▼EXPAND THIS SECTION FOR MORE RESOURCES RELATED TO THIS VIDEO▼ *Tools used in this video:* Castle Pocket Hole Machine: castleusa.com/ Dowelmax dowel jig: www.dowelmax.com/
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I had the misconception biscuits were stronger just because of how they look but I guess it depends on the thickness. So I'm glad I watched this, also the milescraft Dowling jig in my experience has worked really well and comes with almost everything you need to get started except the drill and the wood itself lol, thanks for the informative video
My new favorite quote: "Not every house is a castle and not every wall has to absorb a cannonball." - James Hamilton Thank you again for another great, strait forward, honest, realistic, enjoyable, video.
Just because the Germans do something, doesn't mean it is necessary, or the best use of limited resources. That's the point. When you over engineer one thing, there is an opportunity cost that results in less utility or quality some place else. For instance, American homes are typically much larger than German homes for the same price, and cost less in labour, meaning more homes can be built in the same period of time, further reducing the cost of living.
Seriously. The purests or elites makes the barieer of entry too high. Why should I start if I can't afford a domino or handcutt dovetails? I heard pocketholes are crap. Nope. Pocket holes got me to rebuild something with a 40 buck purchase.
I think the primary benefit of pocket hole screws is how easy they make it for people to get started in the hobby. I teach middle school wood shop and its a good way to get young kids, 12-14 years old, into woodworking. They can develop more specialized skills later, but if they choose not to they can still be successful and produce a product that will work for them.
@@akbychoice They don't have that at my children's school, but they do a lot of practical things - gardening, knitting, sewing, various craft projects and they even practiced changing a tire. They also do an entrepreneurial type thing where the children can make things and sell them. Plus there's an annual secret Santa for which they're only allowed to give things they make.
Pocket holes were my gateway into woodworking. I was given a second-hand K4 that I used to make my first (agonizingly slow) project. I've learned other techniques and I'm wandering far from those early projects, but my jig is always nearby and gets broken out whenever the need arises.
The fact this guy can talk about biscuit joinery for almost 10 minutes and keep me entertained yet has less than a million subscribers tells me the youtube algorithm has failings. This guy knows his stuff!
I know this video is a year-old, but I have to say, it was refreshing to see an accomplished woodworker, who is not a joinery snob. Thank you for the wonderfully educational (and entertaining) videos!
James, I don’t know what rates higher. Your incredible ‘A’ to ‘Z’ knowledge of all aspects of woodworking or your ability to teach and share knowledge in a manner that is easy to grasp, especially for new woodworkers. Cannot thank you enough!
James, another excellent video. No harm in being practical, especially when the joint method is hidden. In major construction projects we used to follow a simple mantra….”form shall follow function”. It was our way off keeping the designers from outrunning those of us that had to meet a budget and a schedule. Thanks for excellent advice delivered in a concise manner.
As a woodworker from Germany, I can say that what you say in this video is 100,,% the same I learned in apprentice school. Exception: pocket screws. I learned about them while working in the USA, and they are great, for the reasons you mention. Your videos are very balanced, coolheaded, and free from overcome traditional thinking or fads. I really enjoy watching !!! Thx!
I also like to say, use joinery that's appropriate for how much you plan on selling your piece for. Obviously a piece of furniture made with pocket screws and biscuits should not be priced the same as one made with dovetails and mortis and tenon joinery. This is the one I have a hard time trying to explain to many people
I see what you are saying but dowels or biscuits are often invisible on a piece so it’s hard to say whether a piece using them should be priced lower. Pocket screws are often not visible either in the finished piece if they are covered with trim. The materials , design and look of the piece are often the rationale for the cost of the piece not the joinery as such. There are those buyers that do focus on the joinery. Your point is well taken.
@@jeffhreid I make it a point to ask them what their expectations are. Some clients dont care/dont know any better, and sone want a high end piece with traditional upper tier joinery methods. Makes my life so much easier knowing from the get-go
Exactly. Novices don't always understand that cheaper/faster production doesn't mean high end price. I guess they think they are coming up with something for nothing.
I have had a biscuit joiner for 20 years and I love how Mike Farrington boasts about his biscuit joiner and he's one of the best carpenters I've ever seen. can't be bought! And go Norm! The man who single-handedly started a generation of DIY woodworkers. What you didn't mention about biscuits is that the glue helps them to swell to lock the joint tight. Biscuits are very useful for mitered corners to keep them from splitting apart on the end grain
Great video, plus a shoutout to the one and only, the God of woodworking himself, Norm Abram. "And remember, there is no more important safety rule than to wear these, your safety glasses!!!"
regarding the opening statement, if you want your house to absorb a cannon ball you either need to build with palm logs, or cotton bales, stone crumbles under iron shot haha :P
You've made this so easy for me, a beginner at age 56(and a woman) to understand, without coming across as condescending. I love how you explained the why. I can't understand anything without the reason behind it lol
While making custom furniture for a doll house i used tooth picks as dowels. When used for dolls they'll never break. Thank you for honesty and simplicity
For certain situations dowels can be used a bit differently. Imagine putting something together the way you want it to be glued (with whatever means you like) and them from "behind" drill through both workpieces and then put dowels in, glue stuff and trim off the excess dowel. Unless you like the look, thats something for places where you can't see it, but done well it can make for very strong parts. Sometimes it can even be appropriate to drill and glue another dowel at a different angle to increase the strength in that direction.
This is primarily how I use them. Screw it together with whatever screws you want, and wait for the glue to dry. Pull out the screws and drill for the dowel right where the screw holes are. Fill with glue, tap in your dowel, and trim off the remainder with a Japanese saw. Much easier than getting those little bastards aligned perfectly.
No one every talks about through dowels. I use them all the time they are super strong. Can be used in Roman joints and reinforcing mortice and tenon. I like the look some others don't. Enjoyed the episode. Thanks
I invested in a Dowelmax a few months ago, and absolutely love that thing.. I'm always looking for ways to use it. I probably will rarely ever use a biscuit or pocket hole again. LOL
I built a screen door for the front of my house using biscuits. It lasted 15 years for daily opening and closing and giant dogs. They are absolutely strong.
