Cutting biscuit slots in the ends of mitered pieces can be a hassle because of the setup time required to clamp every piece for safe, accurate cutting. As a solution, I came up with this production hold-down jig to quickly secure mitered pieces for slotting. It works with stock up to 13⁄8" thick.
Because the base is constructed like a bench hook, it doesn’t need to be clamped to the bench. The business end consists of a V-block to which I screwed two half-discs that serve as cams to hold the mitered end of the workpiece. (I used a bandsaw to bisect a 33⁄8"-diameter disc cut with a holesaw.) These are each wrapped with wide rubber bands or PSA sandpaper to grip the work when it’s forced backward underneath a cam. Locate the pivot holes where shown in the drawing. To allow the cams to spin freely, attach them using screws with unthreaded upper sections of the shanks. When using the jig, position the workpiece miter close to the V-block for stability.
-Serge Duclos, Delson, Quebec
