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+-- Thread: biscuit cutters pros and cons (/showthread.php?tid=7358252)
RE: biscuit cutters pros and cons - Cooler - 10-15-2020
(10-15-2020, 07:18 AM)bhh Wrote: to my surprise, they were plywood. They seem strong, but I'm still experimenting with them.
Do they expand like the regular ones do when exposed to the glue?
RE: biscuit cutters pros and cons - ez-duzit - 10-15-2020
Have had the Lamello Top 10 since about when they came out. It is used on virtually all my wood joining work where I don't use splines.
![[Image: surf-2.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/cCPxLyDP/surf-2.jpg)
![[Image: surf-4.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/XvxnyyHf/surf-4.jpg)
RE: biscuit cutters pros and cons - Tapper - 10-15-2020
I'm probably in the minority here but I think biscuit jointers are fine for many tasks. I've had a Porter Cable 557 for many years now and it's very handy when you're not making fine furniture. There has been a raging debate on these pages in the past about the verasity of the strength of biscuit joints. I just recently finished making 15+ ft. of built-in shop cabinets; the carcasses were made out of particle board (pure heresy, I know) and the face frames and drawer fronts out of rift and QSWO. Biscuit joiner was invaluable in registering and assembling the carcasses.
Most furniture, either shop or otherwise is not subjected to the kind of abuse that is used to test joints in these reviews, i.e. most folks don't build things and try to tear them up. I like traditional joinery, but also think a biscuit joiner is the solution sometimes. Will probably never own a Domino. To me everything Festool makes is too rich for my blood and budget.
Doug
RE: biscuit cutters pros and cons - Cooler - 10-16-2020
(10-15-2020, 09:46 PM)Tapper Wrote: I'm probably in the minority here but I think biscuit jointers are fine for many tasks. I've had a Porter Cable 557 for many years now and it's very handy when you're not making fine furniture. There has been a raging debate on these pages in the past about the verasity of the strength of biscuit joints. I just recently finished making 15+ ft. of built-in shop cabinets; the carcasses were made out of particle board (pure heresy, I know) and the face frames and drawer fronts out of rift and QSWO. Biscuit joiner was invaluable in registering and assembling the carcasses.Cabinets gain much of their structure from the wall to which it is attached. Racking strength, once mounted on the wall is not an issue. The only issue on the upper cabinets is will the bottom board be strong enough to hold the dishes loaded on it. In most cases almost any construction method, including butt joints and nails, will be sufficient for that purpose.
Most furniture, either shop or otherwise is not subjected to the kind of abuse that is used to test joints in these reviews, i.e. most folks don't build things and try to tear them up. I like traditional joinery, but also think a biscuit joiner is the solution sometimes. Will probably never own a Domino. To me everything Festool makes is too rich for my blood and budget.
Doug
For professional cabinet makers it is going to be a question of what is quicker and more efficient and still look good.
The professional dowel machines are very quick to use. And dowels have more racking strength than almost any other joint for that application including screws, dadoes, and biscuits.
There are no automated biscuit machines, and I suspect that is why they are not more frequently used by professional shops.
This video shows why production shops like dowels: (It gets interesting after the first 38 seconds)
https://youtu.be/OW3dmPPMpbs