I love the look of exposed dowels or pins. Through dowels are super easy to add after the fact for woodworkers of any skill and they can be put nearly on any joint. If they're the same species they can be nearly invisible or a contrasting wood makes them a very nice feature. But I'll admit I don't break out a dowel jig and use them in that way very frequently because it's annoying. I really appreciate the sentiment behind the video too. Who has the time to sit around and belittle others that share our interests just because they use pocket holes or something? It's nonsense. And I'm of the firm belief that as long as you're not selling it, which for MANY of us that's usually the case, do whatever you want. If you want to make your own chair with just biscuit joints go for it. Maybe it's for your mother in law. I think everyone deserves the opportunity to build their own biscuit joint chairs for their mother in-laws.
Years ago I made a computer desk by having a laminate countertop made and supporting it on some file cabinets on either end. It was a long countertop and needed support in the center. I built an open cabinet out of MDF. I had the guy at the lumber yard make all my cuts, (ask nice and tip). I brought the pieces back to my apartment and screwed them together with drywall screws after using a router to make groves to mount aluminum tracks for adjustable shelves. I covered the outside with laminate. I don't even think I had a speed square or anything to check if the corners were square. It was rock solid. The only reason I don't still have it is I moved to a different apartment and it wouldn't fit.
I love this story, because it sticks a pin in the balloon of pomposity that sometimes surrounds woodworking, at least in the minds of some who love to be snobs about it, and who would criticize your choice of materials, design or joinery. You satisfied the important elements: You had fun, the end product was useful to you, and it served its function. Can't do much better than that!
Great subject Stumpy!!!!!! Keeps us newbs inspired!!!!!! I wish I had a 1/4 of your knowledge and a 1/4 of your workshop!!!!! Thanks for all you do for this community!!!!
Thank you for another really informative video. Your care in showing exactly why different fasteners are are appropriate for different conditions is exactly the approach you apply to every video, and what makes me watch eagerly for a new Stumpy Nubs video.
When you said some people will recognise the skill that went into making the box struck a chord with me, as I believe that too. A few years ago I was called to a MOD base for a faulty gas cooker, it was the thermocouple. As a mobile engineer I carried ‘universal’ replacements, 900mm in length, the original was approx only 150mm. I got a small rolling pin and wrapped the thermocouple around it, making a spring shaped coil and left the ends sticking out to connect onto the unit. The apprentice I had with me asked why I bothered to make it look nice because upon testing it was working ok, I boxed it back up never to be seen again, until it itself failed in a few years time. “Because when the next engineer sees this he’ll hopefully realise to hisself that an old fashioned engineer with old fashioned skills replaced it” I told him. He looked puzzled and said “I wouldn’t bother”………………….. ☹
You are the best woodworking teacher by far. You literally have no competiotion and still maintain the high standards you have set. For that I am eternally grateful! Thank you !
I often paint the screw heads if there are going to be visible screws. I just refinished a pair of nightstands in grey with gold drawer pulls. I painted the screw heads that was attaching the pulls and a few other detail places. Makes it MUCH more elegant and thoughtful of design!
I taught a friend basic woodworking, a man with few manual skills, but who wanted to learn. He has learned biscuit joinery, pocket screws, use of splines and finger joints. He makes picture frames, small curio boxes and small outdoor tables. He makes himself happy along with lots friends and acquaintances. Not everyone wants to rise to the level of a master woodworker and most people can’t afford furniture made by a custom woodworker.
I'm a fledgling woodworker and don't yet own a pocket hole jig, dowel jig, biscuit joiner, or domino joiner but intend to make one of these tools the next addition to my shop. I had been thinking about getting a Massca pocket hole jig, but just found out about the existence of the Dowelmax Classic and think that it would be more useful for the type of projects I undertake. I see that Jessem offers a dowel jig also that looks interesting. I found this video highly informative and appreciate your advice. Your content has played a major role in my development as a woodworker. Thank you!
After seeing the Patrick Sullivan's videos, I made my own test, and I can confirm that many times, or may be always, a simple glue is the stronger joint, no biscuits, no dowels, no screws needed. Now I'm using Polyurethane glue as my principal glue, is an extraordinarily strong adhesive.
I read a bit about PU glues a while ago. Thought it would be good stuff to add to a rough frame that will be used to dry firewood outside. But apparently it is only cosmetically gap filling (expanded foam has little shear strength). Also I heard that it creates a very hard joint, which was apparently demonstrated when a PU-glued fretboard came off a guitar after having received a not-too-heavy but fast hit. Now I think I'll have to experiment a bit. At least it should handle outside conditions better than PVA glues, perhaps also bond mixed materials.
Ugh, Norm was the man. I’m 45 now, but from memory, he didn’t apply the biscuit to anything he shouldn’t have. So like others that tried to follow his footsteps, I tried to change the direction of the tongue and groove of my hardwood flooring. It didn’t work out well.
I worked in a refinishing shop in the early 90's as the repair man. I can't tell you how many sets of chairs I had to take apart that had doweled jointery. They are certainly stronger than they get credit for.
@@geraldl5221 no shot. Mortise and tenon will always be the strongest wood joint. You have wood grain, two working components rather than multiple points of failure and more surface area for glue.
@@Sean-yb2mp isn’t it easier to get the wood around a mortise to split when the tenon sets ? I’ve had this failure happen to me, don’t think it would have happened with dowels. I think multiple points of failure are better then a single point of failure? :p
@@Keneo1 I fail to see how a mortise would fail. It depends on how you designed it; the walls being too thin, the wrong application for the joint or wrong use of wood/grain direction are all examples. The tenon should fail before the mortise does.
Logan, I agree and IMHO the different joinery techniques used on the top and bottom of his box adds to the overall look of the box, not detract from it.
Spot on the best joint is the one that holds up over time. 2 years ago I screwed everything and it is still good today up but as your woodworking advances so does your skill set. I still use screws on some stuff. I just hide them better now. I like biscuits and pocket screws for some stuff. I love dovetails they just dont love me back but I'm getting there.
Dear mister Nubs, I find you one of the most pleasant and good teachers that I can find on the web. Thank you very very much for your skills, your tone and lessons shared. Sincerely yours, Ernst Klijzing, Amsterdam
You are so right on the biscuits. Not very strong ,but sized right to fit the slot , biscuits are great for alignment. Love your videos. Keep them coming.
Great movie, you are like the Bob Ross of woodworking, very easy to listen to, giving people a good feeling and telling it so everyone believes the can start woodworking. Thx.
