391742/DW931,932 1/22/01 9:10 AM Page 11
FIG 20
FIG 21
FIG 22
your layout mark. Turn on the tool and let the blade come up to full
speed (approximately 1 second). Plunge the blade until it bottoms
against the stop. Continuing to hold the tool squarely and firmly,
allow the return spring to retract the blade from the work and then
release the switch to shut the tool off. It will take some practice to
obtain a "feel" for the tool to produce accurate joints, so practicing in
scrap wood first is advisable.
4. 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 a small amount of any good quality woodworking glue in
each slot and on the biscuit(s) 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
1. EDGE TO EDGE JOINTS (SEE FIGURE 17)
This is the simplest to make and most common joint for the plate
joiner. Follow the steps below to produce this joint.
A. Prepare the workpieces and lay them on a work surface exactly as
they are to be assembled.
B. Spacing biscuits 2-3" in from the ends and 6-10" apart, layout the
biscuit centers.
C. Set up the plate 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 work piece thickness.
D. Clamp the workpiece and position the tool so that the center
indicator mark lines up with the first layout mark (see Figure 18).
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.
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