Thread: Triton Router Bit Change

Dean, your experience with tightening the router bit should be your first clue. Don't over-tighten, or you will have difficulty removing the bit.

It's difficult to explain just how much pressure should be applied, but experience indicates just enough to do the job. Simply snug up with the wrench - more than finger tight but don't reef too hard on the wrench. (The rotation of the bit tends to tighten, not loosen.) Naturally, it needs to be sufficiently tight to retain the bit in place and not allow it to spin.

As for the 1/4" collet - simply place that in the router, don't tighten, and then insert your 1/4" bit. Tighten as described above.

I always prefer 1/2" bits over 1/4". They are stronger and I believe there are more profile choices in this size.

Why purchase a doweling jig? The Triton Biscuit Joiner is reasonably priced. You would probably pay almost as much for the dowel jig. The Triton Biscuit Joiner works a treat for the kind of jointing you described. (I have both but rarely used the doweling jig.) It is also more forgiving. Dowel jointing needs to be very accurate to align the holes. There is simply no room for error. However, with the biscuit jointer, there is a little give as the length of the biscuit is slightly smaller than the slots. The real strength from this joint comes from the fact that the biscuit swells when the glue is applied thus locking it in the slots. Any slight misalignment in the surfaces of the timber pieces being joined can be planed or sanded away. I am refering to the face surface, for example, the bench surface, not the mating surfaces between the timber pieces making up the bench.(Don't misread this point - the two mating surfaces using either technique need to be square and level or the seam between the two mating pieces will show.) Oh damn - how do you explain this without a drawing???




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Woodchuck Canuck
Good luck is the residue of good planning!

Woodchuck,

I know what you mean! No need for pic...Great answers...It has answered all my questions! Thanks very much!

Can't wait to get it all up and running....and I think I'll add the Biscuit Joiner to my wish list....just one question with the biscuit joiner...do you need to use the triton biscuits or are there cheaper biscuit alternatives?
While Im sure the trion biscuits are best, Im sure the price for them may be a little overbloated if you know what I mean

Dean

My understanding is that they are special biscuits that only Triton make.

Dean
Wodchuck is right. The Triton Bisquit Joiner is well worth the money.
As an alternative to Triton bisquits, why not have a look at the Porter-Cable range available at Carba-tec. They are about half the price.
Mick

Dean,

You don’t need a biscuit jointer or a doweling jig – you already have the tools at hand. Use a 6 mm router bit to slot the edge of your boards and make up some tongues out of 6mm ply. Strips about 20 – 25 mm wide will do. Apply glue to the tongues, insert into the slots and cramp your boards together.

Aim to have the slot at about half board thickness but if you ensue that the face side of the board is against the router fence you should wind up with a reasonable surface. Don’t run the slots to the end of the boards or the tongue & groove will be visible. For wide boards use a high fence to ensure that the slots are at right angles to the edge.

Redneck

Red neck has made a good alternate suggestion.

However, there is a slight advantage to the biscuit joint in that the biscuit swells in contact with the glue. This makes for a very tight joint, but the hidden spline-joint described works well also.

As for your questions concerning the Triton biscuit, I believe that the slot bit supplied with the Triton Biscuit Jointer cuts a uniquely sized slot that requires their biscuits. (It's the old razor and razor blade approach. You can afford to give away the razor if you are assured of all of the blade purchases.)


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Woodchuck Canuck
Good luck is the residue of good planning!

the biscut joiner has a BJA045 4mm Straight Router Bit , suitable for most biscuts , also the main assambley has provision for using elongated biscuts you can cut what ever size slot you like, using left and right markers or just one side, its in the manual from memory

Dean.

I would suggest that you find out when there is going to be a triton demo at a hardware store near you and go along and ask the person some questions. You may find it easyer to relate to in the flesh and get more out of it.

regards

Gino

I've never used the triton bisuit cutter but watched someone use one and I'm convinced that they must use a 4mm SLOT cutter - cetainly not a straight bit.

Cheers Ray

sorry my mistake

here is the parts list from the biscuit cutter

14 BJA038 Cutter (complete with 1/2” & 1/4” shank) 1
14a BJA053 Cutting Disc only 1
14b BJA055 1/2” Shank (12.7mm) 1
15 BJA058 1/4” Shank (6.35mm) 1
- BJA045 4mm Straight Router Bit (1/2” only) 1

Ok, that seems to indicate a slot cutter.

What do they supply the 4mm stright bit for ? - biscuits mid panel come to mind...

Cheers Ray

I've had a go at testing the swelling of the biscuits. I soaked a few biscuits at different intervals. 5 mins, 1 hour, and overnight. And found the biscuits DID NOT expand at all. It might have been the Triton batch I had at the time.

My thought is that the glue is what makes the joint the strongest. At the time I thouht the buscuits were to help line up the work pieces for gluing only. And again at the time I found I could snap the biscuts in half with just my finger strength.

Although I must admit I've just tried and can't do it with the Triton biscuits I have now. I don't recall if I had tried the buiscuits right out of the container or the ones I had soaked and let dry.

I must remind everyone the Triton Biscuit joiner is very easy to use, safe, and very fast in table top mode. NOT in mid board.

I had the original pivoting longer one and have upgraded to the shorter sliding one. With no problems I can recall.

I've been using the Ausie Multi Jig over the last year and have found it fast and very easy to use for dry assembling prototypes.

I've also just picked up the Kreg Pocket Hole Jig as the WWW show and found it to be very fast as well. But have to consider hiding the holes before I start my project.

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Thanks,
Barry G. Sumpter
Proud Tritoneer
Triton Woodworkers Club Holmesglen

[This message has been edited by barrysumpter (edited 05 November 2002).]