# Whats better, dowel or biscuit?



## Jayhawk714 (Jan 17, 2015)

What makes a stronger bond, doweling or biscuits? Or is there any difference?


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## bmarshall9686 (Jan 17, 2016)

Biscuits are really only used to help keep butt joints level while glueing. The glue alone is stronger than the biscuits. 

Dowels would offer more strength as long as you allow for movement.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

While biscuits add some strength to the joint dowels hands down is far stronger. Biscuits don't go deep enough into the wood to add a lot of strength.


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## Jayhawk714 (Jan 17, 2015)

What do you mean by movement? I am going to be making some blanket chests using blue pine but want to do something besides a glue up after running the pine through my planer and jointer.


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## Jayhawk714 (Jan 17, 2015)

Thanks Steve. Also, would the dowels have enough strength to remove a small amount of any bow in the planks. I'm not talking about a huge bow but just a little to keep things straight. Most of my pine dried straight but a few do have some bow.


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## bzguy (Jul 11, 2011)

bmarshall9686 said:


> Biscuits are really only used to help keep butt joints level while glueing. The glue alone is stronger than the biscuits.
> 
> Dowels would offer more strength as long as you allow for movement.


I would be inclined to say that butt joints are where glue is least effective.
Glue works much better along or across the grain, biscuits in a butt joint would make it stronger, but dowels much more so.


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## bmarshall9686 (Jan 17, 2016)

Fair assessment @bzguy, however I will still stand to say biscuits aren't really there for strength. 
@Jayhawk714 movement happens with the seasons when the wood wants to expand and/or contract. 

Also the bow I would say if it's very minimal you would be fine using dowels to help straighten ... but I would be cautious and watch it.


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## Jayhawk714 (Jan 17, 2015)

Thanks bzguy. By the reply's I'm getting it looks like I will be dong a lot researching of dowel jigs!


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## Jayhawk714 (Jan 17, 2015)

Thanks bmarshell. Like I told baguy it looks like I'll be doing research on dowel jigs.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

I'm not sure what you are talking about.

Are you talking about edge joining the planks to make wider boards? If so, all that is needed is the glue. If done properly, a glue joint will be better than a dowel. The dowel will create a weak point if the boards want to warp out of shape and same goes for biscuits.

Are you talking about joining one side to another at 90*? If so, you can mortise and tenon or 1/2 dado joints.


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## madmantrapper (Feb 6, 2013)

We have not used dowels in thirty years. We use the heck out of biscuits. We also use pocket screws when ever possible.


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