To biscuit or not??

Re: To biscuit or not??

Frank of Mantua NJ

>I think it will be ok. maybe put two straps under the seat of hard wood?

I'd leave it!

Keith Weber

>Without even giving it a second thought, I'd leave it. You're not going to get any extra strength out of the biscuits IMHO. Nice chair - I wish I had one like that!

Keith

Re: To biscuit or not??

Steve in Fresno , Go Dogs

>Hi Bri,

Hate to say this but it'll be easier and less painful to cut and biscuit now. Don't wait for the seat to break in a few years and cause the chair to disintegrate into a pile of kindling.

I feel your pain.

Steve

Just think of all the rockers and chairs

Bruce, a MN Galoot

>that were glued up without the benefit of biscuits for hundreds of years before biscuits were invented.

Leave it.

Bruce

Don't sweat it...

doug f, san clemente, ca

>Bri - I just finished a Maloof-style lowback dining chair with a similar seat; 2" thick walnut. If the glue you used is decent, a long-grain to long-grain joint such as this will gain nothing from the biscuits. Leave it as is and enjoy. People seem to forget that chairmakers have been shaping these seats for more than a hundred years with just glue holding them together, and most are still going strong.

Beautiful chair. What's the wood?

Doug

Re: To biscuit or not??

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

>First of all...very nice chair! Personally I think biscuits are over-rated. They do have a place and can be useful but for your seat they would not make a difference.

Tom

Cherry

Bri in Mtl

>

shear strength

Joe Piotrowski - Chicago Burb's

>I seam to recall a test or two in some mags, that biscuits do not have a lot of shear strength. so the biscuits are not for strength in that application unless they are placed perpendicular.

the glue is stronger than the wood around it so if there is a failure it will be in the wood more so than the joint. assuming a good glue job.

later,

Joe P.

Re: shear strength

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

>I've read that too. I think in some cases biscuits serve more as alignment assistance than actual physical strength providers. They can help in some corner joints etc. much like splines but for panels I never use them.

T.

They won't add strength to that joint

Rob Sandow

>Long grain joints don't need any mechanical assistance as the glue joint will be stronger than the surrounding wood. I use them for alignment assistance only. They will strengthen end grain joints, such as rail and stile assemblies, where they can be used as an alternative to mortise and tenon or other mechanical joints.

Rob

Re: They won't add strength to that joint

Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level

>I blame Norm for the misconception. ;-) Kidding!

Tommy

Re: To biscuit or not??

Barry Irby

>I would not re-do the joints. Biscuits will add almost nothing to that joint and you take the chance you will put one in the wrong place and sculpt into it, ruining the seat totally. DAMHIKT

In edge to edge joints biscuits do NOTHING........

HC Sakman

>...more then functioning as "alignment aids". They add no additional strength to edge-to-edge glue joints! If anything, I'd claim that they weaken the joint somewhat.

Chico...

Re: To biscuit or not??

awh

>Glue is stronger than the wood. Provided the edge-to-edge joint is clean and tight and not starved for glue, you should be fine with it as is without the biscuits.

Re: To biscuit or not??

Clay Foster

>Brian,

That is a great looking chair that doesn't need any biscuits. If you have a good fitting glue surface, biscuits won't add any strength. If you don't have a good fitting glue surface, biscuits won't save it.

Re: Just think of all the rockers and chairs

Robin Corell, Atascadero CA

>Unless brian used hot hide glue he only gets 50-60 years of furniture for refrence. While I think the joints in question are fine in yellow or hide glue as far as their strength in the overall structure of the chair, I do have serious doubts about the ultra long term viability of yellow glue.

Robin Corell

Re: To biscuit or not??

Lee Gordon

>I'll bet Sam doesn't use biscuits in his.

Actually Sam..

Bri in Mtl

>..uses dowels. 3 inches long too. FWIW most, if not all, of the Maloof style chair makers do use biscuits.

Anyway, based on all these replies I'll leave it as is and will sleep a bit better.

Thanks again.

Re: Just think of all the rockers and chairs

Steve Schoene

>Most (practically all) of the chair seats before the age of modern glues were not glued at all, but were single slabs. That's still the best way to do Windsor chair seats.

that's probably true, but

Bruce, a MN Galoot

>I'm not going to be so quick to give up on the new glues just yet. just because 2000 years hasn't lapsed yet doesn't mean they won't hold. just think of all the people who are going to be mad if Sam Maloof's $14,000 rockers fall apart!

Bruce