Totally agree. I've just done a load of Wainscoting in a bathroom refurb. Biscuits, perfect for alignment, quick and easy on site. Appropriateness is the word.
This is the kind of stuff I like to hear. A made a table or 2 and some chairs with hidden pocket screws. I thought I was a kind of a woodworking fraud when people said that looks nice. Because of this I am about to start my next project with dowels with a cheap jig I just purchased. Biscuit joinery is out of my price range and mortice and tenon is a skill a long way off. I am 55 years old and only a hobbyist so this makes me feel better about the stuff I make . Thanks
THANK YOU for your very true and accurate description of the added (albeit small) extra strength that biscuits do add to a joint, AND for explaining why! I get so tired of hearing the obligatory "Contrary to popular belief, and sorry (not sorry) to tell all you rubes out there, but biscuits don't add any strength to a joint, at all, zero, _nada,_ although we'll begrudgingly allow their use for alignment" comments in videos. I've actually clicked away from videos where that stale refrain was intoned -- even though I wanted to know about the project being depicted! It's like mindless repetition of some partially-true line (they don't impart zero strength, there is some, as you showed), in order to curry favor with 'the joinery snobs'. Ugh....
I am NOT, a woodworker, although I have the desire to do woodworking as a hobby, something to keep me busy. I am currently undergoing chemo, for pancreatic cancer (it is what it is) and discovered your channel. For me, you explain thing in an easy to understand manner, thanks for that. I know what you mean when you mention those that would critique your work as though their opinion is the only one that matters. I, for one love the work displayed in that box. The joinery, shows love of what you make. Quite honestly, that is kind of what I would like to do, nothing big. Thanks for all the information you give on TH-cam. God bless
Hey, if it works for you, who cares what others may say. I think it's more important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each type and you've explained this very well. I really like that Castle pocket hole system, one day, maybe. 😁 Thanks, James!
I love the way biscuits give an amount of alignment time before they swell and become tight. I also love the way they allow me to easily get the edge perfectly square.
I built a screen door (that was missing off my mobile home) about ten years ago using glue and pocket screws! Honestly it didn't have to support a lot of weight and I just needed a quick door that keep bugs out of my house most of all!! Just repainted the door last week and it has been holding up fine even after all these years!! Likewise I build kind of a "similar door" for my shed workshop, though I messed it up by forgetting to use a square while building it!! BUT the door I knew on my shop was going to get beat up a lot more....so I attached the framework to a sheet of plywood that makes up the actually DOOR part of it!!! The kicker is, I built the shop door nearly 12 years ago with the same pocket screw method I used on my screen door.....and that is still as strong as ever!!! Even though I know it isn't exactly square!!!
An excellent video. I agree that all these joinery methods are appropriate in the right situations. You do a great job of explaining methods without a lot of needless fluff. Kudos to you!
Great intro! On the money! People critique others for stupid reasons. Same can be said of those who worship sharpening. I’ve run into others who want to spend their time in a shop sharpening for display or bragging purposes, rather than sharpening for use. -Phil
I'd really like to here your take on dowel nuts and connector bolts. They can be significantly stronger than any of the joints mentioned in this video, but they do carry the stigma of being a mainstay of flat pack furniture.
Good video and and mostly agree. I generally only use pocket screws with plywood, particle board, MDF "boxes" and never on cabinet face frames where a biscuit may be a slightly better option. Outside of "boxes" pocket screws don't usually meet the "beauty, function and durability" requirements. However pocket screws are certainly a great choice for the newer weekend woodworker.
Great video and easy concise explanation’s of each fastener giving the beginning woodworker a great start in a hobby that is inundated with misinformation. Kudos to you James.
I'm a novice woodworker my first major project was a desk for two computers. It is 3500mm long by 800mm wide and 26mm thick. I had to make a dead straight cut the full length (3500mm) with a circular saw to join the front and back sections of the desk to make the 800mm width. There is 28 dowels in there holding it together. Didn't get any wrong with a relatively cheap jig and centre punch combo. I'm still really happy every time I look at it.
I have experience with almost all joinery and skilled in most incl. dovetails, pocket screws, and mortise and tenon. About 15 years ago I was introduced to dowels using the Dowelmax jig. It is great. It makes joinery fast, extreme accurate and extremely strong. I often assemble my projects without glue and check the look and fit of the project. It’s easy to undo and then rebuild a number of times to check before gluing. I got the 3/8” standard set and 1/4” . The latter is great when joining 1/2” plywood or a 1/2” face to a drawer. The jig is Made in Canada and the steel used in it is the best. There are cheap jigs that you’ll find but I’ve seen nothing that comes close to Dowelmax.
Your arguments are spot on. In most situations any of these methods are far better than another one that I come upon far too often, staples. I’ve had to repair or modify several articles of wood (if particle board can be called wood) that came apart with very little effort because they were knocked together with a few staples. That’s an advantage for taking something apart but not if you want something to actually last.
Thank you for your understanding we’re not all at the master joinery level yet! I appreciate your perspective and love how clear your explanations/instructions are! The more videos I watch of yours the more I am a fan! Nice work brotha! (First video I watched was on hand sharpening)
Great video. An aside though is that now that I know what is hidden behind the "cold one", my eyes are drawn to it when you do some mousing. No big deal at all. I just had to laugh when I catch myself. I think you have a very clever operation.
Total amateur here, love my Dowel Max, built all my kitchen cabinets, doors and closets. Just about all my projects. Biscuit joiner just collected dust, or it would of if it ever left its case.
I'm definitely no fancy woodworker, mechanical joints and practicality all the way, I felt pretty fancy buying a pocket screw jig and making my first project with it recently. Made a coffee table with storage for board games, with half inch ACX ply and very expensive kitchen-grade latex paint, which we decided after the fact to apply poly over for allergen and durability purposes. (Topped with oak veneer plywood, stained ebony and covered in poly, to elevate it a little bit.) My other big upgrade is finally getting a normal random orbit sander: I practically could have just put clear poly on the sanded ply and gotten a glassy smooth surface, having filled and sanded both sides of all pieces to 320. I appreciate these videos about the more humble methods. The whole "along grain vs across grain" anisometric thing reminds me of 3d printing layer lines, which is how you know I'm a nerd 😉🤓
I've found myself using dowels a lot, however I either don't mind, or quite like the aesthetic, so tend to glue and clamp a plain joint, and then go and add dowels on top, through the face grain and into the end of the adjoining piece. Leave the dowel slightly proud and trim it off and sand it in once it has dried. No problems with alignment this way. Also I tend to work with bb furniture ply, which has it's advantages too. I recently bought a plug cutter, so can now cut dowel caps in the same wood the item is made from, which hides them brilliantly.
