Biscuit Joiner

Dan Thibert

Member
Messages
183
Location
Leominster Mass
Hi All,
After allot of good info regarding biscuit joiners and if they are worth while I believe that I will eventually get one.
Right now I am in a shopping freeze, but my birthday is coming up and maybe I can talk the little woman into that???:huh:
One thought I had was there were a few here who said they had biscuit joiners sitting collecting dust, would you guys want to part with them?
I am a strong believer in re-cycling, I have a belief that if I have not used it in the past year I do not need it. That does not usually include tools though:rolleyes:
If I need to get one from a store, does anyone know of a really good deal?

Thanks
Dan
 
Hi All,
After allot of good info regarding biscuit joiners and if they are worth while I believe that I will eventually get one.
Right now I am in a shopping freeze, but my birthday is coming up and maybe I can talk the little woman into that???:huh:
One thought I had was there were a few here who said they had biscuit joiners sitting collecting dust, would you guys want to part with them?
I am a strong believer in re-cycling, I have a belief that if I have not used it in the past year I do not need it. That does not usually include tools though:rolleyes:
If I need to get one from a store, does anyone know of a really good deal?

Thanks
Dan

Dan,

I have a really nice PC557 collecting dust in my not so dusty tool cabinet. I paid $200 for it - used. I don't really need the money right now for any other tools. Maybe, I might, need something in the future, then I might sell it - cause I don't really need it.

Nah - I won't sell it. I will use it from time to time - ONLY - cause I have it.

BUT - if you were gonna spend $200 - on a tool - MAN - can I think of better ways to spend $200.

Here is a running BET.

I BET - that in 5 years - your new biscuit joiner will be one of the five least used tool in your shop, if not the #1 least used.

If I am wrong you will get **** A CUSTOM made Branding Iron with YOUR signature on it ***** ---- I will personally MAKE the branding iron for you.

I recommend - that you get something more useful for $200.

Do you have a really good:

Jig Saw?

Circular saw?

Drill press?

ROS (Random Orbital Sander)?

Battery Drill?

SCMS (Sliding Compound Miter Saw)?

Router (whew - this is a BIG item)?

Router table?

Maybe some really nice hand tools - #3 Stanley, Veritas low angle block plane, bench chisels, dovetail saw, Japanese saw, etc,

Biscuit joiner - is not going to on my list of needed tools. sorta nice to have - but certainly not a must have.
 
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I'm one of those that just had to have one too. Bought the DeWalt that came in the black and yellow metal box about 12 or so years ago. I've used it on 3 table tops and haven't used it sense. Wait I take that back. I tried doing picture frames with it once. Spline miters were easier. I'll probably never sell it but it does just sit collecting dust too.:eek:
 
Dan,

Here is a running BET.

I BET - that in 5 years - your new biscuit joiner will be one of the five least used tool in your shop, if not the #1 least used.

If I am wrong you will get **** A CUSTOM made Branding Iron with YOUR signature on it ***** ---- I will personally MAKE the branding iron for you.

Biscuit joiner - is not going to on my list of needed tools. sorta nice to have - but certainly not a must have.

i'll take you up on the bet leo, i just did a quick inventory of my power tools and here they are, from most to least used...
1. tablesaw
2. jointer/planer
3.mortising machine
4. biscuit joiner
5. orbital sander
6. router (hand held)
7. drill press
8. corded drill
9. lathe (mini and full size)
10. cordless drill
11. power planer (hand held)
12. router table
if you want, i'll pm ya with where to send the branding iron. :D:thumb:
 
Hey Dan - your router table is WAY down the list.

MAN - I use mine soo much -- I bet if I thought about it - the router table would be in my top 5

Nah - the bet is only for Massachusettes Dan.

If you want a branding iron though I do sell then. PM me.

I cannot advertise here - unless I get permission and post in the proper place.

I don't think I am ready for that yet.

Leo
 
we're cool leo :thumb:

i think that the only reason i bought the thing was the last time i glused up a large panel, i had a heck of a time keeping everything in place, and from slipping and sliding. i'd had enough and bought one, and haven't looked back.:D
 
i bought a lamello a long time ago....sold it with the original blade and the first bag of biscuits.
don`t miss it at all.
 
Dan the reason I am thinking of getting one is because of the pain sliding and movement I had when trying to glue my coffee table top together, the one in my posts. It certainly was a pain trying to line everything up and get the clamps on. maybe there is a better way?
I have:
Table saw
Router Table
Router
Cordless Drill
Corded Drill
dust collection system
band saw
Miter saw
drill press
orbital sander
jig saw
circular saw
scroll saw
#3 and #5 planes
Japanese saw
Forester bits
:rofl: I have been doing pretty good collecting things I need, I have only been doing this since January:thumb:
Would love a lathe and especially a planner/joiner but that moneys is not going to happen for a long time.:(
Is there a technique that would be better and cheaper to line up a couple boards in order to make a wider panel? I like collecting tools, but I do not have the money to throw away either. Is there a better tool to use?

