Black & Decker 3382 - Manual (Page 10)

bled. Next, make a mark at 90° to the joint interface across both pieces at the
desired biscuit locations (See Figure 15). See Application section for more
specific information on joint layout. The marks you make will then be aligned
with one of the center registration marks on the tool, again, depending upon
your specific application.
3. Making the Cut
Prior to making any cut, be sure that all fence adjustments are set and lock
knobs are tight. Also, be sure you have selected the proper depth setting.
Clamp your work piece firmly and align the plate joiner’s center registration
mark with your layout mark. Turn on the tool and let blade come up to full
speed (approximately 1 second). Grasping the switch handle and auxiliary
handle and positioning the fence firmly and squarely against the work piece,
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 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 any good quali­
ty 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 (Figure 16)
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 work pieces and lay them on a work surface exactly as they
are to be assembled.
B. Spacing biscuits 2-3" (50-75mm) in from the ends and 6-10"
(150-250mm) 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 stock thickness.
D. Clamp the work piece and position the tool so that the center indicator
mark lines up with the first layout mark (See Figure 17). 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.
E. Glue, assemble and clamp the joint.
F. For stock thicker than 1“, you may wish to use double biscuits at each
location. Set the height adjustment to allow at least 3/16" (5mm) 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" of stock between the biscuit and the outside
wall and between the biscuits themselves (See Figure 18).