to the blade. I am using 3/4" plywood.
> My method is to place the top and bottom pieces on a flat surface with
> their inside faces up. I have one end of a piece overhanging whatever
> surface the piece is on. The other end is clamped to the work surface.
> I then place the joiner wherever I have made a mark and position it so
> the fence is pressed against the end edge. The slot is then made into
> the inside face, parrallel to the end edge. The distance from the end
> edge is the same as the distance of the fence from the blade. I now
> lay the side pieces down with their outside faces up. I place the
> fence of the joiner on the outside face and hold it there. The joiner
> is pushed against the end edge of the side and the slot is cut. I then
> place the biscuits and glue and clamp the pieces together.
>
> My problem is that when the glue is dry the top and bottom pieces
> overhang the side pieces by about 1/16". This happens at all 4 joints
> and has happened on several cases I have built.
>
> Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong? I use a router with a flush
> trim bit to correct things but I would like to avoid having to do
> that.
>
> Thanks for any and all help.
From the way I understand it you should be using some stop blocks to
really hold the pieces in position. When you go to make the slots the
force of the cutter will slide the piece even if your holding it
really tight. Stop blocks will help in keeping it center where you
want it.
Tim
I was OK with most of your rules, but I disagree
with the one below.
Yes... it's true that if the stock is slightly
different thickness, using a flat table top as
a reference edge "might" cause a problem, but
using the fence on the jointer is also problematic.
Most folks will not hold the fence perfectly flat
on the surface of the material that is being cut.
I think you are better off using the table saw
top and fence as your work surface.
Assuming the pieces are "slightly" different
thickness, put the "good" side face down and
make your cuts.
This will insure that the finished version is
going to match up a lot closer to flush.
The PC 557 has a "adjustable" fence and I suspect
that you can very easily NOT get in back to the
correct 90 degree angle, which would cause another
whole set of problems.
Your mileage may vary.....
Leon wrote:
> Rules to follow.
>
> ALSO, do not use a table surface to index off of. The plate joiner fence
> should always support the machine when cutting in to the edge of a board.
> If you use the work surface to set the plate jointer on and there is debris
> or your stock or work surface is not perfectly flat the slot will not be cut
> accurately.
On Mar 20, 5:44=A0pm, trvlnmny <[email protected]> wrote:
> I have a DeWalt Biscuit Joiner that I use to make boxes or cabinets.
> That is 2 sides and a top and bottom.
> The fence for the joiner is set at a height of 3/8" and is is down, or
> parallel to the blade. I am using 3/4" plywood.
> My method is to place the top and bottom pieces on a flat surface with
> their inside faces up. I have one end of a piece overhanging whatever
> surface the piece is on. The other end is clamped to the work surface.
> I then place the joiner wherever I have made a mark and position it so
> the fence is pressed against the end edge. The slot is then made into
> the inside face, parrallel to the end edge. The distance from the end
> edge is the same as the distance of the fence from the blade. I now
> lay the side pieces down with their outside faces up. I place the
> fence of the joiner on the outside face and hold it there. The joiner
> is pushed against the end edge of the side and the slot is cut. I then
> place the biscuits and glue and clamp the pieces together.
>
> My problem is that when the glue is dry the top and bottom pieces
> overhang the side pieces by about 1/16". This happens at all 4 joints
> and has happened on several cases I have built.
>
> Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong? I use a router with a flush
> trim bit to correct things but I would like to avoid having to do
> that.
>
> Thanks for any and all help.
Is the fence adjustable for angle on that model DeWalt (Old ELU style)?
"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> doesn't matter if the slots are in the exact center of the plywood, or a
> little bit off-center, or a lot off -- the pieces will still line up.
That's provided everything else is done properly. He might not be holding
the joiner completely flush with the wood. There might be a burr on the
joiner. The wood might not be cut perfectly straight. Hell, even the
biscuits might be slightly undersize or otherwise flawed. There could be any
number of reasons his cuts are not lining up properly. If everything else is
as it should be, then Doug is correct.
