Ryobi/Crafstman detail biscut joiner comments

After running across the term "R1 biscuit" and googling it and finding out what they were, I've repeatedly had project in which I said to myself "gee, one of those detail biscuits would be nice right here". Well, was down to Sears yesterday and they had one in stock, I bought it on impulse.

Tried it out today. It does what they say and the biscuits really _are_ tiny, here's a photo with the Porter Cable FF on the end for comparison .

I find one major flaw in the design of the tool so far--the fence has a bevel adjacent to the cutter that is wide enough for quarter inch stock to slip into. This is not a problem when slotting an edge or end but makes accurate slot placement very diffcult when slotting into the side of a piece of stock. When time permits it doesn't look like it would be too hard to make up a new fence that addresses this.

A minor flaw is that the fence position is adjustable in fixed increments and the increments--given the nature of the tool a micrometer adjustment would be very convenient, but for 70 bucks maybe I'm expecting too much.

Other than that, well, it's a neat concept. The biscuit are thin, it really is possible to put them in the edge of a piece of 1/4 inch stock, which is what I was looking for.

I'm not sure why this tool didn't do better in the market, perhaps it was a case of the marketers not understanding the niche it fits. Or maybe with work that size it's just easier to slot it on a router table.

For picture framing it looks like the bees' knees, for small boxes and the like out of the box it's not so hot.

-- --John to email, dial "usenet" and validate (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Reply to
J. Clarke
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I have a Craftsman biscuit joiner and I am not pleased with it.

Sears refused to take it back so I am stuck with it.

After trying and trying, I learned that the adjustment is not precise.

I do not use it anymore for tabletop or frames. I only use it for rough work.

I am looking around to get something better like Freud or a cut above.

Reply to
<marierdj

I use my Ryobi detail biscuit joiner quite a bit and like it. I have used it on a number of boxes made with 1/4 to 1/2 thick sides. I have used it less often on picture frame miters. I have not had a need to buy the biscuits for a while but have noted that they are no longer in stock at Home Depot or Lowes nor at Woodcraft. I do believe that Sears still carries them. BTW I am getting a Porter Cable biscuit joiner for Christmas (funny how I know that) and actually don't envision ever changing out the cutter to the FF cutter as the Ryobi detail joiner should meet all of those needs.

Dave Hall

Reply to
Dave Hall

You might take a look at the Dewalt too. I have owned one for about seven years and I am very satisfied. I saw a new one in the store a few days ago and they haven't changed much.

RonB

Reply to
RonB

"J. Clarke" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news2.newsguy.com:

My neighbor has one, with a standing offer to let me use it for maybe the last 5 or 6 years. Haven't thought I needed it yet. Maybe someday.

I did, in ignorance, buy a bottle of the PC FF biscuits, shortly after buying my DeWalt plate jointer. That bottle hasn't done any good yet. ;-)

Glad you're happy with the tool.

Patriarch

Reply to
Patriarch

OOPs - Ever get distracted and post a response to the wrong item?

Now I have!

It's Hell to get old.

RonB

Reply to
RonB

Better then the alternative.....

Reply to
Rick Samuel

Well....Yeah, so far.

RonB

Reply to
RonB

The adjustement on the detail biscuit joiner is very precise--it's stepped in a manner similar to an Incra jig, the problem is that the steps are larger than I would expect given the intended use of the tool.

Please understand that this is a different tool from a "regular" biscuit joiner--I can do things with this that I can't do with my Porter-Cable--its _smallest_ biscuit, as the photo shows, is larger than the detail joiner's _largest_.

If you're looking for a general purpose biscuit joiner and can't afford a Lamello, the Porter Cable works fine.

Reply to
J. Clarke

Reply to
<marierdj

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