Biscuits are great for gluing multiple pieces of wood into a large panel. They align everything really nicely and add some strength. If That larger panel is going to be structural, like for the side of a desk, dowels are great. Tedious, maybe, but the payoff is a joint that won't quit on you. Dowels are also wonderful for filling nail holes. I replaced some railing that was nailed into the top of 4X4 posts. After pulling out the nails, I drilled out the nail holes and filled them with dowels and glue, cut the excess off, and presto. The construction screws I put the now boards down with were safe from encountering the old nail holes.
some years back, I did an exterior trim feature that had a run of mostly unsupported plywood. biscuits were just the thing to keep the end joints aligned.
I’m soo fortunate to have worked in a high end cabinet shop out of New York. Nearly ALL our installs were in Manhattan. We have installed on 5th ave, overlooking Central Park, Park ave, lower Manhattan high up enough to see yankee stadium from the living room windows. That said, I’ve not seen (in person) that quality of woodwork since leaving the company. Without behaving like a jag off name dropping, one might be inclined to tell me what quality is.... Save it for the dim! I’ll just say our modest little shop had NO Festool, NO Mirka and or other such marketing mandated, overpriced, point of failure designed toys, we had quality tools that were a decade or more old. We also had a pocket screw machine, we also had several biscuit joiners that were used in damn near every single cabinet project we did.
This is fantastic! As a person starting out in the hobby, it was really nice learning when to use certain forms of joinery. If you could make more with other forms, that would be very appreciated!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! While I'm not the dowel guy ( no accurate jig!) I do use biscuits for alignment, and pockets for both crude (shop-type casework) and fine work as well. My biscuit jointer is a PC 555...the first gen. I can make accurate 90° slots at the depth I require with my 30yo tool, and that's all I need. I have the new 'cheapo' Kreg setup, replacing the $30 setup I got years and years ago. I cheat sometimes, depending on the material I am using. I may clamp the jig at the 1" depth if I am using soft plywoods taking care to use slightly shorter screws to prevent 'poke-thru'. All in all, both types of joinery have served me well, and I feel vindicated hearing your 'defense' of my less-than-snooty tech. You rawk! By the way...I bought that 555 biscuit jointer new...when it was the first domestic tool on the market for that application...if that gives you any indication how long I been makin' sawdust.
Thank you for the video. Two things. First, I would like to see someone compare a single Domino strength to simply using two 5 cent Lamello Biscuits on top of one another. No one has done that. Even a clone Domino is 17 cents. Second, I used calipers and measured the thickness of 30 each of DeWalt and Swiss-made Lamello plate joiner Biscuits. Lamello was 1000 for $46.37 from Amazon, which is 4.6 cents each. DeWalt was $7.98 for 100 from Lowes, which is 8 cents each. I calculated the mean and standard deviation of the thicknesses and the Lamello were more than 3x as uniform. 97.7% of Lamello are predicted to be between 3.69 and 4.00mm. DeWalt are 3.34 to 4.31mm. The goal is to be as close to 4mm without going over. Visually, the Lamello have a glue-gripping pattern on each side. The DeWalt had a more shallow grid on one side. No sense in judging biscuits without using Lamello brand.
Thank you. First time watching you. Very interesting. I’m just a novice woodworker and have rarely used my biscuits for joining anything until recently. Glad to hear I made a good decision. Used them on the end pieces of a cutting board in place of a mortise and tenon or other means.
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▼EXPAND THIS SECTION FOR MORE RESOURCES RELATED TO THIS VIDEO▼
*Tools used in this video:*
Castle Pocket Hole Machine: castleusa.com/
Dowelmax dowel jig: www.dowelmax.com/
*Links promised in this video:*
-More videos on our website: stumpynubs.com/
-Subscribe to our e-Magazine: stumpynubs.com/browse-and-subscribe/
-Check out our project plans: stumpynubs.com/product-category/plans/
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★THIS VIDEO WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY★
Castle Pocket Hole Machines castleusa.com/
*Please help support us by using the link above for a quick look around!*
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Do walls still need to absorb cannonballs? Do you know something we don’t? Wanna do a video on that for us. Thank you 😂
I had the misconception biscuits were stronger just because of how they look but I guess it depends on the thickness. So I'm glad I watched this, also the milescraft Dowling jig in my experience has worked really well and comes with almost everything you need to get started except the drill and the wood itself lol, thanks for the informative video
@@matthewzombies1458 We have a lot of security and the police station is only a couple blocks away. :)
My new favorite quote:
"Not every house is a castle and not every wall has to absorb a cannonball."
- James Hamilton
Thank you again for another great, strait forward, honest, realistic, enjoyable, video.
Heirloom or just another box?
Well... don't I feel foolish?
It's not a house it's a home, a man's home is his castle.
- Darryl (Australia legend)
I could use a house like that, my house has been hit twice with bullets.
Just because the Germans do something, doesn't mean it is necessary, or the best use of limited resources. That's the point. When you over engineer one thing, there is an opportunity cost that results in less utility or quality some place else. For instance, American homes are typically much larger than German homes for the same price, and cost less in labour, meaning more homes can be built in the same period of time, further reducing the cost of living.
I wish more educational/skill content creators were this thorough, unbiased, and clear, devoid of BS. Thank you as always :)
Yup, this got my sub.
I agree. Stumpy is great
Seriously. The purests or elites makes the barieer of entry too high. Why should I start if I can't afford a domino or handcutt dovetails? I heard pocketholes are crap. Nope. Pocket holes got me to rebuild something with a 40 buck purchase.
I think the primary benefit of pocket hole screws is how easy they make it for people to get started in the hobby.
I teach middle school wood shop and its a good way to get young kids, 12-14 years old, into woodworking. They can develop more specialized skills later, but if they choose not to they can still be successful and produce a product that will work for them.
It’s a shame that many schools no longer teach shop type classes. I’m glad yours does.
@@akbychoice They don't have that at my children's school, but they do a lot of practical things - gardening, knitting, sewing, various craft projects and they even practiced changing a tire. They also do an entrepreneurial type thing where the children can make things and sell them. Plus there's an annual secret Santa for which they're only allowed to give things they make.
