plate & biscuit joiners

[avengers63]

I'm looking to get a joiner, but I'm running into some confusion. What's the difference between a plate joiner and a biscuit joiner? From what I can tell, the only difference is the name.

[Batpig]

That's pretty much it Avenger...

Plate seems to be a U.S. term, while some Englishman probably coined the alternative description "Biscuits" (during Morning Tea no doubt... :wink:)

Best of Aussie Wishes Mate,
Batpig.

[Honorary Bloke]

I'm looking to get a joiner, but I'm running into some confusion. What's the difference between a plate joiner and a biscuit joiner? From what I can tell, the only difference is the name.

Batpig's right. Got it in one. Same animal. Suggest DeWalt or Porter-Cable for decent performance at mid-price range, Lamello if money is no object. Depends what you want to do with it and how accurate it needs to be. :)

Or, you could go the whole hog and get a Domino. :D:D

[avengers63]

If I could afford a Domino, I wouldn't have a shop full of Ryobi stuff. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the info.

[gerhard]

Hi all,

Hermann Steiner, a Swiss carpenter and tool maker, sought a way for quick and strong bonding of wood plate material, which became very popular in the early 50s. He used a standard angle grinder and fitted a small circular saw blade. This was a logical and a good choice, since angle grinders have sturdy and precise bearings and a strong arbour, which as a drive system is a solid starting point. With the blade revolving in horizontal plane, the grinder unit could easily be fitted in a sliding jig to advance the blade into the wood and make a nice clean slot. The cylindrical motor housing of a grinder proved just as handy a grip for cutting slots as it was for grinding, so there was no need for much redesign on that account either. The rotational speed of an ordinary small grinder was also perfectly suited for this task, since larger circular saw blades spin around at about 3000 to 5000 rpm and this smaller blade at about 10,000 rpm would achieve the same cutting speed at its circumference. Most plate joiner makers still use angle grinder units as a base drive system.

Steiner chose pressed hardwood as a material for his new "flat dowels". These symmetrical shapes had two round edges, fitting the radius of the saw blade diameter and thus the radius of the cuts in the material. For better grip of the glue on the wood, a waffle pattern was pressed into the surfaces. Also their edges were rounded, to let them slide into the cuts more easily. The result looked like a biscuit cookie, and the flat alternative of the round dowel quickly gained its nickname "biscuit", which stuck in craftsman's jargon.

And here's a bit to read on the topic:


http://www.woodzone.com/articles/biscuit/biscuit_joiner.htm (http://www.woodzone.com/articles/biscuit/biscuit_joiner.htm)
http://www.thetoolhut.com/biscuit-joiner.html (http://www.thetoolhut.com/biscuit-joiner.html)
http://woodworking.about.com/od/toolsequipment/p/plateJoiner.htm (http://woodworking.about.com/od/toolsequipment/p/plateJoiner.htm)
http://www.lamello.com/en.html (http://www.lamello.com/en.html)
http://woodworking.about.com/od/joinery/p/BiscuitJoinery.htm (http://woodworking.about.com/od/joinery/p/BiscuitJoinery.htm)
http://www.lamello.com/en/about-us/history.html (http://www.lamello.com/en/about-us/history.html)
http://www.sawdustandshavings.com/power_tools/portercable_biscuit_jointer_review.asp (http://www.sawdustandshavings.com/power_tools/portercable_biscuit_jointer_review.asp)
http://toolsmet.com/plate-joiners1/ (http://toolsmet.com/plate-joiners1/)
http://www.woodworking.org/WC/GArchive98/5_28ringpj1.html (http://www.woodworking.org/WC/GArchive98/5_28ringpj1.html)
http://www.epinions.com/review/Dewalt_Heavy_Duty_Plate_Joiner_Kit_DW682K/content_81409183364 (http://www.epinions.com/review/Dewalt_Heavy_Duty_Plate_Joiner_Kit_DW682K/content_81409183364)
http://www.rd.com/familyhandyman/content/38680/ (http://www.rd.com/familyhandyman/content/38680/)
http://www.internationaltool.com/biscuitjnr.htm (http://www.internationaltool.com/biscuitjnr.htm)
http://www.bosstoolsusa.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=226 (http://www.bosstoolsusa.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=226)
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-a-Picture-Frame/ (http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-a-Picture-Frame/)
http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/workshop/miter.html (http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/workshop/miter.html) (same technique without biscuits)



The original inventor Lamello is still regarded as the best brand by many professionals, though the Festool Domino is a versatile and very nifty class in itself. For myself i use a Makita 3901, which is sturdy and precise and good enough for the jobs i use biscuits for.


regards


gerhard

[Batpig]

Dear Gerhard,

You Rule, as usual... :)

Best Wishes,
Batpig.

[sundancewfs]

If you have a router table and router you can use the appropriate size of slot cutter. to cut the bisuit slots. If the work piece can be safely managed on the router table.

[*Kev]

I bought one from bunnings a couple of weeks ago.

My theory was the actual running time would be negligible so don't worry too much about the motor - just get the one with the best jig set-up.

All they had to compare were the Ryobi, Ozito, and GMC, which were all cheap. I ended up buying the Ozito, as it looked to be of better quality than the others.

It works perfectly. It's no Festool but hey, for $79 I don't think I can go wrong.:2tsup:

Kev