Cutting FF biscuits on the router table

[Phil Thien]

You guys probably already knew this, but in case not...

I was making a face frame, for which I've always used floating tenons. But I'm on this new drive to do things faster and thought I'd try a detail biscuit jointer. The Sears web site said my local store had the $69 tool (on sale), but they couldn't find any when I got there.

I didn't want to do pocket screws (I've never mastered those), so I thought about it and looked into FF biscuits. My Makita won't cut them. But I got a biscuit slot cutting bit from Whiteside and was able to use that (with the largest bearing) to cut perfect FF slots on my router table.

Man, does that go fast. Set the router table fence once, so the bit cuts to the center of the frame members (mine are 1-3/4" but you could even go a little smaller). You never have to move the fence again, can get two biscuits at each corner, very fast, very precise.

[Jim Becker]

Looks like a great solution for this, Phil. And if you need to do a lot of these, you can jig up quickly to "guide" the workpieces into the cutter consistently, too.

[Peter Stahl]

Phil,

Check out MLCS, they have a round biscuit and router bit for face frames. It goes deeper than the standard FF biscuit. See attached picture. Never used them but remember seeing them in their catalog.

[Phil Thien]

Phil,

Check out MLCS, they have a round biscuit and router bit for face frames. It goes deeper than the standard FF biscuit. See attached picture. Never used them but remember seeing them in their catalog.

Yeah, I've seen those somewhere else, too (another catalog or online place. But the problem is you have to order the biscuits in. I wanted a solution that would allow me to get biscuits locally. A non-proprietary solution, if you will.

[Phil Thien]

Looks like a great solution for this, Phil. And if you need to do a lot of these, you can jig up quickly to "guide" the workpieces into the cutter consistently, too.

You don't even need a jig. You just run the vertical pieces parallel to the fence, and then you run the horizonal pieces perpendicular to the fence (using a square push block behind them to keep them perpendicular to the fence.

I could easily do all the biscuits slots in all four pieces in 1.5 minutes, and they're perfectly aligned. Tool setup is less than one minute. You don't need to adjust the fence but you could if you wanted four or more per joint.

With these FF biscuits, you don't need to move the workpiece side to side, just a single plunge into the bit. The 1.5" width of the bit, combined with the larger bearing that comes w/ the bit, makes a single plunge the perfect size for the FF.

[Bob Feeser]

Ok I am curious. Are you eyeballing the mark, and then taking the plunge. Considering I see center marks, you are not using a stop, and then plunging the other end. Or are you? It just seems that a free floating piece of stock would be a challenge to center on the bit, and you may wind up with lateral movement due to the force of the rotating bit. At the same time you are away from the bit before you begin your plunge. I think Jim suggested a jig to eliminate that challenge, and once set up be able to get perfectly matched results.
Maybe I am being too critical, whereas the biscuit has sufficient tolerance to allow for a little play, although I must admit, from the pictures you don't seem to be having any problems with centering. Nice job.


You don't even need a jig. You just run the vertical pieces parallel to the fence, and then you run the horizonal pieces perpendicular to the fence (using a square push block behind them to keep them perpendicular to the fence.

I could easily do all the biscuits slots in all four pieces in 1.5 minutes, and they're perfectly aligned. Tool setup is less than one minute. You don't need to adjust the fence but you could if you wanted four or more per joint.

With these FF biscuits, you don't need to move the workpiece side to side, just a single plunge into the bit. The 1.5" width of the bit, combined with the larger bearing that comes w/ the bit, makes a single plunge the perfect size for the FF.

[Phil Thien]

Ok I am curious. Are you eyeballing the mark, and then taking the plunge. Considering I see center marks, you are not using a stop, and then plunging the other end. Or are you? It just seems that a free floating piece of stock would be a challenge to center on the bit, and you may wind up with lateral movement due to the force of the rotating bit. At the same time you are away from the bit before you begin your plunge. I think Jim suggested a jig to eliminate that challenge, and once set up be able to get perfectly matched results.
Maybe I am being too critical, whereas the biscuit has sufficient tolerance to allow for a little play, although I must admit, from the pictures you don't seem to be having any problems with centering. Nice job.

My stock is 1-3/4" wide. The bit is 1-1/2" wide. I put the largest bearing on the bit. I position my router table's fence so there is a 1/8" gap between the fence and the bit. I set the height of the bit so the bottom of the cutter is 1/8" above the table.

