DeWalt DCW682 Instruction Manual page 20

English
Joint Assembly
After your joints are cut, you may wish to trial fit everything
together before gluing. When you are satisfied with your
joints, evenly spread any good quality woodworking glue in
each slot as well as on the mating flat surfaces of your joint.
Place biscuits in the slots, assemble the joint and clamp until
dry. For a biscuit joint to be most effective, it is important
that the biscuits themselves be in contact with the glue. This
is because the biscuits absorb the moisture in the glue and
expand to form a tight joint.
Applications
Edge to Edge Joints (Fig. R–T)
This is the simplest to make and most common joint for the
biscuit joiner. Follow the steps below to produce this joint.
1. Prepare the workpieces and lay them on a work surface
exactly as they are to be assembled.
2. Spacing biscuits 2"–3" (50 mm–75 mm) in from the
ends and 6"–10" (150 mm–255 mm) apart, layout the
biscuit centers.
3. Set up the biscuit joiner by first selecting the proper
depth setting. Set the fence to 90 °. Set the height
adjustment to position the biscuit in the approximate
center of the stock thickness.
4. Clamp the workpiece and position the tool so that the
center indicator mark lines up with the first layout mark
(see Figure S). Turn on the tool and make the plunge cut.
Retract the tool and release the trigger to turn the tool
off. Repeat for each layout mark.
5. Glue, assemble and clamp the joint.
6. For stock thicker than 1" (25 mm), you may wish to
use double biscuits at each location. Set the height
adjustment to allow at least 3/16" (5 mm) of stock
between the biscuit and the edge of the work surface.
Make all cuts at this fence setting before readjusting
the fence for the lower cuts. Again, there should be at
least 3/16" (5 mm) of stock between the biscuit and the
outside wall and between the biscuits themselves (see
Figure T).
Frame Joints (Fig. O–V)
Frame joints are an ideal application for biscuit joinery. With
the biscuit joiner you can create a very strong, precise joint
that is much faster to make than a dowel or mortise and
tenon joint. Figure U shows two types of frame joints. Follow
the steps outlined below.
1. Arrange the workpieces on a flat work surface exactly as
they are to be assembled.
2. Select the proper biscuit size based on the length of the
joint. (If the frame pieces are too narrow for a #0 biscuit,
you will have to allow the biscuit tip to protrude slightly
and then trim it off after the joint is dry (see Figure O).
3. Lay out the biscuit locations.
4. Set up the tool by selecting the depth that corresponds
to the chosen biscuit size. Lock the fence at 90 ° and
adjust the fence height to center the biscuit on the
stock thickness.
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5. Clamp the workpiece and position the biscuit joiner to
make the first cut (see Figure V).
6. Turn on the tool and make the plunge cut.
7. Repeat for each layout mark.
8. Glue, assemble and clamp the frame.
Corner Joints (Fig. W, X)
Corner joints are another common and excellent application
for biscuit joinery. Follow the procedure below.
1. Arrange the workpieces exactly as they are to be joined.
2. Select the biscuit size and layout the biscuit locations.
3. Set up the tool by selecting the proper depth setting,
adjusting the fence to center on the stock thickness and
setting the angle to 90 °.
4. For this joint, you will make cuts into the edge of one
workpiece and the face of another. The edge cut is
performed the same as for edge to edge joints. The face
cut is made by clamping the workpiece and aligning the
tool as shown in Figure X. Turn the tool on, make the
plunge cut and repeat for each layout mark.
5. Glue, assemble and clamp the joint.
Offset Joints (Fig. Y)
You may wish to have a deliberate offset between two
workpieces. This is easily accomplished with your biscuit
joiner by performing the following steps.
1. Arrange the workpieces as they are to be assembled and
layout the biscuit locations.
2. Set up the tool by selecting the proper biscuit size and
adjusting the fence angle to 90 °. Select the workpiece
that will be set back and adjust the fence height to
center the cut within the thickness of that piece.
3. Clamp the workpiece, align the tool and make the
plunge cut.
4. Next, adjust the fence up by an amount equal to the
desired offset. Use the scale and pointer located on the
right side of the tool under the fence lock knob.
5. Clamp the second workpiece, align the tool and make
the plunge cut.
6. Glue, assemble and clamp the joint.
Edge Miter Joints (Fig. Z–DD)
Edge miters are most commonly used in box structures or for
making multisided pedestals where you would like to hide
the end grain. Once again, biscuit joinery is an outstanding
method to use both for added strength as well as ease of
assembly. Follow the steps below to assemble a 90 ° joint.
1. Position the workpieces as they are to be assembled and
layout biscuit locations on the outside of the joint.
2. Set up tool by first setting fence angle to 90 °. Make the
fence adjustment such that the biscuit is located toward
the inside of the joint where the material is thicker, then
select the biscuit size so that the blade does not protrude
through the outside wall when the cut is made (see
Figure AA).
3. Clamp the workpiece and align the tool as shown in
column in Figure BB.
4. Turn on the tool and make the plunge cut.