Draper Biscuit Jointer

[Dave]

Many thanks, I'll look at this some more.

Dave

[Dave]

Obviously

By this, I assume you mean that the biscuit slots have to be in alignment. Does it matter if one side is a longer slot than it's mating slot? I have never investigated biscuits before, hence my lack of knowledge.

I am not quite with you here. OK, I now understand what you are saying :-)

Now you have lost me :-)

Dave

[John Rumm]

It can, but you may find it a mixed blessing. I have the trend bit set, and while it will do what it says on the tin, there are a few issues to be aware of:

1) it is 'kin expensive - i.e. about the same price as a cheap biscuit joint. (when I bought my one there were no budget jointers available) 2) it is the wrong diameter. One of the beauties of biscuit joints is the speed. Plunge the tool, pocket made (i.e. the jointer blade is the right diameter to make the required pocket in a single hit). With the router it is case of slide work into bit, move it along for a hard to determine distance to widen the slot and finally withdraw the bit. 3) changing biscuit sizes with a jointer is a case of moving a biscuit size selector. With the router bit is is a case of using an allen key to remove a bearing from the end of the cutter, substituting another different sized bearing, and refixing with the allen key. 4) used freehand it is very easy to damage the work since you have the blade exposed at all times and you are plunging the router is a very non natural way - a sort of: place router down on surface but clear of work edge, plunge sideways, elongate slot, pull out of work and make sure you are well clear before lifting router clear. Get any stage of that wrong and you will have a lump missing from your work.

YMMV!

[andy hall]

Sorry. Just to be clear

If you are doing a butt joint (e.g. on a cabinet carcase), then one cut will be in the end of a piece while the other will be on a face near the end. For the latter one, you would have to hold the panel vertically and offer it up to the bit. If the panel is large, then that could be a bit dodgy and difficult to make accurate.

If the two panels are being joined at an angle other than 90 degrees, you would be a bit stuck because a router fence is normally fixed and vertical. A biscuit jointer can be angled.

Another limitation would be if you were making a case with shelves. Then you would want to cut slots part way up the side panel. That can't be done with the router at all as far as I can see.

It doesn't matter too much if the slots are overly long, because part of the point of a biscuit joint is that it does allow some horizontal movement to perfect the alignment of the pieces. The vertical alignment should be automatic.

A reasonably good application for using a biscuit cutter on a router would be for aligning worktops. The biscuits can be used just to vertically align, and then dog bone connectors or equivalent can be used to pull the pieces together.

This might make sense if one doesn't otherwise do biscuit joinery.

[david lang]

My Ferm biscuit joiner, like many, is based on a 4" angle grinder body. It does kick a little when first switched on, just like an angle grinder would, but that isn't a problem.

If I'm joining timber to make a wider board I clamp it to the edge of the bench, start the machine - and then cut all the slots in that piece in one go. No alignment problems because the left hand can hold the fence whilst the right hand plunges the joiner.

Biscuit joiners are intrinsicly safe because the blade retracts as soon as the cut is made.

Only time the start up kick could have been a problem was when I made a narrow bookcase to fit an alcove. Shelves were 9" deep & 12" wide. I biscuit joined the shelves into the sides - a 'T' joint. To keep the alignment accurate I clamped a batten across the side & lined up the joiner with that - good practice anyway I would have thought.

For the man on the Clapham omnibus a cheap biscuit joiner is much better than no biscuit joiner.

Dave

[AlexW]

Read the review again Andy:

4 dots out of 5 for performance for the Draper. 4.5 dots out of 5 for performance for the SIP.

= better performance for the SIP

The review did not say that ... see above.

Agreed, but they were with the Draper not the SIP which incidentally had no negatives listed.

But isn't it even more pointless to spend £20 more on a product with a lower performance rating?

Alex.

[John Cartmell]

Which SIP jointer is this - at what price? I've seen the SIP 07904 at about

50GBP. Is this the one?

[AlexW]

I don't have the model number to hand, but it was listed at £24.98 ... I'll dig up the model # tonight.

Alex.

[John Cartmell]

And how does it compare with the Ferm at 30GBP?

[zymurgy]

I needed to do a biscuit join the other day, I could have faffed around for a bit setting up the router to do it, in the end I milled a shallow groove with a dremel.

Not too critical, but for ease and had I had a jointer to hand, i'd have used it.

Cheers

Paul.

[Dave]

snip valuable information. Many thanks for that Andy. All is clear now.

I only asked about using a router, as I saw the beauty of the alignment of a router table to make up wider sections of things that could make up a table top. OK on the lengths of the slots. All good stuff.

I may never get beyond that, so once again, many thanks for the info.

Dave

[Dave]

Issues snipped.

Thanks for that John.

As I posted to Andy, I doubt that I will ever need to use a biscuit jointer, as I do not get that much into DIY. I only asked the question to satisfy my own curiosity.

Many thanks for taking the time to educate me.

Dave

[AlexW]

Yes 07904. They are quoting it at £24.85.

Alex.

[AlexW]

Don't know. No Ferm models were reviewed.

Brands were: Draper, Einhell, SIP, Clarke, Axminster and Erbauer.

See Practical Woodworking (& Routing) November 2005 for further info.

Alex.

[John Cartmell]

'They' being ... ?

[AlexW]

Practical Woodworking (& Routing) November 2005

[Chris Bacon]

Spend less than you might have??? Oh, dear, I don't think you understand at all! ( ;) )

[John Cartmell]

I got that bit - but where are they suggesting that it's available for 24.85?

[AlexW]

Sorry, dunno where the price came from, they (PW&R)gave contact as: SIP

01509 500 350

[andy hall]

Prices in reviews should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Remember that copy deadlines are often 2-3 months ahead of publication and in the meantime a volume channel for a generic Chinese product will drop their shorts on the price if they have a contract for volume purchase and the next container is about to arrive.

It's a numbers game with price points set at a compromise between what they can get away with, perceived competition and shifting stock before the next generic model hits the streets.