Popular Post kmealy Posted December 3, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 https://www.finewoodworking.com/2020/04/28/awesome-joinery-for-diy-projects p_toad, Artie, Gunny and 4 others 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Gunny Posted December 3, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 Great article. Thanks!! For many years screws and a dado joint were as the article said, strong and work well. But since coming into this site I decided my skillset could be expanded. Thus projects have taken longer but experience has been gained. I know the biscuit joiner is not a favorite. But I do use mine alot for face frame work and to align boards in difficult places. Dowels I use but typically through dowels not hidden. To each his own. FlGatorwood, Cal, Artie and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post 1fizgig Posted December 3, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 Lol. Pocket holes seem to get bagged out the most on forums as "not real woodwork", yet I have found them useful for various situations. To each their own, and I think not to judge but to suggest alternatives is much more fitting. Teaching is better than criticism with no alternatives given. p_toad, Cal, Fred W. Hargis Jr and 5 others 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kmealy Posted December 3, 2020 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 Well, I like biscuits. I use them for light- to medium-duty joinery such as case goods and face frames. At the furniture bank this morning, I drilled about 100 pocket holes and another guy and I used them to attach aprons to tables. Then used screws attach the legs. Built 6 coffee tables in the first hour or so. I do not really like the look of pocket holes. I gasp when I see them accentuated by contrasting wood on something like a stool. If hidden, they're OK. I used them a lot to repair upholstery frames that came apart when the staples used for joinery failed. Usually that was the only way to do a repair because you could not get to more than one side of the joint without extensive re-upholstery. No one would ever see the repair unless you pulled off fabric. Following that, we build 12 "cubbies" a 2x3 unit with 12" square cubby areas. He and I went through nearly 100 screws just putting the interior parts together. Another crew did the outside frame and went through about as many. Some of the joints are glue and dado and all the rest at butted and screwed. And the legs are built with glue and brad nails, as are the corners of the aprons. I am not a huge fan of dowels. I find the spacing fussy and they are prone to loosening over time I've re-glued hundreds of dining chairs with dowel joints that ended up so loose that you could pull them apart by hand. I still have several hundred dowel pins that I do use occasionally. I have a Bead-Lock jig that was given to me and it doubles as a dowel drilling jig. Artie, Gunny, FlGatorwood and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lew Posted December 3, 2020 Report Share Posted December 3, 2020 Thanks! FlGatorwood, Gunny and Cal 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Gunny Posted December 4, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 4 hours ago, 1fizgig said: Lol. Pocket holes seem to get bagged out the most on forums as "not real woodwork" I have seen that as well. Like @kmealy mentioned I am not much for the look. They have usefulness and I do use them but generally hide them. My theory being if I am okay with the "look" of a pocket hole what was wrong with just using a butt joint with some screws. Even match the screws to the finish, i.e. a dark walnut stain with say brass colored screws, or bronze. I have seen people make dowel fillers for the holes, looks better but why? 4 hours ago, 1fizgig said: Teaching is better than criticism with no alternatives given. I agree. And sometimes you are just talking to the wall. FlGatorwood, Artie, Cal and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post 1fizgig Posted December 4, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 I definitely agree with hiding pocket holes where possible. I think the difference vs a butt joint with plain screws is the angle of the pocket gives it something to grip a little better than just straight into end grain. But yes, plugs for the win - hides them, and if done right can be decorative or vanish completely. No different to a drawbore or something else decorative. I try not to have them visible in joinery, so they're mostly used where they will get covered by other components. Did that in the buffet build. I used them for the frame, but then covered their holes with the panels so they weren't even visible inside the unit. Artie, Fred W. Hargis Jr, Cal and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Cal Posted December 4, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 I have, and use biscuits quite a bit. I have never used the joiner the way shown in the pics (pulling it towards yourself). It looks awkward, and with my luck just a tad dangerous. Do I have the wrong technique for using this tool? I've also used and like pocket hole joinery where they will not show. All my kitchen cabinets last year used pocket holes. Artie, Gunny, FlGatorwood and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Gene Howe Posted December 4, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 IMHO, the only biscuits worth a darn come with sausage gravy. The wooden ones are OK for alignment purposes but, there are far less expensive and quicker methods for that task. As to Pocket hole joinery...I use them it often where they won't be seen. I've never been successful with the inserts. They're ok if you're painting the piece, I guess. Larry Buskirk, FlGatorwood, Fred W. Hargis Jr and 4 others 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Larry Buskirk Posted December 4, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 10 minutes ago, Gene Howe said: IMHO, the only biscuits worth a darn come with sausage gravy. Sure bring these up when I haven't had breakfast yet. Fred W. Hargis Jr, FlGatorwood, Artie and 5 others 1 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kmealy Posted December 4, 2020 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 43 minutes ago, Cal said: I have, and use biscuits quite a bit. I have never used the joiner the way shown in the pics (pulling it towards yourself). It looks awkward, and with my luck just a tad dangerous. Do I have the wrong technique for using this tool? I've also used and like pocket hole joinery where they will not show. All my kitchen cabinets last year used pocket holes. Me neither, my assumption is "For photographic clarity only." Artie, Cal, Gunny and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Fred W. Hargis Jr Posted December 4, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 (edited) I like biscuits and pocket holes, but I've never used pocket holes where they could be seen. That seems wrong. A lot of guys who bought a Festool Domino claim they threw their biscuit joiner out, their loss (as far as I'm concerned). But I did see Festool has introduced a smaller tenon (4mm thick) that would (maybe) take place of a biscuit. As for the biscuits with gravy, I've told this story before. Years ago I walked into a Home Depot and went to the tool section looking for biscuits. Skippy Stockboy walks up and asks if he can help me find anything. When I told him what I wanted he got a suppressed grin on his face and pointed to the front door. "I think Burger King over there has some". True story! Oops, forgot this...I have also used pocket on out door projects; I don't worry too much about the holes showing in that case. Edited December 4, 2020 by Fred W. Hargis Jr Larry Buskirk, Cal, FlGatorwood and 4 others 3 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Gerald Posted December 4, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted December 4, 2020 I sold my biscuit jointer for 20 and thought I got the better end of the deal. Pocket screws are great to make longer or wider boards also. I do that in shop projects or if it can be hidden. FlGatorwood, Cal, p_toad and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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