With this tool, you can create neat, sturdy joints with ease. Biscuit fasteners are oval-shaped pieces of plywood that fit invisibly into incisions inside the joint. You can use a biscuit joiner to fasten two boards on edge, join 3/4-inch or thicker edging to plywood, or make butt or miter joints. Be sure you hold the tool with its base perfectly flat against the board as you make the cuts. If you will be using more than three or four biscuits on a joint, work fast and have a helper on hand.

mark

Position the boards as you want them joined. For every place you want to install a biscuit, mark a line running from one board to the other (see inset). Set the tool to the correct depth for the size biscuit you're using. Hold the tool flat against the board as you make each incision.

clamp

After dry-fitting the boards with the biscuits in place, squirt a little carpenter's glue into each incision. Set the biscuits into the incisions and tap the second board into place, sliding the biscuits into their respective slots. Check that the joint is tight and clamp. Wipe away excess glue and allow to dry.