Peanut 2 Full or New Mini Jig?? WWYB?

[Renegade]

Having difficulty deciding between purchasing the Peanut 2 Full or the revised Mini Jig. I've watched all the videos on YT from both Peter Millard and IF and I can't find a 'comparison' one? Has anyone got or used both? Which is quickest & easiest to use? For reference I make furniture (but also smaller items - picture frames, gift boxes, art easels etc) from reclaimed wood or old furniture. I would say daily use but it really depends on what projects I have on. I don't have the biggest workshop but the full size jig could be easily stored and I tend to do most of my work 'off site'.

Also if anyone has a current discount code for Axminster when I do purchase I'd be grateful - seems I missed any January sale they ran

Thanks in advance for any advice / input

 

[Phil Pascoe]

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/axminster-10-discount.139874/post-1631375

 

[BucksDad]

For not much more than the price of the full jig, you could pick up a secondhand Domino DF500. My worry with investing in something like the peanut jig is would you be able to buy the cutters & peanuts in 10 years time?

 

[Spectric]

They come across as a bit of a gimmick, but for £120 the mini jig might be worth a try. It is one of those systems where you are tied into the suppliers cutters and in this case peanuts and having watched the videos it did all seem rather fiddly, easy to misplace the odd bit and agree with

would you be able to buy the cutters & peanuts in 10 years time?

As for the bigger kits costing £475 then this is much more serious cash, I would definately want to see it demonstrated before buying and would arrange a visit to an axminster store. You have not said what you are making or intend to build, I use a Jessem dowel jig for a lot of task and this works great with no fiddly bits, easy to get dowels and just drill bits so no problems in 10 years.

 

[Renegade]

Thanks all!
I had considered the festool domino but was worried about the size / depth constraints of the DF500 as my work can range from small to large scale pieces of furniture (although usually in that mid range of bed frames, side boards and dining tables / chairs) and the XL is unfortunately just not affordable to me at the moment.
Some valid points made about the peanut 2’s availability in future years however I know it can be used with dowels too which does give it a bit more longevity.
Perhaps I’ll go for the mini jig and try and keep my eyes peeled for decently priced df500 later in the year

 

[HOJ]

Could you explain to me how the peanut system would work, with your range of pieces, that made you decide to invest in this type of system, I am genuinely curious.

 

[Spectric]

the festool domino but was worried about the size / depth constraints of the DF500

I think the depth of the 500 mortices would restrict you to sheet goods, they are only 23mm ? For heavier work I tried the 700 but ended up buying another dowel jig to supplement my Dowelmax, I do use nearly all real wood in heavier sizes so dowels just deliver. Think of this type of joint made with 12mm dowels.

 

[petermillard]

Having difficulty deciding between purchasing the Peanut 2 Full or the revised Mini Jig. I've watched all the videos on YT from both Peter Millard and IF and I can't find a 'comparison' one? Has anyone got or used both? Which is quickest & easiest to use? For reference I make furniture (but also smaller items - picture frames, gift boxes, art easels etc) from reclaimed wood or old furniture. I would say daily use but it really depends on what projects I have on. I don't have the biggest workshop but the full size jig could be easily stored and I tend to do most of my work 'off site'.

Also if anyone has a current discount code for Axminster when I do purchase I'd be grateful - seems I missed any January sale they ran

Thanks in advance for any advice / input

The difference between the original Peanut jig and the MiniJig is pretty straightforward; the big jig is for carcasses ie you set the positions of the fittings using the inserts, clamp the jig down and you can cut your slots across the width of the carcass, whereas the MiniJig is a ‘one slot at a time’ jig that needs repositioning for each fitting. The revised mini jig can also be used for dowels and Dominos, not sure if this function was also carried across to the bigger jig.