Pocket holes were my gateway into woodworking. I was given a second-hand K4 that I used to make my first (agonizingly slow) project. I've learned other techniques and I'm wandering far from those early projects, but my jig is always nearby and gets broken out whenever the need arises.
@@ian1352 that’s a lot better than some schools.
@@Not_TVs_Frank my point exactly...they are woodworking's gateway drug. LOL
I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.
The fact this guy can talk about biscuit joinery for almost 10 minutes and keep me entertained yet has less than a million subscribers tells me the youtube algorithm has failings.
This guy knows his stuff!
I know this video is a year-old, but I have to say, it was refreshing to see an accomplished woodworker, who is not a joinery snob. Thank you for the wonderfully educational (and entertaining) videos!
James, I don’t know what rates higher. Your incredible ‘A’ to ‘Z’
knowledge of all aspects of woodworking or your ability to
teach and share knowledge in a manner that is easy to grasp, especially for new woodworkers.
Cannot thank you enough!
James, another excellent video. No harm in being practical, especially when the joint method is hidden. In major construction projects we used to follow a simple mantra….”form shall follow function”. It was our way off keeping the designers from outrunning those of us that had to meet a budget and a schedule. Thanks for excellent advice delivered in a concise manner.
As a woodworker from Germany, I can say that what you say in this video is 100,,% the same I learned in apprentice school. Exception: pocket screws. I learned about them while working in the USA, and they are great, for the reasons you mention. Your videos are very balanced, coolheaded, and free from overcome traditional thinking or fads. I really enjoy watching !!! Thx!
I also like to say, use joinery that's appropriate for how much you plan on selling your piece for. Obviously a piece of furniture made with pocket screws and biscuits should not be priced the same as one made with dovetails and mortis and tenon joinery.
This is the one I have a hard time trying to explain to many people
I see what you are saying but dowels or biscuits are often invisible on a piece so it’s hard to say whether a piece using them should be priced lower. Pocket screws are often not visible either in the finished piece if they are covered with trim. The materials , design and look of the piece are often the rationale for the cost of the piece not the joinery as such. There are those buyers that do focus on the joinery. Your point is well taken.
@@jeffhreid I make it a point to ask them what their expectations are. Some clients dont care/dont know any better, and sone want a high end piece with traditional upper tier joinery methods. Makes my life so much easier knowing from the get-go
Exactly. Novices don't always understand that cheaper/faster production doesn't mean high end price. I guess they think they are coming up with something for nothing.
I have had a biscuit joiner for 20 years and I love how Mike Farrington boasts about his biscuit joiner and he's one of the best carpenters I've ever seen. can't be bought! And go Norm! The man who single-handedly started a generation of DIY woodworkers. What you didn't mention about biscuits is that the glue helps them to swell to lock the joint tight. Biscuits are very useful for mitered corners to keep them from splitting apart on the end grain
Great video, plus a shoutout to the one and only, the God of woodworking himself, Norm Abram. "And remember, there is no more important safety rule than to wear these, your safety glasses!!!"
regarding the opening statement, if you want your house to absorb a cannon ball you either need to build with palm logs, or cotton bales, stone crumbles under iron shot haha :P
You've made this so easy for me, a beginner at age 56(and a woman) to understand, without coming across as condescending. I love how you explained the why. I can't understand anything without the reason behind it lol
While making custom furniture for a doll house i used tooth picks as dowels. When used for dolls they'll never break. Thank you for honesty and simplicity
Your little and gentle rant at the start is SPOT ON!!
For certain situations dowels can be used a bit differently. Imagine putting something together the way you want it to be glued (with whatever means you like) and them from "behind" drill through both workpieces and then put dowels in, glue stuff and trim off the excess dowel. Unless you like the look, thats something for places where you can't see it, but done well it can make for very strong parts. Sometimes it can even be appropriate to drill and glue another dowel at a different angle to increase the strength in that direction.
This is primarily how I use them. Screw it together with whatever screws you want, and wait for the glue to dry. Pull out the screws and drill for the dowel right where the screw holes are. Fill with glue, tap in your dowel, and trim off the remainder with a Japanese saw. Much easier than getting those little bastards aligned perfectly.
I've used that method. Even where you can see them, it can look neat, especially if you sink them and cover with face grain plugs.
No one every talks about through dowels. I use them all the time they are super strong. Can be used in Roman joints and reinforcing mortice and tenon. I like the look some others don't. Enjoyed the episode. Thanks
Great idea! Thanks
I invested in a Dowelmax a few months ago, and absolutely love that thing.. I'm always looking for ways to use it. I probably will rarely ever use a biscuit or pocket hole again. LOL
I did it bruh. I got a Dust collector and it feels so weird to breath normally in a workshop - thanks for all your tips and advice.
Haha, great comment.
I built a screen door for the front of my house using biscuits. It lasted 15 years for daily opening and closing and giant dogs. They are absolutely strong.
I love the look of exposed dowels or pins. Through dowels are super easy to add after the fact for woodworkers of any skill and they can be put nearly on any joint. If they're the same species they can be nearly invisible or a contrasting wood makes them a very nice feature. But I'll admit I don't break out a dowel jig and use them in that way very frequently because it's annoying.
I really appreciate the sentiment behind the video too. Who has the time to sit around and belittle others that share our interests just because they use pocket holes or something? It's nonsense. And I'm of the firm belief that as long as you're not selling it, which for MANY of us that's usually the case, do whatever you want. If you want to make your own chair with just biscuit joints go for it. Maybe it's for your mother in law. I think everyone deserves the opportunity to build their own biscuit joint chairs for their mother in-laws.
I too like the look of contrasting dowels.
😂 the MIL chair
@@j10001 Complete with a whoopee cushion, to help break her fall, comedically.... 😂
The first 1:50 is some of the best commentary I have heard PERIOD. That could apply to so many things.
Years ago I made a computer desk by having a laminate countertop made and supporting it on some file cabinets on either end. It was a long countertop and needed support in the center. I built an open cabinet out of MDF. I had the guy at the lumber yard make all my cuts, (ask nice and tip). I brought the pieces back to my apartment and screwed them together with drywall screws after using a router to make groves to mount aluminum tracks for adjustable shelves. I covered the outside with laminate. I don't even think I had a speed square or anything to check if the corners were square. It was rock solid. The only reason I don't still have it is I moved to a different apartment and it wouldn't fit.
