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
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!
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
Actually, it rated it a better product, as I said.
For build quality both got 3.5/5. For performance the Draper got 4/5 and
the SIP got 4.5/5. Subjectively, the review comments had no negatives
for the SIP and several for the Draper, which were admittedly fairly
minor annoyances.
Combine all that with the SIP being less than 1/2 the list price of the
Draper I think the SIP came out much better overall.
Alex.
No. It rated it better value, not a better product.
The only reason for that is that the price is less. Whether the
annoyances are minor, depends on the user. If saving of £20 is the
most critical point, then fine. OTOH, if this results in a crap
result, then it becomes a pointless saving.
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.
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.
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.
Well worth it! I'm very happy with mine. I looked at all the budget
ones, and the Draper was the best. The alloy ones all had protractors
that were inaccurate, and those with rack and pinion adjusters were
not parallel to the blade. The Draper front end is steel, so if it gets
dropped it will survive. However, I took mine apart and lightly filed
the roughness off the sliding depth setting bits.
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