After admiring the double and double-double dovetail joints that are capable with the Incra and other jigs, I started thinking, “Why not try this by hand?”

Dovetails are probably the strongest method for joining two pieces of wood, surface to surface, with the grain running in the same direction.

The advantages of biscuit joinersTechnique 1: Join plywood with the bench reference methodTechnique 2: Support narrow face frame parts against a blockTechnique 3: Make biscuit joints in thin materialVideo: How to Use a Biscuit Joiner

It isn’t the fault of the tool. The truth is that most woodworkers don’t know the right techniques to make the most of their biscuit joiners, and there are some common attitudes and assumptions that hurt more than help, and don’t speed things up.

dowel markers (dowel centers)

For rough knockdown or outside furniture, the tenon can be cut longer than the depth of the mortise, with a hole drilled into the protruding part of the tenon and a key driven close to the outer face of the member which has the mortise cut into it. When this is done, it is called a keyed mortise and tenon joint.

Make micro adjustments with a disc sander

Knock-off blocks for long miters

Customize a drafting square