Wrote off biscuit joints as old-school until a face frame popped loose in my shop

Claire Young · 2026-10-24T08:55:05.557759+00:00

I've been a domino guy for years and honestly I thought biscuits were for people who didn't want to spend the money. Then two weeks ago a face frame on a maple vanity let go in my shop, right at the joint where I'd been a little light on glue, and I had to figure out why. A guy named Walt who runs a small shop over in Boise mentioned he still cuts twin biscuits on anything over 4 inches wide because they give you a little wiggle room to line things up before the glue grabs. I tried it on the next three cabinets and the frames lined up faster than my domino setup, plus the joints felt solid once clamped. I still keep the domino for the big stuff but those biscuits earn their keep on face frames and drawer boxes now. The lesson for me was that the old ways stick around for a reason, and I was too quick to be smug about it. What's your go-to for face frames, and do you double up the biscuits or just run one down the middle?

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Wrote off biscuit joints as old-school until a face frame popped loose in my shop | Cabinetmakers - Free To Speak