Biscuits - Router bit or cheapy dedicated tool?

[woodenstx]

Kind of as per the title....

I'm planning on building a set of "built in Drawers" in my daughters wardrobe, a dressing table/desk for her and also a bed for myself and the mrs, other than that, no other joinery planned (yet).
What would be the "better" buy, a Trend Biscuit router set or a sub £60 cheapy Biscuit tool?
Having watched the Mafell DVD, I'd love their dowel tool but at over £300 that can be a pipe dream along with the Festool Domino one :lol:

Cheers

 

[jdeacon]

Having bought a quite nice router (Festool 1010), I decided I'd bought enough tools and went for a Trend biscuit router cutter. I'm not sure it was the right decision though.

I found that the biscuits were a little bit too loose in their pockets and that it was difficult to get an accuration registration of the two pieces.

However, I am something of a noob at woodworking; and my router table was rubbish. I can't do much about noobness but I've just finished making a much better router table. There is no biscuit joinery involved in the next couple of projects coming up, but I'm hoping to get better results from the Trend biscuit cutter using the new table when the time comes.

One thing, though, that I'm pretty sure of is that, apart from Record (and I know that there must be other exceptions), I just about always regret buying anything cheapy.

 

[mseries]

I have never used a proper biscuit joiner, I have used a slotter in a router to create slots inwhich I have inserted biscuits. I wish I had a biscuit jointer, not least for those slots mid board where a slotter can't be used. I have used a 4mm straight cutter for this but it takes more setting up where a dedicated biscuit jointer would do the job quickly. I don't do enough biscuit joinery to justify a dedicated machine and I haven't done enough research to determine if a cheap one would be good enough

 

[worn thumbs]

For joining boards I have found a router cutter quite adequate.I don't own a router table so it gets used in a hand held router and I have had no problems.I would only expect a biscuit to be sloppy in the slot if the collet was running out of true as the cutter tips should be exactly the right size.A dedicated biscuiter comes into its own if you get a bit more ambitious and try things like mitred edges.I would always be a bit wary of buying used as it is imperative that the machine has no slop in the guides and some well used ones fail the test.

 

[mseries]

not all biscuits are equal apparently, I have only used one brand and I can't remember what that was. I bought a big bag about 18 years ago and still have some left !!!

 

[jonnio]

I think a cheapish dedicated machine is best. I have both and hardly used the router as the jointer is so quick. I have the maffel now but used a £60 erbauer for 5 years without problem (joining hundreds of panel) other than having to doulble check the squareness of the fence now and then.
Many places sell cheaper plywood biscuits now that dont expand as well with the glue. If you buy the solid beech ones and leave them out for a few days/week in a box in the workshop, they will expand just enough to get the tight fit your after, and expand more when glued and joined. Cheees

 

[woodenstx]

I think a cheapish dedicated machine is best. I have both and hardly used the router as the jointer is so quick. I have the maffel now but used a £60 erbauer for 5 years without problem (joining hundreds of panel) other than having to doulble check the squareness of the fence now and then.
Many places sell cheaper plywood biscuits now that dont expand as well with the glue. If you buy the solid beech ones and leave them out for a few days/week in a box in the workshop, they will expand just enough to get the tight fit your after, and expand more when glued and joined. Cheees

well that's positive praise indeed
I'll go and pickup a cheap jointer at the weekend, and I've taken note of the leaving out of the biscuits to let them swell a bit prior to fit Thanks.

 

[Rhossydd]

Another vote for a dedicated machine from here too. Although I'd avoid the dirt cheap Draper and Silverline models they look pretty ropey. The Erbauer and Einhall look to be the cheapest ones to consider.
I use an old Freud model and it's been extremely useful over the years. The main advantage I see from a dedicated machine is the speed in use; fast and easy to set up and very quick to make the cuts.
Having said that, although they can be simple and very fast to use, do some tests to start with to explore the accuracy of the fences and ensure your technique gives repeatable accuracy before starting a big project.