I love this story, because it sticks a pin in the balloon of pomposity that sometimes surrounds woodworking, at least in the minds of some who love to be snobs about it, and who would criticize your choice of materials, design or joinery. You satisfied the important elements: You had fun, the end product was useful to you, and it served its function. Can't do much better than that!
I can never get enough of your teaching and advices. Enjoyable and informative as usual. Thank you for this channel
I really have never gotten the hate for pocket screws. They are useful and versatile and when used correctly a great choice for many projects.
Great subject Stumpy!!!!!! Keeps us newbs inspired!!!!!! I wish I had a 1/4 of your knowledge and a 1/4 of your workshop!!!!! Thanks for all you do for this community!!!!
..., and a quarter of the tools in the background!
Thank you for another really informative video. Your care in showing exactly why different fasteners are are appropriate for different conditions is exactly the approach you apply to every video, and what makes me watch eagerly for a new Stumpy Nubs video.
When you said some people will recognise the skill that went into making the box struck a chord with me, as I believe that too. A few years ago I was called to a MOD base for a faulty gas cooker, it was the thermocouple. As a mobile engineer I carried ‘universal’ replacements, 900mm in length, the original was approx only 150mm. I got a small rolling pin and wrapped the thermocouple around it, making a spring shaped coil and left the ends sticking out to connect onto the unit.
The apprentice I had with me asked why I bothered to make it look nice because upon testing it was working ok, I boxed it back up never to be seen again, until it itself failed in a few years time. “Because when the next engineer sees this he’ll hopefully realise to hisself that an old fashioned engineer with old fashioned skills replaced it” I told him. He looked puzzled and said “I wouldn’t bother”………………….. ☹
You are the best woodworking teacher by far. You literally have no competiotion and still maintain the high standards you have set. For that I am eternally grateful! Thank you !
dwight schrute killin it with the woodworking tips
This is why I subscribe to your channel. Well spoken, clear info and no Judgy BS.
Depending on the project, don't forget the lowly black or brass screw. They can be really elegant.
Oh, mr fancy, and I am over here using repurposed deck screws for shop projects, lol.
I'm gonna butcher the quote so I won't say it but it reminds me of Moe talking about garage vs car hole
@@MMWoodworking wait…. Was I not supposed to reuse my screws??
Or nice nails.
Depends on the style you aim for.
(and a biscuit is just a thin floating tennon, if those are OK, biscuits are)
I often paint the screw heads if there are going to be visible screws. I just refinished a pair of nightstands in grey with gold drawer pulls. I painted the screw heads that was attaching the pulls and a few other detail places. Makes it MUCH more elegant and thoughtful of design!
I taught a friend basic woodworking, a man with few manual skills, but who wanted to learn. He has learned biscuit joinery, pocket screws, use of splines and finger joints. He makes picture frames, small curio boxes and small outdoor tables. He makes himself happy along with lots friends and acquaintances. Not everyone wants to rise to the level of a master woodworker and most people can’t afford furniture made by a custom woodworker.
I really appreciate that you clarify when a brand is a sponsor or not, even though I know you’ll give an honest review either way
Stumpy Nubs is one of the best information sources on the Tube. Extremely well presented information based on science and experience. Please continue.
I'm a fledgling woodworker and don't yet own a pocket hole jig, dowel jig, biscuit joiner, or domino joiner but intend to make one of these tools the next addition to my shop. I had been thinking about getting a Massca pocket hole jig, but just found out about the existence of the Dowelmax Classic and think that it would be more useful for the type of projects I undertake. I see that Jessem offers a dowel jig also that looks interesting.
I found this video highly informative and appreciate your advice. Your content has played a major role in my development as a woodworker. Thank you!
After seeing the Patrick Sullivan's videos, I made my own test, and I can confirm that many times, or may be always, a simple glue is the stronger joint, no biscuits, no dowels, no screws needed. Now I'm using Polyurethane glue as my principal glue, is an extraordinarily strong adhesive.
I read a bit about PU glues a while ago. Thought it would be good stuff to add to a rough frame that will be used to dry firewood outside. But apparently it is only cosmetically gap filling (expanded foam has little shear strength). Also I heard that it creates a very hard joint, which was apparently demonstrated when a PU-glued fretboard came off a guitar after having received a not-too-heavy but fast hit. Now I think I'll have to experiment a bit. At least it should handle outside conditions better than PVA glues, perhaps also bond mixed materials.
The first minute and a half of this video should be on every woodworking channel
Ugh, Norm was the man. I’m 45 now, but from memory, he didn’t apply the biscuit to anything he shouldn’t have. So like others that tried to follow his footsteps, I tried to change the direction of the tongue and groove of my hardwood flooring. It didn’t work out well.
I worked in a refinishing shop in the early 90's as the repair man. I can't tell you how many sets of chairs I had to take apart that had doweled jointery. They are certainly stronger than they get credit for.
Dowel joints are crazy strong, stronger than mortise and tenon joints.
@@geraldl5221 no shot. Mortise and tenon will always be the strongest wood joint. You have wood grain, two working components rather than multiple points of failure and more surface area for glue.
@@Sean-yb2mp isn’t it easier to get the wood around a mortise to split when the tenon sets ? I’ve had this failure happen to me, don’t think it would have happened with dowels.
I think multiple points of failure are better then a single point of failure? :p
@@Keneo1 I fail to see how a mortise would fail. It depends on how you designed it; the walls being too thin, the wrong application for the joint or wrong use of wood/grain direction are all examples. The tenon should fail before the mortise does.
Me, an absolute amateur looking at James’ box: “umm, no. No sir there is absolutely nothing wrong with that lid.”
Logan, I agree and IMHO the different joinery techniques used on the top and bottom of his box adds to the overall look of the box, not detract from it.
Spot on the best joint is the one that holds up over time. 2 years ago I screwed everything and it is still good today up but as your woodworking advances so does your skill set. I still use screws on some stuff. I just hide them better now. I like biscuits and pocket screws for some stuff. I love dovetails they just dont love me back but I'm getting there.
Thanks James! for a common sense approach to joinery.
