When working on a woodwork project you should probably try to use glue in order to hold everything together. Glue makes a good finished product, however there is an even better way. Wood biscuits can be used to hold everything together better than just glue alone.
Wood biscuits are small pieces of wood which are oval shaped. These are inserted into the wood using a biscuit joiner. Biscuits are a fairly new invention, previous options included wooden pegs.
Wooden biscuits are a great way of fixing two pieces of wood together when something more than glue is required. These can prevent the unsightly seams. You can't just use glue for fine woodworking projects.
Biscuits are quite simple to use, you need to purchase a biscuit joiner which is a tool to help you to insert the biscuit by cutting the hole into both pieces of wood. You then need to apply some glue to the biscuit and then put it in the slot which has been cut. Hold the two pieces of wood together until the glue dries.
Biscuits are a very strong and durable way of holding pieces of wood together. Sometimes glue doesn't hold strong enough, in which case you should consider using a biscuit joint. Biscuits are normally made out of wood dust which is then compressed into shape. The biscuit actually expands when the glue dries which tightens up the joint and reduces any gap.
Most biscuits are very thin, most around 1/14 of an inch. These are available in different thicknesses depending on the purpose you are buying them for. There are three main types of wood biscuit in different sizes:
- Size zero is 5/8 inch wide and one and ¾ inches long
- Size ten is ¾ of an inch wide
- Size twenty is one inch wide
The sizes of biscuits vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. If you want a certain size then you should look around until you can find it.
Quite simply the size of biscuit which you choose to use will depend on what you are using it for. You should ideally try to use the biggest size of biscuit which your project will allow. By using large biscuits it will make your wood working project much more durable. It is possible to use a biscuit for any type of joint, however there are certain joints which are well suited to them. If you are fixing an edge to edge joint such as in dining room tables then biscuits can be great ways to achieve this. If you are cutting a miter joint then biscuits are another really good way to fix these together.
In corner joints such as in drawers biscuits have been used for years. Biscuits can also be used for T-Joints as they provide extra stability.
When you want to start using wood biscuits to join pieces of wood together there are certain things which you must bear in mind. Firstly you should store biscuits carefully. The biscuits should be stored so that they remain clean and dry. Wood biscuits can easily become damaged by water and moisture, this can cause them to swell up which means they cannot be used. You need to make sure that all of your joints fit together properly before you start your woodworking project. Check that they fit together before applying glue.
You can normally buy wood biscuits in bulk at your local hardware stores. It's also possible to purchase these from the internet if you enjoy shopping on the net!
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