How many here have them and how many use them?
- posted
13 years ago
How many here have them and how many use them?
I have two, a table mounted one and a hand held one I use them a lot, I prefer the table mounted one but for any quick job, the hand held does the job okay.
Have and use a DeWalt
have the top 20 lamello. It gets used a lot. I use it for panels, mitered corners and boxes. I have had PC556, a ryobi and a dewalt in the past and have used the freud that belonged to a friend. Got the lamello and never looked back. No comparison IMO.
skeez
Use my 557 for miter joints and the occasional panel glue-up ... gets used a fair bit.
I used a Lamello for 20+ years and still own a 557 PC. The Lamello started off as a 'Top' and was stolen. I replaced it with a Classic. Very nice machines....but... a 557 will do everything and more as the fence is the most versatile of any I have used. Used a lot.
Spring '09, I questioned this group regarding biscuit jointers. Glad I did. Sure beats doweling in many cases. I bought the Dewalt 682, on sale for about $40. Don't know if that model was discontinued, as to why the price was that low. Haven't had any problems with it. Use it often.
Sonny
I have my router set up with a slot cutter bit in a router table,, so in a sense I have a biscuit cutter. I use it every time I use the table saw.
If your question is really what kind of biscuit joiner should you get, that depends on what you are doing. If you are placing biscuits in wide boards or plywood a hand held unit would probably do best, as it is better for cutting into face surfaces.
If you are doing like me, and making a lot of biscuits in to end surfaces, then a table top unit works best.
I make a lot of picture frames and stretchers for my wife. (Acrylics on stretched canvase). My use biscuits to join the frames or stretchers together with the 45 degree joints. I have two fences on the Router table. On the primary fence is adjusted for the depth of the biscuit into the piece. and the other as a kick back fence. After the height of the blade is adjusted and the depth, I can cut many pieces quite quickly. First lay the frame side between the fences on one side of the router table and move it into the blade, then do the same thing for the other end on the other side of the table. I cut 40 biscuits slots in 20 frames sides in about 5 minutes yesterday.
Haven't used my DW since I bought a Domino.
R
PC 557. Use it occasionally.
Max
Ditto the 557. Not used often, but an important part of the arsenal. Fast and reliable.
Robert
----------------- Use a router and either a slot cutter or a straight bit /w/ a plunge.
Lew
Could you tell me about how you cut a biscuit with a plunge straight bit.?
Do you use a spiral bit?
As posted earlier I use a router in a table with a slot cutting bit, and would like to know how to use the plunge bit for surface cuts.
That works if you have that kind of time. =3D0)
------------------------------ A face cut in the side of a panel where a slot cutter bit is 90 degrees out of phase.
From memory, a 5/32" bit for a 20 biscuit.
Lew
Bought my first PC in 1990, bought another PC several years later. Used the heck out of the first one and got away from using biscuits so the second did not see much action. Hardly remember where the current Plate Joiner is located as now I use the heck out of my Domino.
---------------------------- I don't use enough biscuits to make it an issue.
A router and slot cutter can be justified, a dedicated tool, not so much.
Lew
Do you try to create an arc, of just make a square hole?
557 ... use it often for miter joins and panels when making furniture pieces, but not that much when doing cabinetry.
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