Power Tools
How to Use Porter Cable Biscuit Joiner for Woodworking Projects
If what you need from your biscuit joiner is quality, versatility, and great results, then Porter Cable is the brand to go for!
Porter Cable Biscuit joiners are famous for these three aspects, and you can even find some budget-friendly options. For a long time, this manufacturer has provided woodworkers, both professional and DIYers from different woodworking disciplines, with top-quality biscuit joiners.
The Porter Cable Biscuit joiner can use two blade sizes which can establish the space needed for working with seven wood biscuit sizes. For this reason, you can use it for making joints on both large and small wood pieces if need be.
But that’s enough marketing for Porter Cable Biscuit joiners. Today, I’ve written a multi-step guide on how to use Porter Cable Biscuit joiner for your woodworking projects.
How to Use Porter Cable Biscuit Joiner for Woodworking Projects
Using a Porter cable Biscuit joiner is not hard because, fortunately, the manufacturer prioritized ease of use.
Here is how to go about it:
1. Prepare the Wood
To achieve a usable joint, I recommend you square your wood first, especially if you are a beginner. If you are unable to achieve this, at least make sure that the sides that end up facing each other are flat. What’s more, the two slabs need to have the same height for the bottom and top to sit evenly.
If you don’t know how to make the wood square, feel free to buy ready-made wood pieces at stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot. That said, make sure the manufactured materials you’ve purchased aren’t warped.
To be specific, I’ll be using a pair of pine stair treads I bought from Home Depot. Lowe’s and Home Depot are equally reliable stores, but Lowe’s pine treads have oak, while Home Depot’s have veneer.
2. Set Up Your Workstation
It is important to have a proper working area and to have the right materials and power tools as well.
First, make sure your workbench’s surface is even and that the base is stable and sited on a flat surface. Something else to consider is a stable back for the board to push against as you make the biscuit holes. Next, I will explain to you how to use your Porter Cable Biscuit joiner.
3. Use your Biscuit joiner
Remember when I said to have a stable surface for the board to lean against as you make the biscuit holes? If you don’t have a stable surface, you can fasten a flat wood piece atop it.
Position the Biscuits
So, how many biscuits do you have? The number of biscuits is considerably reliant on the size of the board you intend to establish a joint. You will require at least two biscuits on all ends for boards longer than 12 inches.
On the other hand, if you are working with boards longer than 2 feet, I would advise you to use a third biscuit at the center. This guarantees that the boards uphold their vertical support at the center.
I used 7 biscuits since the workpiece I was establishing was supposed to carry 1 ton. As you mark the lines for the cuts you’ll make on the board, the distance between a pair of biscuit holes is less essential than ensuring the holes are horizontally aligned.
Achieving Horizontal Alignment with a Porter Cable Biscuit joiner
It is vital to attain horizontal alignment, and for this, it would be best to fold the two wood pieces atop each other. Next, use the marker on both boards at the right position.
Making the Biscuit Holes
Now, it’s time to cut the biscuit holes. The first thing to check on is the flatness of the workbench and workpieces. Make sure the side of the lumber facing down is entirely even with your workbench. I’ll try and make your work easier by recommending you simply clamp these two surfaces to achieve evenness.
Take your clamps out from storage and use them to fasten the board to the workbench. This will also prevent the board from slipping horizontally. Now, take your Porter Cable Biscuit joiner and position it against your workpiece.
Next, align the mark on your power tool that shows the blade’s center with the line you made on the board.
Using your Biscuit Joiner
If your Porter Cable features an adjustable fence, you don’t have to use it when making cuts into the workpiece at 900.
Now, go ahead and make the hole. Push down the biscuit joiner with your dominant hand, and gradually push the blade into your workpiece. The moment the blade extends fully, you can withdraw it gradually.
A biscuit joiner is different from a power drill because you will have to keep the switch on until the blade retracts to its initial placement.
4. Attaching the Two Wood Pieces
Before you use any glue on these two pieces of wood, begin with a dry fit. Also, ensure that every biscuit hole properly aligns vertically and horizontally with its partner. If not, the biscuit will snap, making both holes unusable. So, if some of the holes are not aligned correctly, you may have to adjust the position of the biscuit.
After checking all that, make sure the boards fit properly in the dry fit so that you can begin applying the glue. Do not pour too much glue, it’ll be an overkill. A small amount will be sufficient to hold the biscuits in position.
To keep the bond seamless, I recommend using two clamps to attach the board properly. Also, ensure the clamps are tight enough to guarantee an adequate bond.
So, What Next?
Check the glue bottle to confirm how long it takes to cure. Once it is cured, detach the clamps and make your workpiece neater. You can either use an orbital sander or sand it manually; it all depends on the size and your preferences.
I prefer a random orbit sander to smoothen my workpieces. Nonetheless, when utilizing a hand-held sander, make sure you don’t over-sand the glue seam, or you will form an incurvature to the middle of the platform. With that in mind, sand the edges to conceal any imperfections.
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Conclusion
Well, there you go! How to use your Porter Cable Biscuit joiner for woodworking projects.
It’s easy, right? In just a few steps, you get to join several parts of a workpiece and create a masterpiece!
Hopefully, you have understood how to use your biscuit joiner and made your future project easier to handle!
