I was totally wrong about using a biscuit joiner for shelving

I spent years just using pocket screws for all my built-in shelving projects. Thought biscuit joiners were overpriced and unnecessary, just a fancy tool for people with more money than sense. Then last month I had a job building floor-to-ceiling shelves in a living room in Portland. The homeowner wanted super clean joints with no visible hardware at all. I borrowed my buddy's DeWalt biscuit joiner and tried it on some poplar. The alignment was perfect, joints came out flush without any of the shifting I deal with pocket screws. I ended up buying my own after that project and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. Has anyone else had a tool they dismissed for years only to find out it actually solves a real problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopher90311d ago

Man yeah I feel that. I spent a good five years thinking biscuit joiners were just for people who liked making sawdust and wasting time. Then I tried one on a set of walnut floating shelves and it was like a lightbulb went off. The alignment thing is the big one for me too, pocket screws can shift on you if you aren't real careful. It feels kinda dumb to admit I was wrong about a tool that's been around forever.

xena94611d ago

Funny how we resist things until we actually try them and realize they just work, isn't it.