Bit of biscuit advise needed...

[Lee J]

Sorry if you thought this was gonna be a question of 'Rich Tea' or 'Choccie Hobs Nobs' but I am been a bit dim. I cut 2 pieces of 15mm MDF for a job I was on with and my intension was to biscuit the 2 pieces toegther like this...

easy peasy, I set the biscuit jointer and made some slots in the face of the first piece, but then when I cut the slots along the edge of the piece butting up to the face it cut the slot really close to the edge? like this...

how does everyone else get around this?? make a shim to go under the pieces before cutting slots?? make a jig?

Im stumped here, had a mental block.

 

[Waka]

Lee

By the looks of things you have set the BJ up on the wrong piece of wood.

Try setting up the jointer blade so that it is in the centre of the second board on your diagram, cut these slots then go to the second board (first one in your diagram) and cut the slots, this way it will all line up nicely.

 

[Lee J]

because I cant set the jointer to variable heights would you recommend shimming the piece? becomes triky when the peice it in the vice vertical though??

 

[Steve Maskery]

It looks like you had the BJ resting on the bench, as well as the workpiece. You should set the cutter from the fence of the BJ then, with the workpiece just over the edge of the bench, make the cut ensuring that the fence of the BJ is flat on the workpiece.

Yo have simply referenced off the wrong datum, I think.

HTH
Steve

 

[Steve Maskery]

because I cant set the jointer to variable heights would you recommend shimming the piece? becomes triky when the peice it in the vice vertical though??

Does your machine not have a fence? It should have!
S

 

[Lee J]

yeah it's got a fence and yes I did have the BJ flat on the bench top.

So, let me summarise...

place piece flat on bench , overhanging by an inch, then use the fence on the face of the piece. that gives me my edge slot.

so to cut the slot on the face would I place the piece flat on the bench with an overhang (like the othe piece) but use the BJ vertical plunging down. this way I would still be using the fence.

correct?

 

[Smudger]

If you think of the top as A and the side as B, with B overlapping A, the procedure I would use is to mark up and cut the slots in A on the bench, and then cut the slots in B with the work upright in the bench vice. It's easier to handle that way.
I always use the fence and never rely on the bench, adjusted to give a slot roughly in the centre of the wood.

 

[Lee J]

hey smudger, so you have a BJ with adjustable fence then? adjustable for height? mine just flaps down from ) to 90 degrees - i think?

 

[Steve Maskery]

Lee,
What make/model is your BJ? I've never seen one that has a fence but isn't adjustable. Can you post a picture?
S

 

[Smudger]

hey smudger, so you have a BJ with adjustable fence then? adjustable for height? mine just flaps down from ) to 90 degrees - i think?

Yes - I'm pretty sure (as in 100%) that is standard. Mine's an old Ferm, as bog standard as they come, and it's adjustable.

 

[Lee J]

I'll take a look tonight. It's a B&Q job, Macallister I think.

 

[9fingers]

Well if it this one
http://www.gmcompany.com/download/tmp/m ... al_ed8.pdf

then is looks like it has a fence as normal?

Bob

 

[Mike Wingate]

Adjust part 7 so the blade is central on the timber edge.

 

[Lee J]

I forgot about that bit. I chucked the fence in the drawer.

thanks guys it's suddenly become very clear.

cheers

 

[chingerspy]

Heh... I don't own a biscuit jointer but was reading this thread earlier with trepidation as I am 100% likely to have had the same problems and wanted to be forewarned

However I just pictured you facepalming yourself and that made me laugh out loud in the corner of the office, thankyou I will not be throwing the fence of my future jointer in the drawer!

 

[Lee J]

Heh... I don't own a biscuit jointer but was reading this thread earlier with trepidation as I am 100% likely to have had the same problems and wanted to be forewarned

However I just pictured you facepalming yourself and that made me laugh out loud in the corner of the office, thankyou I will not be throwing the fence of my future jointer in the drawer!

lets just say I feel a right twot now

 

[9fingers]

Don't worry LeeJ, I expect we have all done something similar in the past!

Bob

 

[JMcK]

If I can tag onto this thread (saves starting a new one). I am looking to acquire a biscuit jointer but having spent quite a lot on stuff over the last few months it will have to be a "budget" one.

I was looking at something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/REXON-4-BISCUIT-J ... 414cb601bb

Anyone any experience or comments? (Nice ones please )

 

[big soft moose]

If I can tag onto this thread (saves starting a new one). I am looking to acquire a biscuit jointer but having spent quite a lot on stuff over the last few months it will have to be a "budget" one.

I was looking at something like this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/REXON-4-BISCUIT-J ... 414cb601bb

Anyone any experience or comments? (Nice ones please )

in my experience all the cheap biscuit jointers are much of a muchness with okay blades variable depth adjustment (all be it with tacky knobs) but wonky fences ( i tried two or three diferent makes) therefore if you are going to buy a cheap one you may as well get it from aldi or screwfix for considerably less than that rexon.

if i was going to buy from ebay i'd be looking for a deal on one of the quality ones like dewalt, makita, bosch, lamello etc

something like this for example

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SS043-MAKITA-BISC ... dZViewItem

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I have the Makia one its is faultless, unless you clean the blade and fit it the wrong round...so I'm told


Pete