"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> With all due respect, Ed, if he has described his procedure accurately,
> and is
> not inadvertently reversing the pieces before assembly, it won't make any
> difference whether the plywood is 3/4 of an inch or 3/4 of a mile thick,
> the
> slots will still be in the right place.
>
> Tweaking the adjustment of the joiner until the slots are exactly centered
> is
> an unnecessary waste of time and wood: no matter what the thickness of the
> wood is, no matter what the distance from the reference edge is, the
> machine
> always cuts the slots at the same distance from the reference edge. If the
> reference edges line up, the slots will too. His problem is that his
> reference
> edges aren't aligned properly when he assembles the case.
>
> Can't tell from here if he's inadvertently swapping inside/outside faces,
> or
> left/right and front/back pieces, but he's sure doing one or the other.
You are correct that the distance does not matter if the pieces are oriented
the same way, BUT, stuff happens. Getting the slot centered, while not a
necessity, has the advantage of making the parts universal. While you say
it is a waste of time and wood, if it solves his problem, it eliminates the
extra trimming step he has now. . Either way works as long as you do the
layout and mark the parts for the proper side to match.
"Ed Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> wrote in message
> news:230320090720142182%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca...
>> In article <[email protected]>, Leon
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> The MDF
>>> consistently measures out at. 97/128", that is actually wider than 3/4"
>>> and
>>> that does not convert evenly to metric.
>>
>> I wonder why. That's a very odd number.
>
> Dries out to 96/128
I don't think do. Some of the MDF is a couple of months old, some is 7+
years old, and some is in between.
"Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> wrote in message
news:230320090720142182%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca...
> In article <[email protected]>, Leon
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> The MDF
>> consistently measures out at. 97/128", that is actually wider than 3/4"
>> and
>> that does not convert evenly to metric.
>
> I wonder why. That's a very odd number.
3
Isn't it! What I find odd is that over a 7 or so year span it is all
exactly the same thickness.
But then it does come in 49 x97 inch sheets. LOL
"Dave Balderstone" <dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca> wrote in message
news:230320090720142182%dave@N_O_T_T_H_I_Sbalderstone.ca...
> In article <[email protected]>, Leon
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> The MDF
>> consistently measures out at. 97/128", that is actually wider than 3/4"
>> and
>> that does not convert evenly to metric.
>
> I wonder why. That's a very odd number.
Dries out to 96/128
"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Doug Miller"
>
>> Things work much better if
>> you realize that if you keep the reference surfaces oriented correctly,
>> it
>> doesn't matter if the slots are in the exact center of the plywood, or a
>> little bit off-center, or a lot off -- the pieces will still line up.
>
> Sheeesh, folks! Read the above and take it to heart ... if you want to
> give yourself every chance of success in this endeavor, in a world where
> things will go wrong if given a half a chance, there is NO better method
> ... PERIOD!
Absolutely! I have learned through out the years that proper technique or
method is EVERYTHING. I seldom measure anything on a project anymore except
for the length and widths that have to be a particular measurement. The
more things you can do with out a tape measure the less mistakes you will
make.
3/4" isn't made any more. Measure it! It isn't 3/4" anymore.
It is likely 11/16. Being 1/16 thin because it is metric or they are stealing
1/16 due to some tree hugger law or judgment.
Martin
Doug Miller wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, "Ed Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> "trvlnmny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:90bcdaff-837b-476a-8739-b2803ffcf506@p20g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
>>> I have a DeWalt Biscuit Joiner that I use to make boxes or cabinets.
>>> That is 2 sides and a top and bottom.
>>> The fence for the joiner is set at a height of 3/8" and is is down, or
>>> parallel to the blade. I am using 3/4" plywood.
>>
>> The problem id that you are not using 3/4" plywood. The 3/8" mark is not
>> the center of the plywood sheet. It is, however, making the slots 3/8" from
>> the edge of the side, thus the mis-match.
>> It may be OK if you flip the top and bottom plywood over so that the 3/8"
>> slots align. You can make fine adjustments until they do align. Meantime,
>> measure the true thickness of the plywood.
