# Porter Cable Biscuits



## StevenB (Sep 6, 2011)

I just starting using & learning about biscuit joints. I read that porter cable biscuits are different sizes then standard biscuits size.
I've got a Dewalt joiner, should I be worried or avoid using PC biscuits with my Dewalt or PC well work just fine?
Thanks


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## jlord (Feb 1, 2010)

Biscuits can be bought in different sizes. You can also change cutter to correspond with the biscuits.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

StevenB said:


> I just starting using & learning about biscuit joints. I read that porter cable biscuits are different sizes then standard biscuits size.
> I've got a Dewalt joiner, should I be worried or avoid using PC biscuits with my Dewalt or PC well work just fine?
> Thanks


 





 
IMO, you should worry about using any biscuits. There are better joinery methods.












 







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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

StevenB said:


> I just starting using & learning about biscuit joints. I read that porter cable biscuits are different sizes then standard biscuits size.
> I've got a Dewalt joiner, should I be worried or avoid using PC biscuits with my Dewalt or PC well work just fine?
> Thanks


 
Where did you read this? Was it a reliable source?

I have never seen biscuits in a store that were labled by any given make of biscuit cutter. Then again I really do not pay much attention to biscuits.

G


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Don't think makin bicuits is all that hard right?Grandmother's were making them by the busload "back in the day".What,flour...little baking pwd....lard/shortening...add water?I'm just tired of buying pre-made biscuits.Its one of those modern conveniences that post WWII,subdivision....gotta be fast,thinking brought us.I still cook with my G-mothers CI skillets......goin on 100 years and they're just getting broken in.

So,to OP........ain't bustin on WW biscuits(will leave that to others),but would encourage you to explore either....makin your own,or find possibly a more traditional joint.And also think a little about how/why they got started....from a marketing strategy sort of way.And this coming from someone who'll use storebought biscuits from time to time.BW


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

GeorgeC said:


> I have never seen biscuits in a store that were labled by any given make of biscuit cutter. Then again I really do not pay much attention to biscuits.
> G


Here ya go!












 







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## mics_54 (Oct 28, 2008)

I use PC biscuits in slots made with my DeWalt cutter and havn't seen a problem.


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

Made me kinda curious so did a bit of googling. Looks like there are standard size biscuits and Porter Cable size biscuits.... go figure

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscuit_joiner#The_sizes_of_standard_biscuits


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## Chris86 (Aug 27, 2011)

I've used PC biscuits, DeWalt biscuits, and Bosch biscuits with my Ryobi biscuit joiner and I can't tell any difference. I use #0, #10, and #20 size biscuits.

Maybe the Porter Cable biscuits have become the standard instead of "standard" size biscuits and other companies, such as DeWalt and Bosch also make PC size biscuits?


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

cabinetman said:


> IMO, you should worry about using any biscuits. There are better joinery methods.
> .


hahaha... Always consistent! :laughing:

In all honesty, I don't use em much. The point of biscuits though is nothing close to perfection... Just some added long grain. The biscuit won't / isn't supposed to fit perfectly but allow a little room for play. That's why, like C-man, it's very amusing when people refer to biscuits as a way of improving alignment on glue-ups and such...

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

firemedic said:


> hahaha... Always consistent! :laughing:
> 
> In all honesty, I don't use em much. The point of biscuits though is nothing close to perfection... Just some added long grain. The biscuit won't / isn't supposed to fit perfectly but allow a little room for play. That's why, like C-man, it's very amusing when people refer to biscuits as a way of improving alignment on glue-ups and such...
> 
> ~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


Hmmm, good to know. I've had in my mind that biscuits would be a good alignment aid. therefor, I've been wanting to obtain a biscuit joiner. I'd still like the tool but it's nice (and somewhat disappointing) to know that it would not help with board alignment with gluing up boards to make wider ones.

I need to re-think my notions of the usefulness of biscuits. Would you say that dowels would be a better way to go to accomplish what I 'm talking about? And, even better, what method would you recommend to minimize the amount of planing required after gluing boards edge to edge?


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## StevenB (Sep 6, 2011)

I'm still learning learning & trying out different joinery techniques. I've been using pocket joinery, getting ready try dowel pins & biscuit joinery.


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## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

cabinetman said:


> Here ya go!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Realistically speaking, do biscuits add much real strength to a joint? [Not sarcasm, by the way. I am curious.]


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Realistically speaking, do biscuits add much real strength to a joint? [Not sarcasm, by the way. I am curious.]


Not in my opinion. They may help keeping parts from pulling apart, and that's about it. If anything, they weaken the area they are placed. With their 'expansion', they have the ability to show a bump in the faces. They don't insure alignment, and if used on a long glue up with multiple biscuits, if one or more get 'hung' up, the parts will not go together.

