Mitering With Biscuits?

[ROBERT FALK]

I'm preparing to cut and miter black american walnut for interior columns. The columns are about 5" square (made from 4/4 stock) and are between 40" and 56" high.

My question is how to successfully join them so they don't open. (the bane of all woodworkers!). I'd like to use a biscuit joiner but welcome any other suggestions!

[Donnie Raines]

I prefer splines on mitres....but biscuits do work.

[Tom Jones III]

Ditto what Donnie said, splines would be great, maybe sliding DT would be the best. However, I have used biscuits in the past when time was an issue and it has held up fine.

[ROBERT FALK]

thanks for the reply, is it easy to do the biscuit machining and how far apart should they be?

[Tom Conger]

How would you use splines?

I can see using splines on horizontal mitre's, like picture frames, where the spline contrasts, but how would you do it veritically without it showing?

There is obviously a concept about it that I am missing...

[Don Baer]

Last Sam Maloof was showing us how he makes table legs for his peddistal table. This invoves miter joints in 8/4 walnut and he uses Dowels in the joints. Someone asked him about biscuts and he said he never uses them. He does consider the Biscuts strog enough for this type of a joint.