>>
>
> With all due respect, Ed, if he has described his procedure accurately, and is
> not inadvertently reversing the pieces before assembly, it won't make any
> difference whether the plywood is 3/4 of an inch or 3/4 of a mile thick, the
> slots will still be in the right place.
>
> Tweaking the adjustment of the joiner until the slots are exactly centered is
> an unnecessary waste of time and wood: no matter what the thickness of the
> wood is, no matter what the distance from the reference edge is, the machine
> always cuts the slots at the same distance from the reference edge. If the
> reference edges line up, the slots will too. His problem is that his reference
> edges aren't aligned properly when he assembles the case.
>
> Can't tell from here if he's inadvertently swapping inside/outside faces, or
> left/right and front/back pieces, but he's sure doing one or the other.
In article <[email protected]>, "Ed Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"trvlnmny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:90bcdaff-837b-476a-8739-b2803ffcf506@p20g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
>>I have a DeWalt Biscuit Joiner that I use to make boxes or cabinets.
>> That is 2 sides and a top and bottom.
>> The fence for the joiner is set at a height of 3/8" and is is down, or
>> parallel to the blade. I am using 3/4" plywood.
>
>
>The problem id that you are not using 3/4" plywood. The 3/8" mark is not
>the center of the plywood sheet. It is, however, making the slots 3/8" from
>the edge of the side, thus the mis-match.
>It may be OK if you flip the top and bottom plywood over so that the 3/8"
>slots align. You can make fine adjustments until they do align. Meantime,
>measure the true thickness of the plywood.
>
With all due respect, Ed, if he has described his procedure accurately, and is
not inadvertently reversing the pieces before assembly, it won't make any
difference whether the plywood is 3/4 of an inch or 3/4 of a mile thick, the
slots will still be in the right place.
Tweaking the adjustment of the joiner until the slots are exactly centered is
an unnecessary waste of time and wood: no matter what the thickness of the
wood is, no matter what the distance from the reference edge is, the machine
always cuts the slots at the same distance from the reference edge. If the
reference edges line up, the slots will too. His problem is that his reference
edges aren't aligned properly when he assembles the case.
Can't tell from here if he's inadvertently swapping inside/outside faces, or
left/right and front/back pieces, but he's sure doing one or the other.
In article <[email protected]>, "Upscale" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"Doug Miller" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> doesn't matter if the slots are in the exact center of the plywood, or a
>> little bit off-center, or a lot off -- the pieces will still line up.
>
>That's provided everything else is done properly. He might not be holding
>the joiner completely flush with the wood. There might be a burr on the
>joiner. The wood might not be cut perfectly straight. Hell, even the
>biscuits might be slightly undersize or otherwise flawed. There could be any
>number of reasons his cuts are not lining up properly. If everything else is
>as it should be, then Doug is correct.
>
Well, yes, but those issues will cause misalignment regardless of what
technique is used. My point is that instead of obsessing over getting the slot
exactly centered in the workpiece, it's much simpler to just make sure the
reference surfaces are in the proper orientation when the piece is assembled.
In article <90bcdaff-837b-476a-8739-b2803ffcf506@p20g2000yqi.googlegroups.com>, trvlnmny <[email protected]> wrote:
>I have a DeWalt Biscuit Joiner that I use to make boxes or cabinets.
>That is 2 sides and a top and bottom.
>The fence for the joiner is set at a height of 3/8" and is is down, or
>parallel to the blade. I am using 3/4" plywood.
>My method is to place the top and bottom pieces on a flat surface with
>their inside faces up. I have one end of a piece overhanging whatever
>surface the piece is on. The other end is clamped to the work surface.
>I then place the joiner wherever I have made a mark and position it so
>the fence is pressed against the end edge. The slot is then made into
>the inside face, parrallel to the end edge. The distance from the end
>edge is the same as the distance of the fence from the blade. I now
>lay the side pieces down with their outside faces up. I place the
>fence of the joiner on the outside face and hold it there. The joiner
>is pushed against the end edge of the side and the slot is cut. I then
>place the biscuits and glue and clamp the pieces together.
