Wooden Dowels & Jointing Biscuits

Wooden dowels and jointing biscuits are concealed timber fasteners designed to create strong, flush joints in hardwood, softwood, plywood, and MDF.

Cylindrical wooden dowels insert directly into pre-drilled holes - giving you a secure mechanical hold for cabinetry, flatpack construction, and furniture assembly. Meanwhile, compressed jointing biscuits slide seamlessly into slot-cut timber - absorbing wood glue to expand and lock your workpieces tightly together.

Once glued and clamped, these wooden fixings provide a structural joint often stronger than metal screws - allowing you to complete high-end joinery without visible fastener heads.

Available in standard trade sizes and manufactured by reliable brands like Trend, you can guarantee a precise fit for your next woodworking project.

Choosing the Right Dowel, Jointing Biscuit or Tenon

Consider these factors when selecting a dowel, jointing biscuit or loose tenon:

• Load & strength requirements - dowels and loose tenons handle shear better
• Alignment vs speed - biscuits are fast and self-aligning
• Material type - solid wood, plywood, MDF, veneered surfaces
• Joint thickness & depth - must leave wood around the joint
• Tooling / equipment - dowel jigs, biscuit joiners, mortisers
• Size & fit - choose correct diameter, length, slot width, and tenon thickness
• Material of dowels / biscuits - hardwood, fluted, composite
• Ease of repair / replacement

FAQs

What is a loose tenon, and when should I use it?

A loose tenon is a removable, shaped tenon (often rectangular) that fits into mortises cut in both wood parts. It offers stronger joint than biscuits, and more flexibility.

What size dowel or biscuit should I use for my wood project?

Choose diameter & length based on material thickness and joint area. For dowels, common sizes are 6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm. For biscuits, No. 0, No. 10, No. 20 are common. Always leave enough wood around the join.

How long will a dowel / biscuit / loose tenon joint last?

With good glue, fit, and wood movement allowance, properly made joints last decades. Use proper adhesives, avoid stressing the joint, and control moisture.