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in your shop, you wouldn't be ableto stamp a grid pattern into themend cornpress them the way themanufacturers do.Both of those things are preffyimportant. The grid pattern helpsspread the glue evenly on the biscuit.Being compressed nreans they'llexpand when the glue is applied.Q. What\ the aduantage of plate.joinery ouer elou,els?A. With dowels, alignment is critical.If the holes clon't line up perfectly,you have to stxrt over.With biscuits,on the other hrnd, the r-r'rachine cutsthe slots just a little larger than thebiscuit itself. That nreans even ifaligr-rment isn't dead on, you canlnove youf workpieces around just a1ittle before the glue sets and knowthat the biscuit is in place.Q- Hou, small can pieces be and stillbe joined with a plate joint?A. One collrlron criticisrrr of platejoinery lrrs been that you're lin.ritedto how snrall you can nrake thenrrtinc pieces. Traditionally tl.rrt wastrue. Evcn r'vith l #0 biscuit, theworkpieces couldn't bc' snrallcr than2'lr" wide.But now Porter-Cable andIlyobi both offer small vcrsions ofbiscuits that can be used forjobs likeface frames and detail work. ThePorter-Cable machine allows you touse biscuits in workpieces as narrowas 1'/.". The l\yobi will work inr/*"-wide stock.Q. Are plate joiners hard to use?A. Well, they're easier to r-rnderstandwhen you've got one in your hands,but the illustrations at the bottom ofthis page should help.In FIG. A, you can see the joinerbutted against the wood just beforethe cut is made.Then, in FIG. B, thenrachine is plunged for-ward niakingthc cut. Finally. in FlG. C, the cut isconrplete and the blade is retracted.Q. Are tha'e any tricks to laying outanil cutting the two ntating pieces sothey .ioin to.qethefiA. Plate joir-rers seenr to have beendesigned with'4"-thickstock inmind. l3y sinrply setting the workpieceand the joiner on the same levelsuface, tl.re blade will automaticallybe aligned to cnt the slot in the centcrof thc stock. But don't thirrk for arninute that plate joinery is linrited to'/"'-thick stock or strlirlht-orr joirrts.As yor-r'll see in the next few pages,this is one of the nrost flexible, easyto-usejoinery techniques rvailable.First: Cutmatching slots.First, cut matching slots in the matingworkpieces. Second, apply glue insidethe slots and inseil a biscuit.STANDARD BISGUIT SIZES,'/#o biscuit rry;€Arcouil€stock atrooo 1r1.r, -14o#10 biscuitrequirestock atleast 2%r' wide.#20 biscuitrequirestock atleast 2'%e" wide.."4 6.V//,E7r/Y/--cuts slot topreset depth.Before cufting, the blade nests safely insidethe ioiner base. Since the joiner base restson the same surface when cufting both work.pieces, the slots should align.To cut the slot, plunge the joiner forward andthe blade emerges from the base into thestock. A preset depth stop on the joinerensures the slot will be the perfect size.When the cut is complete, pull the ioineraway frcm the workpiece. All that remains isto cut a matching slot, add some glue and abiscuit, and clamp it up.WOIT.KBEN(]H ! JANUAI{Y I FEBI{UAIIY 2000 37