Extra slot keeps biscuits from rising

When planing a glued-up panel, I usually flip-flop it several times, always watching for the most interesting grain pattern to emerge. Before long, I've lost track of which side is which. And, I once accidentally planed deep enough that the biscuits that joined the panel's boards popped up, ruining a beautiful panel.

To avoid this, I now cut an extra biscuit slot into the waste area of the panel while I have my biscuit joiner out. (I make the panels extra long, and then trim the ends to remove any snipe.) Now, I always know when I'm planing too close to a biscuit.
—Jim Culler, Bellville, Ohio