>
>My problem is that when the glue is dry the top and bottom pieces
>overhang the side pieces by about 1/16". This happens at all 4 joints
>and has happened on several cases I have built.
Check the slots you've cut in the ends of the sides, and you'll find that
they are about 1/32" closer to one face than to the other.
>
>Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong? I use a router with a flush
>trim bit to correct things but I would like to avoid having to do
>that.
The procedure you describe should produce dead-on flush fits, regardless of
the thickness of the stock or the setting of the joiner.
If your description of the procedure is accurate, then you're somehow
reversing the side pieces inadvertently when you assemble the case.
I can think of two ways this could happen:
a) you lose track of which faces are inside and which outside
b) you inadvertently switch the left and right sides, and the front and back
sides (which would have the same effect, putting an inside face outside).
"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>>
>> Absolutely true. But no matter how well you mark them, they eventually
>> will be put together the wrong way.
>
> Thus the inclusion of the phrase: "in a world where things will go wrong
> if given a half a chance, "
So Kim comes up to me this morning with a dowel that she located in "my"
shop and wanted me to cut it "ABOUT" in half. She is waving that thing she
brought over to show you and yours last night and wanted a dowel to put in
the end of it. I had already forgotten "what she sewed" was for and figured
she wanted to use the dowel to hang the piece on the wall. Soooo she says
the dowel needs to be shorter than the width of the thing she made but
almost to the ends. I laid the dowel on the thing she made and marked
where the cut should be with her watching and agreeing with the location of
where the cut should be.
I went out to the shop and cut the dowel and brought both pieces back in.
As it turns out I had actually marked and cut the dowel "ABOUT" in half as
she had requested.
When I handed the 2 dowels back to her she compares the lengths and says
"they need to be the same length" !!!!!
GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"trvlnmny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:90bcdaff-837b-476a-8739-b2803ffcf506@p20g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
>I have a DeWalt Biscuit Joiner that I use to make boxes or cabinets.
> That is 2 sides and a top and bottom.
> The fence for the joiner is set at a height of 3/8" and is is down, or
> parallel to the blade. I am using 3/4" plywood.
> My method is to place the top and bottom pieces on a flat surface with
> their inside faces up. I have one end of a piece overhanging whatever
> surface the piece is on. The other end is clamped to the work surface.
> I then place the joiner wherever I have made a mark and position it so
> the fence is pressed against the end edge. The slot is then made into
> the inside face, parrallel to the end edge. The distance from the end
> edge is the same as the distance of the fence from the blade. I now
> lay the side pieces down with their outside faces up. I place the
> fence of the joiner on the outside face and hold it there. The joiner
> is pushed against the end edge of the side and the slot is cut. I then
> place the biscuits and glue and clamp the pieces together.
>
> My problem is that when the glue is dry the top and bottom pieces
> overhang the side pieces by about 1/16". This happens at all 4 joints
> and has happened on several cases I have built.
>
> Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong? I use a router with a flush
> trim bit to correct things but I would like to avoid having to do
> that.
>
> Thanks for any and all help.
Rules to follow.
You should always index off of the surface that you want to show. If your
pieces are not exactly the same thickness and you index off the inside, the
outside will show the difference and if you are using 45's for the corners
the difference will be magnified. Indexing of the outside surface on 45's
may be more difficult with the DeWalt. The PC fence is designed so that
you index off the outer surface and use different thickness pieces
ALSO, do not use a table surface to index off of. The plate joiner fence
should always support the machine when cutting in to the edge of a board.
If you use the work surface to set the plate jointer on and there is debris
or your stock or work surface is not perfectly flat the slot will not be cut
accurately.
It is best when cutting a slot into narrow stock to clamp the stock down
with the end or edge that is to receive the slot to hang over the end of the
work bench. You do not want there to be a chance that the plate jointer is
not being fully supported fully by the fence, for accurate indexing.