I was wrong about using a biscuit joiner for every single joint

For years I thought biscuits were the best way to align casework, but a job in Portland last fall showed me the limits. I was assembling a big built-in with 3/4 inch maple, and the seasonal movement caused a slight but visible gap along a long rail. An older guy on site, Frank, just pointed at it and said, 'That's why I only use them for alignment, not strength.' Now I'm rethinking my whole approach. What do you guys use for long grain joints in solid wood cases?

4 comments

4 Comments

casey3422mo ago

Frank had a point about alignment versus strength. For long grain, a simple glued joint is often strong enough if the surfaces are prepped well. The real trick is just getting everything clamped up straight before the glue sets.

angelamurphy29d ago

Actually, @casey342, dominos are WAY more than just biscuits.

zarat372mo ago

Yeah, that's a tough lesson to learn the hard way. Seeing a gap open up after all that work is just the worst feeling. Frank's advice about alignment vs strength really hits home, makes you question all the shortcuts.

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kim_mason552mo ago

Ask Frank what he uses for strength then. A lot of old guys swear by loose tenons cut with a router, but that seems like a lot of setup. I've started using dominos for long rails, but they're just expensive biscuits, aren't they? The real problem is expecting any floating tenon to stop wood from moving. Maybe we're all just picking our favorite way to make alignment easier before we glue and clamp.

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