If a joint requires what a biscuit is supposed to do, I use wood splines, made to fit, with cross grain if possible, or plywood. 












 







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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

About the only biscuits I use with any regularity are the H-9's, to reinforce picture frame corners. No plate joiner, just use the router table for the picture frames. :smile:


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Hmmm, good to know. I've had in my mind that biscuits would be a good alignment aid. therefor, I've been wanting to obtain a biscuit joiner. I'd still like the tool but it's nice (and somewhat disappointing) to know that it would not help with board alignment with gluing up boards to make wider ones.
> 
> I need to re-think my notions of the usefulness of biscuits. Would you say that dowels would be a better way to go to accomplish what I 'm talking about? And, even better, what method would you recommend to minimize the amount of planing required after gluing boards edge to edge?


For a panel glue-up careful preparation is the best way to reduce planing afterwards.

What I mean by that is good face and edge jointing, excessive clamps and cauls and having everything you will need within arm's reach.

If you feel you really must go beyond edge gluing (it's more than sufficient) you can go with a spline, like C-man mentioned, of either ply or hardwood. But you still have to be thorough on the above mentioned. It's easy to get lazy on that part when using using a spline...

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Firemedic, your comment made me realize that perhaps I simply underestimate the strength of a properly glued joint. I think I've wanted a biscuit joiner for the wrong reasons.


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## jredburn (Feb 20, 2011)

*biscuits*

It has been widely told that todays Titebond glue will result in a joint that is stronger that the wood, if the joint preparation is done properly.
When I had my cabinet shop I came to realize that the only reason to put screws in the boxes was to hold things in place until the glue dried. 
Regards
Joe


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Firemedic, your comment made me realize that perhaps I simply underestimate the strength of a properly glued joint. I think I've wanted a biscuit joiner for the wrong reasons.


It's a common misconception on the buggers...

~tom ...it's better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt...


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## m80zimm (Aug 28, 2011)

If you were making a table top or another large top, there is no need to dowel or spline the wood? The glue will hold everything together? Or is that just for a smaller project when gluing up pieces? Also when would you use a spline or dowel?


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## robertcriss (Sep 12, 2011)

*Biscuits*

I'm new to this forum so you should take anything I say with that in mind. I have been an amateur woodworker for over ten years and I have made just about one of everything(I'm retired and have a lot of time on my hands). I have found that every type of joinery has its merit when used properly. Biscuits, pocket hole, mortise and tenon, splines, dowels, traditional glue-ups,etc. are all useful. As for biscuits I have used them very successfully for case frame glue-ups. Contrary to what a few others have said they do add strength to the joint simply because of the added glue surface. I have tried them with plywood and don't recommend it. they will cause the joint to swell because the biscuit absorbs the glue and therefor swells as well.


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Hmmm, good to know. I've had in my mind that biscuits would be a good alignment aid. therefor, I've been wanting to obtain a biscuit joiner. I'd still like the tool but it's nice (and somewhat disappointing) to know that it would not help with board alignment with gluing up boards to make wider ones.
> 
> I need to re-think my notions of the usefulness of biscuits. Would you say that dowels would be a better way to go to accomplish what I 'm talking about? And, even better, what method would you recommend to minimize the amount of planing required after gluing boards edge to edge?


For gluing up boards, I do what most people don't do. If the boards are straight, I use a joint bit in my shaper. If the boards are bowed, I use a joint bit in my router and stagger boards so the glue-up is straight. I guess it's a European thing, but that is where I learnt woodwork.

It takes a bit of practice, but once you become friends with a joint bit, alignment problems are gone, glue up is a lot easier and there is addititional strength. Strength helps with wood species which do not take glue well, such as Congolo Alves.

I have a biscuit joiner, used it once in the past 8 years and for the life of me can't figure out why I purchased the thing.


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

WillemJM said:


> For gluing up boards, I do what most people don't do. If the boards are straight, I use a joint bit in my shaper. If the boards are bowed, I use a joint bit in my router and stagger boards so the glue-up is straight. I guess it's a European thing, but that is where I learnt woodwork.
> 
> It takes a bit of practice, but once you become friends with a joint bit, alignment problems are gone, glue up is a lot easier and there is addititional strength. Strength helps with wood species which do not take glue well, such as Congolo Alves.
> 
> I have a biscuit joiner, used it once in the past 8 years and for the life of me can't figure out why I purchased the thing.


I use a joint bit on my router table occasionally but found I like the wedge t&g better. Hadn't thought about staggering the boards though. Sounds like a good idea, thanks:thumbsup:


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