The Peanut range of fittings was created by a fitted furniture maker who needed to get pre-finished pieces (the usual wardrobes, cabinets, shelving units etc…) into awkward spaces (the Barbican, mostly) where difficult access required them to be constructed on site. The nature of the work (and clients) required a non-marking, self-clamping connector, of which there are very few, and the ones that exist generally carry a high price per fitting (Clamex @£1.40/per, Tenso @85p/per) and also require an expensive, proprietary power tool (Lamello Zeta P2 ~£1350).

Wether the Peanut system is useful to you or not depends on wether you need a non-marking, self-clamping fitting, and comparing it to eg a used Domino without also considering the cost of the Festool Connect fittings (£350 for the set *plus* a couple of quid per fitting thereafter) for something that requires a 14mm access hole plugging into the face of the workpiece, somewhat misses the point.

Yes, the big Peanut jig is pricey, but not compared to a Lamello Zeta P2 and a couple of boxes of fittings. Yes, the MiniJig is slower to use than a domino - but it’s also a fraction of the price, and the Peanut 2 fittings are around ~15p each.

If you want to try the system out Intelligent Fixings do a starter pack of the bit and Peanut 2 fittings, and it’s trivial to make your own jig - I’ve done videos on that and many other options, all in a playlist here:-

Peanut 2 System & Projects; https://bit.ly/Peanut2system

The Peanut system has been adopted widely by manufacturers who have invested far more than the £93.60 the starter pack costs, so I'd expect to be able to buy Peanut fittings for a long, long time. For clarity, the Peanut jigs and consumables I have were supplied for review, and I played a small role in the late-stage development of the P2 MiniJig, and the revisions to the Mk 2; I have no financial interest in the product.

HTH P

 

[BucksDad]

Helpful info Peter!

 

[Spectric]

So based on

whereas the MiniJig is a ‘one slot at a time’ jig that needs repositioning for each fitting.

that must give the big jig the accuracy on doing larger jobs, put it in place and make all the holes without repositioning compared to keep moving the little jig.

required a non-marking, self-clamping connector, of which there are very few,

But the missing word is cheaper otherwise just use Lamello's which going by your video's are also much easier and quicker than a peanut. Question now is why would someone in the Barbican be that concerned on the cost !

I think Peter has answered @Renegade 's question wonderfully, do you require non-marking, self-clamping connectors because you need to assemble on site, if yes then buy the full big kit else look at other jointing methods.

 

[petermillard]

that must give the big jig the accuracy on doing larger jobs, put it in place and make all the holes without repositioning compared to keep moving the little jig.

The MiniJig has reference pins - like the Mafell doweller and the Domino - that reference the jig of the edge of the workpiece, so in practice it isn't particularly challenging.

But the missing word is cheaper otherwise just use Lamello's which going by your video's are also much easier and quicker than a peanut. Question now is why would someone in the Barbican be that concerned on the cost !

I'm no fan of the Tenso - the non-marking connector - and when I made a carcass with both the Tenso and the Peanut 2, the Peanut 2 was, surprisingly, faster, albeit only marginally. And I don't think it was the Barbican-residing clients who were concerned about the cost of the Lamello!

I think Peter has answered @Renegade 's question wonderfully, do you require non-marking, self-clamping connectors because you need to assemble on site, if yes then buy the full big kit else look at other jointing methods.

I think the MiniJig still has a place Roy, but it is a good system, created and manufactured here in Britain.

 

[Spectric]

The way that Lamello cuts that T slot for their fasteners is clever, that little wiggle at the end and then you feed the connector into the hole so it must have a large area to pull on but as you say the cost of the fixings is a tad expensive and the initial outlay, if it was the one tool for everything then easily covered but as we know we end up with many !

And I don't think it was the Barbican-residing clients who were concerned about the cost of the Lamello!

Yes all that money but with a property you cannot get ready assembled furniture into, what a strange world.

 

[Herr Nilsson]

@Renegage, if you’re considering dowel jigs, then YouTuber Dennis from ‘Hooked On Wood’ rates this product 5 stars..



