Freud Doweling Joiner

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http://www.freudtools.com/news.aspx?showarticle=16

Interesting tool. I like the sound of the rack and pinion height adjustment. Doweling bits are on 32mm centers so tool can also do the euro cab thing. Amazon has it on pre-order for $330. Could it be 'Domino for the rest of us'? 

 

[extiger]

Dowels might disappoint you because of strength issues. A loose tenon bonds with its mortise mostly through long-grain to long-grain adhesion. A Domino virtually forms a laminate with the mortised wood.

A dowel hole exposes almost all end-grain to the inserted plug. The glue bond is consequently much weaker. Before Festool released the Domino I was seriously look at the Maffel dual dowel drill, which Freud seems to copy here. Coming from Germany, the cost was almost the same. But when I read up on jointery, a few old articles, especially FWWs Joinery book, changed my mind.

If you plan on making tea cup-holders, perhaps it wouldn't matter. But for bigger work, a tenon or loose tenon is the ticket.

By the way, I don't have a Domino machine. I saved the money since I have a device called a WoodRat that uses a router to cut mortises. I buy the Festool Domino stock and really like the results.

Gary Curtis

 

[DavidW]

Suuare,
I would want to see  and feel any tool by Freud before spending money for it. I am sure they have gotten better but, 4 yrs. ago I had a Freud trimmer kit with a plunge base and was not impressed with it. Looked like they tried to copy Bosch's laminate trimmer bases, but did it very crudely. At half the price of Maffels I have to wonder where did they cut corners. Your commment about the rack and pinion reminds me of the fence on the Dewalt biscut jointer I had that was never square, sold it and got a Lemello and haven't had a problem (sorta like Festool- "buy quality you only cry once").
David Werkheiser