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
<http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=319761020&size=m>.
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)
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
"J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> 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
> <http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=319761020&size=m>.
>
> 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)
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.
"J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> 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
> <http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=319761020&size=m>.
>
> 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)
"Rick Samuel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "RonB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> OOPs - Ever get distracted and post a response to the wrong item?
>>
>> Now I have!
>>
>> It's Hell to get old.
>>
>
> Better then the alternative.....
Well....Yeah, so far.
RonB
OOPs - Ever get distracted and post a response to the wrong item?
Now I have!
It's Hell to get old.
RonB
"RonB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> 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
>
> "J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> 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
>> <http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=319761020&size=m>.
>>
>> 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)
>
>
"J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> 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.
>
<snip>
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
On 11 Dec 2006 19:00:09 GMT, "J. Clarke" <[email protected]>
wrote:
>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
><http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=319761020&size=m>.
>
>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.
>
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
"RonB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> OOPs - Ever get distracted and post a response to the wrong item?
>
> Now I have!
>
> It's Hell to get old.
>
Better then the alternative.....
> "RonB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> 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
>>
>> "J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>> 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
>>> <http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=319761020&size=m>.
>>>
>>> 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)
>>
>>
>
>
On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 20:07:06 +0000, marierdj wrote:
> 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.
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.
> "J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> 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 <http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=319761020&size=m>.
>>
>> 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)
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
Thanks, I'll have another look at the Porter-Cable
"J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 20:07:06 +0000, marierdj wrote:
>
>> 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.
>
> 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.
>
>> "J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>>> 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 <http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=319761020&size=m>.
>>>
>>> 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)
>
> --
> --John
> to email, dial "usenet" and validate
> (was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)