Option 2 currently selling for £72 on Banggood:

https://uk-m.banggood.com/Wnew-3-In...e-Opener-DIY-Woodworking-Tools-p-1850853.html
Note: Option 2 AFAICS doesn’t come with any M14 6mm drill bushings, which would be essential for working with 18mm sheet material IMO. However, Banggood sell these by the pair separately, for £10.50.

**
Incidentally, after agonising over the DF500/dowel jigs/Peanut2, I took the plunge and went with the admittedly rather expensive Mafell DDF40, but couldn’t be happier, after my bank balance eventually recovered! Therefore, I have no experience of the Wnew product above, although I have bought dozens of items from Banggood and have always been happy with quality/accuracy etc. Delivery can be several weeks though!

 

[thebodger]

I've had issues with the mini jig on two projects and wouldn't recommend.

I wasted a huge amount of time debugging the issues blaming user error (still partially true) but there is a decent amount of play between my Festool guide bush and the jig causing inconsistent sized key slots and the mating piece to misalign when joining.

Video - New video by G G

 

[Renegade]

@Renegage, if you’re considering dowel jigs, then YouTuber Dennis from ‘Hooked On Wood’ rates this product 5 stars..



Option 2 currently selling for £72 on Banggood:

https://uk-m.banggood.com/Wnew-3-In...e-Opener-DIY-Woodworking-Tools-p-1850853.html
Note: Option 2 AFAICS doesn’t come with any M14 6mm drill bushings, which would be essential for working with 18mm sheet material IMO. However, Banggood sell these by the pair separately, for £10.50.

**
Incidentally, after agonising over the DF500/dowel jigs/Peanut2, I took the plunge and went with the admittedly rather expensive Mafell DDF40, but couldn’t be happier, after my bank balance eventually recovered! Therefore, I have no experience of the Wnew product above, although I have bought dozens of items from Banggood and have always been happy with quality/accuracy etc. Delivery can be several weeks though!

Yes I've watched that video already and did think it seems like a decent investment it was more the waiting for it to arrive! What can I say I'm impatient! I do also like that Peanut 2 Mini Jig whilst fiddly (in terms of the almost constant repositioning) offers the option for dominos, dowels or the peanut 2 connectors. I think we need to call for IF to team up with @petermillard to do another video testing how the original (full size if you will!) jig performs doing dowels & dominos. I can't see any reason why it couldn't do either of these?

 

[Herr Nilsson]

Yes I've watched that video already and did think it seems like a decent investment it was more the waiting for it to arrive! What can I say I'm impatient! I do also like that Peanut 2 Mini Jig whilst fiddly (in terms of the almost constant repositioning) offers the option for dominos, dowels or the peanut 2 connectors. I think we need to call for IF to team up with @petermillard to do another video testing how the original (full size if you will!) jig performs doing dowels & dominos. I can't see any reason why it couldn't do either of these?

..You could always go with Peter Millard's Loose Tenon Jig, which you can purchase on his Shopify store!? Similar price to the Wnew dowel jig. IFAICS domino's are a bit more forgiving than dowels, assuming you can mimic the "sloppy setting" of the DF500 with the jig.

If I were buying a plywood jig, I would make sure I did not store it in a damp garage/workshop.

 

[HOJ]

Yes all that money but with a property you cannot get ready assembled furniture into, what a strange world.

Where there is a will there is a way:


Fully made kitchen and not little boxes either, Aga fridge and Aga wine fridge, the lift was as big as a shoe box and had spiral stairs (central London)

 

[petermillard]

I think we need to call for IF to team up with @petermillard to do another video testing how the original (full size if you will!) jig performs doing dowels & dominos. I can't see any reason why it couldn't do either of these?

As I said before, I don’t know if the domino function has been applied to the full-size carcass jig - I believe it requires a some additional machining, but I’m sure IF would be happy to advise if you contacted them. I know it works with dowels as it uses similar drilling inserts to the MiniJig.

As for me ‘doing another video to test dowels and dominos in the full size jig‘ - not likely as that’s a pretty niche audience and probably best served by the manufacturer on their own youtube channel.