Ping: Larry Jaques - Re plate Joiner

[Swingman]

Despite the fact that unless you have a 12" Unisaw saw, you won't be _ripping_ "4x4 material" in one pass either (like a bandsaw will), what piece of furniture have you seen lately that requires ripping "4x4 material"? ;)

Besides, pick up any furniture catalog, you know - those things that seem to come twice in the mail everyday - and you'll notice that most furniture, relative to cabinetry, has one design feature in common ... curved components.

You can't easily cut curves on a table saw, but a bandsaw excels at it, and a top notch bandsaw will "rip" much thicker material than most table saws ...

... just ask any sawmill owner. :)

I would venture to say that any fine furniture maker worthy of the name, who was forced to make a choice between a table saw and a bandsaw, would choose the bandsaw without question.

IMO, and with the advent of the track saw, you can do without a table saw if you must make a choice; and which one you purchase as a mandatory tool for your shop should be based on the preponderance of the type of work you do.

That notwithstanding, you would have to pry _my_ Unisaw from my cold dead hands! :)

[Leon]

I used to use a lot of biscuits or so I thought. Save up and get the Domino. Yes 3 times more expensive but you will use it at least 5 times more than the plate joiner. ;~) I have had my Domino for about 5 years now and have probably used 3~4 thousand Dominoes. In the 23 years that I have a plate joiner I have not use half that many biscuits.

I get way more bang for my buck with the Domino that I did with either of my plate joiners.

[Leon]

I buy biscuits by the box, 6 bag boxes. I get them, 1800, for about $80. so about 4.4 cents each. I used to pay $30 for 1000 biscuits, or .3 cents each. The price difference is not a factor. The quality of the 5mm domino over the biscuit is.

[Mike M]

Have to agree with that don't know why I used that size when I was thinking 8/4. On the larger size I would definitly go to the band saw. When I got my bigger bandsaw I kept the old one just so Ididn't have to change blades very often. LOL I'm lazy. Mike M

[Mike M]

I'll have to remember that use.

Mike M

[tiredofspam]

I holeheartedly agree about the band saw. about 20 years ago, I received the advice of going for a bandsaw over a tablesaw. I rejected that advice and went with the tablesaw. I could make straight stuff, but needed my jig saw to make any shaped stuff.

I then bought a Delta 14" later. I struggled, because I hadn't set it up correctly, even though I read Dukinske's book. It was not like I had been used to in my younger years, I used a mamoth bandsaw when I was young.

Well, I finally tuned my bandsaw (following Duginskee and by ear) and love it. I stopped using the point and went back to the fence for resawing. Relief cuts for curves, and the proper blade most of the time. The saw performs great now. I wish I had gone for the Laguna (came out b4 I made the Bandsaw purchase) or the Jet 18" way back. But hind sight is 20/20. Wish I had more HP, but my Timberwolf solved a lot of the problems I had. The OLSON blade was crap.

You don't need a tracksaw, but it wouldn't hurt. A regular circ saw can be made to follow a track, homemade or store bought. I made my own tempered hardboard track. it works great for fast dimensioning.

[Swingman]

Nice drive-by ... you suck! :)

[Larry Jaques]

Did you choose it because it came with the extra cutter and finish bisquits for only a bit more money? Besides it being a high quality tool, of course.

-- No greater wrong can ever be done than to put a good man at the mercy of a bad, while telling him not to defend himself or his fellows; in no way can the success of evil be made quicker or surer. --Theodore Roosevelt

[Leon]

I bought mine as an eeeeearllly type 1. I bought it to replace my 556 plate joiner which was belt drive. IIRC at the time it had the best fence design. Some design feature of the fence infringed on DeWalts patent thus Type 2 which everyone disliked. I paid $197 IIRC I do have the FF cuter but seldom used it.

[Bill]

I just happened to see the 557 at Menards today, for $199 including the extra 2" blade for "FF" biscuits. They didn't have any plain 'ole 5/32" slot cutters for a router. I noticed that there doesn't appear to be a dramatic difference in size between 0, 10 and 20 size biscuits. They only had artificial biscuits made in China, so I passed. I'm looking for home-cooked Beech biscuits! : )

Bill

[Swingman]

I'm going with Leon, Dave and others who mentioned this ... add that $199 to the kitty and get a Festool Domino ... I can almost guarantee that your ability to do the woodworking projects of your dreams will take a GIANT leap forward.

No kidding ...

[Lew Hodgett]

----------------------------------------------------- Without having a descent table saw first, this whole tread has put the cart before the horse IMHO.

Lew

[Leon]

He can easily make do with a quality track saw at the fraction of the cost of a like quality TS.

[Swingman]

I disagree, and from a strong personal experience.

Both my grandfathers built and furnished their entire homes, from the ground up, without a table saw.

I worked for a cabinetmaker in England who's family made cabinets and furniture for 200 years without a table saw.

I personally made many of my own household furnishing for 30 years before I ever owned a table saw, much less a decent one.

Historically, and after thousands of years of making wooden furniture, you can cut wood many different ways, but there are only relatively few time tested methods of JOINERY to this day.

The Domino, and similar devices, opened the door to a far more universally applicable method of JOINERY for the average woodworker.

IOW, cut the best way you can, but master the JOINERY, or you're pissing in the wind.

Nuff said ...

[Dave]

On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 10:05:59 -0500, Leon

At a guess, I'd think that biscuits are stamped out and easier to make than Dominos. But they cost more and it's like many other things that are priced inordinately high. They will take you for whatever the market will bear.

[Dave]

On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 08:11:18 -0700, Mike M

My palm sander with a slot cutter does that job. Nope, biscuit joiner still gets put on the forsale block.

[Dave]

On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 11:12:19 -0400, tiredofspam

Maybe its just my poor cutting technique, but with a guide or not, best blade I could find, I could never get a regular circular saw to cut as smooth and splinter free line as my table saw.

[Dave]

On Mon, 29 Oct 2012 18:16:28 -0700, "Lew Hodgett"

Yeah, I have to agree with that. I really like my Domino, but for me a tablesaw is the first, highest requirement. I got along a number of years without a Domino, but a tablesaw has *always* been along for the ride in one form or another.

[Dave]

I think it's what you grew up with, what you're used to that's most important. I grew up with a table saw as the main stay of a workshop. It's what I know, what I was trained on and what I look for first when I enter any wood shop.

Maybe a track saw can replace the tablesaw. When I saw what a Domino could do, I knew right away that I wanted one. I just don't get the same feeling when I see what a track saw could do. It's just not in me.

And, by saying that, I can understand how and why many here dismiss the Domino as not being necessary. It's just not in them.

[Bill]

I saw a video on the Domino and I can appreciate why those in the the "time is money" camp like them. It's not too complicated: If someone will get enough use (or enjoyment) out of it, then they might buy one.