Would the biscuit router bit be just as good if needed at all?

Would getting a better clamp set be a better move?

HELP :wave:

Dan

ps. I still want a branding iron :D
 
Would the biscuit router bit be just as good if needed at all?

Would getting a better clamp set be a better move?

Please understand I'm not an expert nor have I done this hundreds of times. However, for gluing boards to make a panel, logically speaking I can't think of anything that would be better/stronger than a biscuit. Since I don't have a biscuit jointer or a slotted bit for my router, I've had to use a different method when making a panel. You can use a series of pocket hole screws to join the wood together. The problem there is the same as when you're gluing it up, how do you get the boards to stay together long enough to get the screw into the opposite piece of wood? Again, I've only done this to learn how it's done and see if I could do it, I've never done it for a production piece. I have done it though and the result were mixed. For soft pine it wasn't that bad but I did have to exert a lot of downward pressure where I was putting the pocket hole screw in to make sure that the "top" of the panel was lined up. You can pick up a Kreg pocket hole jig for $10 - $75 depending on what kind of jig you want, one slot, two slot, etc. Mine is the two slot kind that you clamp to the work piece rather than clamping the workpiece in the jig. I think I paid $30 for it at a borg a few months ago. It's proven invaluable. I even used it to fix a broken runner on a rocking chair.
 
I have a pocket screw jig and it worked great for putting the legs together for my coffee table. I would not want to use it to join boards though, I would
want the back side of the boards not to have holes in them.
 
Would getting a couple of clamps like these:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...Id=10053&productId=100348635&N=10000003+90039
help in keeping the wood together during gluing?

Dan,

Like some of the others, I have a bisquit joiner that I never ever use. It's a cheap one, and it slipped once, and scared me half to death... ;) I keep it around because I might someday find a need...

For joining a panel, I use clamps like the ones you linked to. But I would likely use four for a piece that size...

Thanks,

Bill
 
Bill I just found those clamps on Amazon.com for $20 for the 48" ones and $16 for the 24" ones.

Dang that is a good price.

Is bigger always better :rofl:

the 48" ones may be a little harder to work with when doing smaller glue ups, but the smaller ones will not work for larger glue ups?

Your opinion?
 
They also have a 36" for $18!!!

I know I will use clamps more than a biscuit joiner :thumb:

So HELP if I were to get 4 clamps what size or sizes should I get:dunno:
 
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how do you have a slip with a biscuit joiner al? :huh:the only way i can think of, is to try to cut it when it wasn't running at full speed, or starting it with the blade against the wood. i've had my cheap ryobi for several years now, hundreds of cuts, and haven't slipped once.
 
Bill I just found those clamps on Amazon.com for $20 for the 48" ones and $16 for the 24" ones.

Dang that is a good price.

Is bigger always better :rofl:

the 48" ones may be a little harder to work with when doing smaller glue ups, but the smaller ones will not work for larger glue ups?

Your opinion?

The big clamps are too awkward to use for small glue-ups. I have 8 24 inch, 2 36 inch, and 4 48 inch K-bodies, and feel like I have enough clamps for every day glue-up use. Yes, I do have other clamps, such as long pipe clamps to build beds, but they are rarely used.

Please understand I'm not an expert nor have I done this hundreds of times. However, for gluing boards to make a panel, logically speaking I can't think of anything that would be better/stronger than a biscuit. ...

I do have a biscuit jointer but I don't use it to glue up wide panels (even though that was the excuse for which I bought it). Get the joint prepared well, apply glue, then start clamping at one end. Move to the next clamp position, and get it aligned, and clamp it. Then to the next, etc. working down the joint. If you start at the two ends (natural temptation) you will never get the middle aligned.

I also keep an old salt shaker in the shop filled with kiddie play sand. If the joint is too slippery, a light sprinkling of sand will keep it from sliding as badly, and will embed in the wood without impacting strength.

we're cool leo :thumb:

i think that the only reason i bought the thing was the last time i glused up a large panel, i had a heck of a time keeping everything in place, and from slipping and sliding. i'd had enough and bought one, and haven't looked back.:D

I still have my biscuit jointer, and when I stopped using it for gluing up panels, I figured it would soon be on Craig's list. I keep finding uses for it, and keep ordering more biscuits.

BTW - I have tried a cheap one, and doubt if it would still be in my shop. The PC biscuit jointer I have is a good one... maybe not at the Lamello standard, but still it is good.
 
Mine only gets used when installing cabinet FF to the carcass. For table top glue ups I leave the top extra thick and run it thru the sander, then will have one joint in the middle and the jack plane takes care of that.:thumb:
 
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