I've taken note of the leaving out of the biscuits to let them swell a bit prior to fit

The effect of that will vary on the humidity of the workshop. I'd be wary of leaving them all out too, if they expand too much they can become very difficult to use, so just try a few to start with. A little bit of play can compensate for minor inaccuracies when cutting the slots too.
Buying good biscuits are important, as other have said some of the cheapies make life pretty hard. In a recent thread here Trend seemed to be the best regarded brand.

 

[woodenstx]

http://www.frankhoward.com/product.php/ ... EINBTBJ900

seems to fit the bill.....

 

[Rhossydd]

Or ten quid less at http://www.toollineuk.com/product.php/s ... tAodBYUELA

 

[Monkey Mark]

Erbauer in screwfix is £59.99

 

[Paul Chapman]

I've taken note of the leaving out of the biscuits to let them swell a bit prior to fit Thanks.

Be careful. If you let them swell you might have trouble fitting them. I always store mine somewhere dry. If they have swollen and are too tight, a quick blast in the microwave can shrink them back, but not too long or they will burn and your wife won't like the smell of burning wood in the microwave 8-[

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodenstx]

I've taken note of the leaving out of the biscuits to let them swell a bit prior to fit Thanks.

Be careful. If you let them swell you might have trouble fitting them. I always store mine somewhere dry. If they have swollen and are too tight, a quick blast in the microwave can shrink them back, but not too long or they will burn and your wife won't like the smell of burning wood in the microwave 8-[

Cheers :wink:

Paul

that's not far off the same kind of expert kitchen misuse as putting car parts in the dishwasher to degrease or putting brake drums in the oven to warm up prior to dropping a frozen bearing race in :lol:

 

[Monkey Mark]

I've taken note of the leaving out of the biscuits to let them swell a bit prior to fit Thanks.

Be careful. If you let them swell you might have trouble fitting them. I always store mine somewhere dry. If they have swollen and are too tight, a quick blast in the microwave can shrink them back, but not too long or they will burn and your wife won't like the smell of burning wood in the microwave 8-[

Cheers :wink:

Paul

that's not far off the same kind of expert kitchen misuse as putting car parts in the dishwasher to degrease or putting brake drums in the oven to warm up prior to dropping a frozen bearing race in :lol:

That's just reminded me. We're looking at getting a new dish washer as ours now only runs one cycle. May keep for a parts washer though. :mrgreen:

 

[carpenteire2009]

I have the Trend biscuit jointer a few years now, although not the cheapest tool the build quality is not fantastic but I've had good results, with careful set up. Biggest problem for me with the Trend tool is the quality of the fence- it's rather flimsy and finicky to set up and requires careful checking for parallel each time the depth is adjusted for material thickness. The scales on the fence are next to useless and I had to add some additional centreing marks with a file as those on the machine are inaccurate or difficult to read. Last modification was to remove a small plastic fin from the dust extract (a "safety" feature no doubt to prevent a finger from being inserted into the machine!) as the outlet would quickly block up when working on pine (long grain). Also dump the little bottle of oil that comes with it as it a poor quality mineral that gums up the slides. Other than that it is a fine machine! I bought a large box of Trend biscuits at the time and find them good quality and I store them in an airtight container to keep them dry. At the end of the day the Trend biscuit jointer is a glorified angle grinder with a sliding body attached, so it's noisy but powerful. I'd love to have a nicer, industrial quality machine but I couldn't justify the high cost and the Trend does all I need. HTH

 

[DiscoStu]

I am just posting to say that I've used a few Erbauer tools and although well priced / cheap they've been very good for the money. I can't comment specifically on the biscuit joiner though. Also Clarke do biscuit joiners.

If you want a cheap dowling machine take a look at the Triton option. Again I've not used but I have one of their routers and I've been very pleased with that.