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Which is better Biscuit or pocket screw

3K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  rrich  
#1 ·
Which provides the best, most durable structure, the pocket screw or biscuits? I am just getting started and need a jointer option for a wall unit. Anyone have any suggestions?
 
#5 ·
Thirty two cents

Assuming that you have the clamps for pocket screw joinery, the pocket screw wins.

The reason is that clamps keep the faces of the pieces being joined aligned and the pocket screw itself is a clamping device. With a glue like TB-III, end grain to long grain joints are exceptionally strong. When applying the clamps, it is easy to align the pieces being joined precisely. Because the pocket screws are a clamp, there is no "Time in Clamps" necessary with pocket screws.

Biscuits are best for misaligned surfaces, such as where a stretcher meets a leg. I've seen many flat panels aligned (almost) using biscuits, however a wide belt sander was available to correct any misalignment. Biscuits are OK for alignment of surfaces parallel to the surface of the biscuit but poor for alignment perpendicular to the biscuit surface.

The setup for pocket screws is cheaper than the set up for biscuits.