I’m considering buying a biscuit joiner, but the spec on one of them gave me pause. If I understood correctly the thinnest material it is useful for is 1 1/2 inches thick? This doesn’t sound correct, I hope I’m misinterpreting something. I was looking at the Porter Cable 557. I would want it to work with at least 3/4 in thick material. Surely this is the case and I’m reading this spec wrong? Does anyone know?
Thanks,
Mike
Replies
I'm quite sure they mean a minimum 1½" wide.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
So this would not be a useful tool for joining together 3/4 in boards e.g. table top or desk top?
I bet you mean wide just as you said and not thick as I'm thinking...
I thought I did say wide? As to thickness I don't think that matters at all.
Just for clarity, let's use a typical 2x4, which is actually 1½" x 3½" as an example. If I were to refer to its width I would be talking about its face side or the 3½" dimension. If I were to refer to its thickness I'd be talking about its 1½" dimension.
Unfortunately typical toolmakers, or I should say the folks who do the documentation for them, I would guess they've never stepped foot into a woodshop B4. :-) If they had said, "minimum of 1½" face width" there wouldn't be this confusion, right?
Which prompts me to start a new discussion about Clearing the Air about Woodworking Terms!
:-)
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
You did say wide. My brain interpreted that as thick. I get it now.
mike,
I did put up a new post in General Discussions! Thanks for the idea.
Above all, as Mel says, have fun.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Clearing the Air about Woodworking Terms!Dees my work and crap fall into the same?
I have a Porter Cable 557, and I've used it with wood that's only 1/2" thick. Thinner than that, and you'd have to use a shim to keep the biscuit centered in the stock, but you probably don't want to use biscuits on anything less than 1/2" anyway.
-Steve
I had the 557 till 2 days ago when I sold it and it will work fine for gluing panels together as you ask. Its very well made. I only sold it because I went a different direction and purchased the Festool Domino. It has the bennifits of a biscuit jointer + the strenght of floating tenon. I have used it for a while and love it, but its not cheap. Either are good quality tools. Good luck on the decision.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
I have a new Porter Cable machine which I like. It handles the broadest range of biscuits, and it's a nice tool. It does, however, have a quirk that could throw you off if you like to use the baseplate for your reference instead of the fence (eliminates having to make a faceplate setting and keep unchanged during a project).
The "quirk" is that the baseplate is also the cover plate for removing the blade. Mine is made of plastic (edit: now that I've changed the blade, I find that it's aluminum) and sits proud of the 1" wide metal guide baseplate that sits below the guide when the guide is folded up.
The difference for my joiner is only three thicknesses of masking tape, but that's enough to let the tool get tippy if you follow the practice of using an "L" shaped jig for lining up the joiner to the edge when you cut 90 degree biscuits at the edge of a panel. Adding the 3 thickness of masking tape resolves the tippy-ness problem for me.
I'll bet that's more about elephants that you wanted to know.
Mike D :)
Edited 1/19/2008 7:00 pm ET by Mike_D
Edited 1/21/2008 3:38 pm ET by Mike_D
I use mine on 3/4" wood all the time
"I'd rather be a hammer than a nail"
Never have been a fan of biscuits and never will be. But I have been playing with the Festool Domino at work and it is a remarkable tool with a high degree of versatility. Unless your in production $700 is a bit steep, but if you are in production it would pay for it self in work quality and man hours quickly.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
I'm not in production, and as a hobbyist I guess you could say I could never justify most of my tools. But like when the wife said "You don't need a Harley", my response was "need has nothing to do with it!" I'll never make back the cost of all my tools, but I'll sure have fun using them.
Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
I live mine and the FF (face frame) size biscuits are great for narrow stock. I would never use one for gluing up wide panels, there just is not any reason as the glue joint is far strong enough and they will not really help with miss aligned boards. It is great for most jointer though. Personally I don’t see the attraction to the “Domino” from Festool, for that amount I can get a Grizzly slot mortiser and a P-C 557.
Buy one and be a happy guy. Don't cut yourself unpacking it.
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