Making Butt Joints, Offset Butt Joints

OPERATION

BUTT JOINTS

A butt joint is made by mating the end grain of one board with the edge grain of another. The bonding of glue on this type of surface is poor. However, by using biscuits you can create a strong joint that gives a mortise-and-tenon effect.

MAKING BUTT JOINTS

See Figures 11 - 12.

n Unplug the biscuit joiner.

n Place the two pieces of wood to be joined on a level

workbench. Align them against each other in the arrange-

ment in which they will be assembled.

n Using a square, determine the location of each biscuit

spline joint and mark the center of each joint by drawing

a line across the edges of the two boards.

n Loosen the locking knob and set the fence angle at

BUTT JOINTS

BISCUIT

SLOT(S) BISCUIT(S)

CENTERLINE

90°.

n Set the fence height at the desired dimension on the scale

MULTIPLE

MARK(S)

by rotating the height adjustment knob.

NOTE: The scale indicates the height of the fence from

BISCUITS STACKED

Fig. 11

the center of the blade.

n Tighten the locking knob securely.

n Select the correct depth of cut setting to match the biscuit

size you are planning to use. Make a test cut in a scrap

piece of wood from the same workpiece if possible.

n Clamp the workpiece securely so that it will not move

during the cut.

n Plug the biscuit joiner into a power supply and prepare

to make your first cut. Grasp and hold the biscuit joiner

securely with both hands.

n Place the fence against the board and align the indicator

marks on the fence with the centerline mark(s) on the

board.

n Depress the switch trigger to turn on the biscuit joiner,

then push it forward to extend the blade into the wood.

n When the base assembly bottoms out against the depth

of cut adjustment knob setting, pull back to release pres-

sure on the spring. The blade will retract from the biscuit

slot.

n Repeat this procedure for cutting the slot in the mating

workpiece.

n Once all biscuit slots have been cut, place a biscuit in

each joint and dry-assemble the workpieces. Make sure

each joint lines up and fits.

n Finally, disassemble the workpieces and place a bead

of glue in each slot. Also, spread a bead of glue over the

entire surface of the joint. Reinsert the biscuits and as-

semble the workpieces as shown in figure 10.

n Clamp the workpieces together until the glue sets up.

OFFSET BUTT JOINTS

BISCUIT

SLOT

BISCUIT

CENTERLINE

MARK(S)

Fig. 12

OFFSET BUTT JOINTS

See Figure 12.

The rails of a table or workbench are often offset from the front of the table legs. When offsets are required, it is neces- sary to cut the slots in the rails first, then readjust the fence to cut the slots in the legs.

Keeping this one exception in mind, the procedure for cut- ting offset butt joints is identical to the procedure for cutting butt joints.

For example, if a 1/4 in. offset is desired, you would mark the centerlines for cutting a butt joint as mentioned in the procedures for cutting butt joints, and cut the slots in the ends of the rails. Next you would raise the fence 1/4 in. to the desired offset and cut the slots in the legs.

JM82 specifications

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