Dear mister Nubs, I find you one of the most pleasant and good teachers that I can find on the web. Thank you very very much for your skills, your tone and lessons shared. Sincerely yours, Ernst Klijzing, Amsterdam
You are so right on the biscuits. Not very strong ,but sized right to fit the slot , biscuits are great for alignment. Love your videos. Keep them coming.
Thank you, very helpful and no stupid "what's up" at the beginning. I'll be returning.
Great movie, you are like the Bob Ross of woodworking, very easy to listen to, giving people a good feeling and telling it so everyone believes the can start woodworking. Thx.
Love it that you aren’t a “purist”. I use most of the joining methods and it just depends on the application and requirements. Great video (as usual)
Totally agree. I've just done a load of Wainscoting in a bathroom refurb. Biscuits, perfect for alignment, quick and easy on site.
Appropriateness is the word.
I sure appreciate you speaking out for functional solutions over showy for the sake of showy!!!
I appreciate your understated style, your obvious skill and your teaching method.
This is the kind of stuff I like to hear. A made a table or 2 and some chairs with hidden pocket screws. I thought I was a kind of a woodworking fraud when people said that looks nice. Because of this I am about to start my next project with dowels with a cheap jig I just purchased. Biscuit joinery is out of my price range and mortice and tenon is a skill a long way off. I am 55 years old and only a hobbyist so this makes me feel better about the stuff I make . Thanks
THANK YOU for your very true and accurate description of the added (albeit small) extra strength that biscuits do add to a joint, AND for explaining why! I get so tired of hearing the obligatory "Contrary to popular belief, and sorry (not sorry) to tell all you rubes out there, but biscuits don't add any strength to a joint, at all, zero, _nada,_ although we'll begrudgingly allow their use for alignment" comments in videos. I've actually clicked away from videos where that stale refrain was intoned -- even though I wanted to know about the project being depicted! It's like mindless repetition of some partially-true line (they don't impart zero strength, there is some, as you showed), in order to curry favor with 'the joinery snobs'. Ugh....
James
Really appreciate your no nonsense
To the point
Thank you for doing these videos
I love how down to earth you are.
I am NOT, a woodworker, although I have the desire to do woodworking as a hobby, something to keep me busy.
I am currently undergoing chemo, for pancreatic cancer (it is what it is) and discovered your channel. For me, you explain thing in an easy to understand manner, thanks for that.
I know what you mean when you mention those that would critique your work as though their opinion is the only one that matters.
I, for one love the work displayed in that box. The joinery, shows love of what you make. Quite honestly, that is kind of what I would like to do, nothing big.
Thanks for all the information you give on TH-cam.
God bless
Thanks for the nice comment, and take care!
Thank you for always clearly explaining the ‘why’ something should or should not be used. Great video!!!
Hey, if it works for you, who cares what others may say. I think it's more important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each type and you've explained this very well. I really like that Castle pocket hole system, one day, maybe. 😁
Thanks, James!
Well presented. I appreciate the snobless tone.
I love the way biscuits give an amount of alignment time before they swell and become tight. I also love the way they allow me to easily get the edge perfectly square.
Biscuits and pocket holes are good for building radiator covers ,thanks 🏴👍
Thank you, a good lesson for some new woodworkers. Have an awesome day.
I've lost count of the times I have used the phrase "the ends justify the means" in YT comments sections. Glad someone concurs.
I didn’t know Norm popularized biscuits, but I for sure bought a biscuit jointer long ago because of him.
I built a screen door (that was missing off my mobile home) about ten years ago using glue and pocket screws! Honestly it didn't have to support a lot of weight and I just needed a quick door that keep bugs out of my house most of all!! Just repainted the door last week and it has been holding up fine even after all these years!! Likewise I build kind of a "similar door" for my shed workshop, though I messed it up by forgetting to use a square while building it!! BUT the door I knew on my shop was going to get beat up a lot more....so I attached the framework to a sheet of plywood that makes up the actually DOOR part of it!!! The kicker is, I built the shop door nearly 12 years ago with the same pocket screw method I used on my screen door.....and that is still as strong as ever!!! Even though I know it isn't exactly square!!!
That's one item on my ultimate wish list, a castle pocket hole machine. Those things look amazing.
You know you're hearing from a great woodworker when they discuss lignin!! Thank you for the informative video!
An excellent video. I agree that all these joinery methods are appropriate in the right situations. You do a great job of explaining methods without a lot of needless fluff. Kudos to you!
Great intro! On the money! People critique others for stupid reasons. Same can be said of those who worship sharpening. I’ve run into others who want to spend their time in a shop sharpening for display or bragging purposes, rather than sharpening for use. -Phil
I'd really like to here your take on dowel nuts and connector bolts. They can be significantly stronger than any of the joints mentioned in this video, but they do carry the stigma of being a mainstay of flat pack furniture.
I really like the line about not all walls are castles. Cost and quality can be geared for any budget... yet still make something to be proud of..
Was literally in the middle of shopping around for a good doweling jig when I saw you uploaded this. Definitely gonna check them out
So honest and down to earth. Love this channel
Good video and and mostly agree. I generally only use pocket screws with plywood, particle board, MDF "boxes" and never on cabinet face frames where a biscuit may be a slightly better option. Outside of "boxes" pocket screws don't usually meet the "beauty, function and durability" requirements. However pocket screws are certainly a great choice for the newer weekend woodworker.
Great video and easy concise explanation’s of each fastener giving the beginning woodworker a great start in a hobby that is inundated with misinformation. Kudos to you James.
I'm a novice woodworker my first major project was a desk for two computers. It is 3500mm long by 800mm wide and 26mm thick. I had to make a dead straight cut the full length (3500mm) with a circular saw to join the front and back sections of the desk to make the 800mm width. There is 28 dowels in there holding it together. Didn't get any wrong with a relatively cheap jig and centre punch combo.
I'm still really happy every time I look at it.
I have experience with almost all joinery and skilled in most incl. dovetails, pocket screws, and mortise and tenon. About 15 years ago I was introduced to dowels using the Dowelmax jig. It is great. It makes joinery fast, extreme accurate and extremely strong. I often assemble my projects without glue and check the look and fit of the project. It’s easy to undo and then rebuild a number of times to check before gluing. I got the 3/8” standard set and 1/4” . The latter is great when joining 1/2” plywood or a 1/2” face to a drawer. The jig is Made in Canada and the steel used in it is the best. There are cheap jigs that you’ll find but I’ve seen nothing that comes close to Dowelmax.