Now, with the long edge of a horizonal member against the fence, I push the piece into the bit until it hits the bearing. I flip it over, then plunge it again. Now I flip the piece end for end and do two more cuts.

Now, I get a square push block and a vertical member. I use the push block to keep the vertical member perpendicular to the fence and plunge it into the bit. I flip it end for end, and do it again.

Now I repeat the same steps on the vertical member but instead of feeding from the right-hand side of the table, I feed from the left. Feeding from this side does mean the bit is pulling the stock away from the fence so make sure you hold the wood against the fence tightly.

[Peter Stahl]

My stock is 1-3/4" wide. The bit is 1-1/2" wide. I put the largest bearing on the bit. I position my router table's fence so there is a 1/8" gap between the fence and the bit. I set the height of the bit so the bottom of the cutter is 1/8" above the table.

Now, with the long edge of a horizonal member against the fence, I push the piece into the bit until it hits the bearing. I flip it over, then plunge it again. Now I flip the piece end for end and do two more cuts.

Now, I get a square push block and a vertical member. I use the push block to keep the vertical member perpendicular to the fence and plunge it into the bit. I flip it end for end, and do it again.

Now I repeat the same steps on the vertical member but instead of feeding from the right-hand side of the table, I feed from the left. Feeding from this side does mean the bit is pulling the stock away from the fence so make sure you hold the wood against the fence tightly.

Phil,

It was hard to visualize what you were saying at first but the spinning bit is out in front of the fence. I was originally thinking it only stuck out to the bearing. Never used 2 biscuits I always used the "0" size and just used one with my Dewalt biscuit cutter. They say biscuits don't add any strength but they do make alignment a lot easier.

[Phil Thien]

Phil,

It was hard to visualize what you were saying at first but the spinning bit is out in front of the fence. I was originally thinking it only stuck out to the bearing. Never used 2 biscuits I always used the "0" size and just used one with my Dewalt biscuit cutter. They say biscuits don't add any strength but they do make alignment a lot easier.

I think in a situation such as edge-joined wood, biscuits are only going to help in alignment. In a face frame or miter type application, I'm pretty sure they provide additional strength. Certainly not as much as (for example) a M&T or dowels. But, my new kick is to find ways to work faster with the tools and techniques I already have.

[Bruce Benjamin]

I've also had great success with using FF biscuits and slots cut on my router table. I made up a jig and it does make it easier to align with the marks and do the task more safely but it's not a requirement.

Those MLCS round biscuits would work well for some applications but with very narrow miters like the last ones I made they wouldn't fit into the wood. The Porter Cable biscuits did fine though. I don't have the MLCS cutter or any of their biscuits yet but I might get them for future projects.

As far as biscuit strength goes, of course they add strength to a joint. Not a lot compared to using a thicker spline or a tenon but strength is certainly added. Glue a miter joint together using only a butt joint and see how easy it is to break apart with your hands. Now do the same thing with the same joint with a biscuit in it. It's much stronger. Is it strong enough to support a lot of weight? No. But for a face frame or a small door rail and stile or a small picture frame is certainly adds strength.

Bruce

[Phil Thien]

Those MLCS round biscuits would work well for some applications but with very narrow miters like the last ones I made they wouldn't fit into the wood. The Porter Cable biscuits did fine though. I don't have the MLCS cutter or any of their biscuits yet but I might get them for future projects.

Bruce

Ditto everything you said. I'm going to get some of the special rounder biscuits, too, to have on hand if I ever want to connect larger members. I could even use four of them on a single joint for an apron.

[Bill Ragland]

You guys probably already knew this, but in case not...

I was making a face frame, for which I've always used floating tenons. But I'm on this new drive to do things faster and thought I'd try a detail biscuit jointer. The Sears web site said my local store had the $69 tool (on sale), but they couldn't find any when I got there.

I didn't want to do pocket screws (I've never mastered those), so I thought about it and looked into FF biscuits. My Makita won't cut them. But I got a biscuit slot cutting bit from Whiteside and was able to use that (with the largest bearing) to cut perfect FF slots on my router table.

Man, does that go fast. Set the router table fence once, so the bit cuts to the center of the frame members (mine are 1-3/4" but you could even go a little smaller). You never have to move the fence again, can get two biscuits at each corner, very fast, very precise.

Thanks a bunch for your post. I have a gazillion face frames to do and wanted to use biscuits but my Dewalt Joiner would not do them. So I switched to pocket hole screws which works pretty well but the wood I am using splits very easily so I had to drill pilot holes in the stile. That really slowed things down. Your solution will work great for me.