Very nice box... looks great... totally agree with your sentiments... the right tool for the right job...
Your arguments are spot on. In most situations any of these methods are far better than another one that I come upon far too often, staples. I’ve had to repair or modify several articles of wood (if particle board can be called wood) that came apart with very little effort because they were knocked together with a few staples. That’s an advantage for taking something apart but not if you want something to actually last.
I'm afraid I'm one of those bougie traditionalists, but you make a very compelling argument. Great video!
A "traditionalist" would never take up the use of the trendy term "bougie." :)
@@StumpyNubs I'm breaking molds left and right today
Fantastic, as a new woodworker understanding these basics is super important. Thanks!
Thank you for your understanding we’re not all at the master joinery level yet! I appreciate your perspective and love how clear your explanations/instructions are! The more videos I watch of yours the more I am a fan! Nice work brotha! (First video I watched was on hand sharpening)
Thank you! You let us know it is OK to do what we can do to make a good looking,
functional methods. You are a genius! Thank You.
Tom Byrne
I’m just getting into woodworking and you sir are amazing. Tysm for sharing so much knowledge.
Great video.
An aside though is that now that I know what is hidden behind the "cold one", my eyes are drawn to it when you do some mousing. No big deal at all. I just had to laugh when I catch myself. I think you have a very clever operation.
Great video. To every joint question there is a solution that meets your needs
Total amateur here, love my Dowel Max, built all my kitchen cabinets, doors and closets. Just about all my projects. Biscuit joiner just collected dust, or it would of if it ever left its case.
I'm definitely no fancy woodworker, mechanical joints and practicality all the way, I felt pretty fancy buying a pocket screw jig and making my first project with it recently. Made a coffee table with storage for board games, with half inch ACX ply and very expensive kitchen-grade latex paint, which we decided after the fact to apply poly over for allergen and durability purposes. (Topped with oak veneer plywood, stained ebony and covered in poly, to elevate it a little bit.) My other big upgrade is finally getting a normal random orbit sander: I practically could have just put clear poly on the sanded ply and gotten a glassy smooth surface, having filled and sanded both sides of all pieces to 320. I appreciate these videos about the more humble methods.
The whole "along grain vs across grain" anisometric thing reminds me of 3d printing layer lines, which is how you know I'm a nerd 😉🤓
When your only tool is a hammer every problem looks like a nail. Having a choice of multiple solutions will make you a better woodworker.
I feel like I could build a castle after watching your vids. Thank you!
I've found myself using dowels a lot, however I either don't mind, or quite like the aesthetic, so tend to glue and clamp a plain joint, and then go and add dowels on top, through the face grain and into the end of the adjoining piece. Leave the dowel slightly proud and trim it off and sand it in once it has dried. No problems with alignment this way. Also I tend to work with bb furniture ply, which has it's advantages too. I recently bought a plug cutter, so can now cut dowel caps in the same wood the item is made from, which hides them brilliantly.
Biscuits are great for gluing multiple pieces of wood into a large panel. They align everything really nicely and add some strength. If That larger panel is going to be structural, like for the side of a desk, dowels are great. Tedious, maybe, but the payoff is a joint that won't quit on you. Dowels are also wonderful for filling nail holes. I replaced some railing that was nailed into the top of 4X4 posts. After pulling out the nails, I drilled out the nail holes and filled them with dowels and glue, cut the excess off, and presto. The construction screws I put the now boards down with were safe from encountering the old nail holes.
some years back, I did an exterior trim feature that had a run of mostly unsupported plywood. biscuits were just the thing to keep the end joints aligned.
I’m soo fortunate to have worked in a high end cabinet shop out of New York. Nearly ALL our installs were in Manhattan. We have installed on 5th ave, overlooking Central Park, Park ave, lower Manhattan high up enough to see yankee stadium from the living room windows.
That said, I’ve not seen
(in person) that quality of woodwork since leaving the company.
Without behaving like a jag off name dropping, one might be inclined to tell me what quality is....
Save it for the dim!
I’ll just say our modest little shop had NO Festool, NO Mirka and or other such marketing mandated, overpriced, point of failure designed toys, we had quality tools that were a decade or more old. We also had a pocket screw machine, we also had several biscuit joiners that were used in damn near every single cabinet project we did.
This is fantastic! As a person starting out in the hobby, it was really nice learning when to use certain forms of joinery. If you could make more with other forms, that would be very appreciated!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! While I'm not the dowel guy ( no accurate jig!) I do use biscuits for alignment, and pockets for both crude (shop-type casework) and fine work as well. My biscuit jointer is a PC 555...the first gen. I can make accurate 90° slots at the depth I require with my 30yo tool, and that's all I need. I have the new 'cheapo' Kreg setup, replacing the $30 setup I got years and years ago. I cheat sometimes, depending on the material I am using. I may clamp the jig at the 1" depth if I am using soft plywoods taking care to use slightly shorter screws to prevent 'poke-thru'. All in all, both types of joinery have served me well, and I feel vindicated hearing your 'defense' of my less-than-snooty tech. You rawk! By the way...I bought that 555 biscuit jointer new...when it was the first domestic tool on the market for that application...if that gives you any indication how long I been makin' sawdust.
Thank you for the video. Two things.
First, I would like to see someone compare a single Domino strength to simply using two 5 cent Lamello Biscuits on top of one another. No one has done that. Even a clone Domino is 17 cents.
Second, I used calipers and measured the thickness of 30 each of DeWalt and Swiss-made Lamello plate joiner Biscuits. Lamello was 1000 for $46.37 from Amazon, which is 4.6 cents each. DeWalt was $7.98 for 100 from Lowes, which is 8 cents each. I calculated the mean and standard deviation of the thicknesses and the Lamello were more than 3x as uniform. 97.7% of Lamello are predicted to be between 3.69 and 4.00mm. DeWalt are 3.34 to 4.31mm. The goal is to be as close to 4mm without going over. Visually, the Lamello have a glue-gripping pattern on each side. The DeWalt had a more shallow grid on one side.
No sense in judging biscuits without using Lamello brand.
Thank you. First time watching you. Very interesting. I’m just a novice woodworker and have rarely used my biscuits for joining anything until recently. Glad to hear I made a good decision. Used them on the end pieces of a cutting board in place of a mortise and tenon or other means.