I have a Domino now...do I still need my biscuit joiner?

[butzla]

The subject says it all.  I've seen posts here where dudes say there's still a purpose for biscuit joiners but no specifics.  I hate to get rid of mine then find I should have kept it.  Talk to me!

 

[Per Swenson]

Toolman,

Of course you need to keep it.

First off, I doubt the tool owes you anything.

And anything you get for it would be below replacement costs.

That being said, other uses for  a biscuit jointer.

Fast continuous slot cutter for splines, when you can't find the router.

Alignment tool.

Door jamb cutter.

Or polished up conversation piece under the Matisse.

Per

 

[dirtydeeds]

of course you keep the biscuit jointer, its a good tool and has a place

when i first had the domino i thaught the biscuit jointer would fall by the wayside

ive bought 3000 biscuits since then

per's suggestion of tool polishing goes a bit far though

 

[Per Swenson]

per's suggestion of tool polishing goes a bit far though

What?

Above the Matisse?    ;D

Per

 

[Matthew Schenker]

sToolman,
I still use my biscuit joiner (a Porter+Cable) to cut slots for table fasteners.
Matthew

 

[Michael Kellough]

per's suggestion of tool polishing goes a bit far though

What?

Above the Matisse?    ;D

Per

Oh, well off course it needs to be polished if placed above the Matisse.
Wouldn't want any dust falling down.

 

[dirtydeeds]

per

have a talk with your life style guru, personal shopper, feng shui expert, health and safety and insurance risk advisors

there may be a conscensous of opinion

on the other hand the cost of employing all those people might buy you a second matisse  8)

 

[Per Swenson]

I just ask Bob.

 

[pmkierst]

Fast continuous slot cutter for splines, when you can't find the router.

Ya need to clean up your shop some!!! Or get more routers

 

[ccmviking]

I haven't used mine once since I got the Domino.  I can't really think of any use for it any more for what I do.  You definitely still need a pocket hole kit though.

Chris...

 

[Dixon Peer]

Probably one of the best uses for our biscuit joiners is for splining casings at the miter.  I don't really see a Domino doing that task as well.  The dominos are thicker for one thing, and you get more glue area with the number 20 biscuit.  Anyway, why would you sell your biscuit joiner?  Would what you get for it really be worth sacrificing the tool for?  There are still uses for it in my opinion.

 

[merklebob]

im still trying to determine if the domino biscuit will swell the work on thin edge glue ups like the plate biscuits do.  if so you need the plate jointer to do the thinner glue ups.

 

[dirtydeeds]

if you are concerned about biscuits swelling use superglue / mitre fix

its a more tricky glue up because you still need a carpentry glue to bind the edges

but the biscuits dont swell

 

[butzla]

I should have prefaced by saying  my sinuses are extremely reactive to wood dust, especially poplar plys in plywood I use.  That's a big reason why the domino and all the festool systems appeal to me.  I have an early model freud biscuit joiner that has no outlet for dust collection and when I cut slots in 3/4 birch plywood for carcases (and I cut a lot of them) , I create a real snowstorm in my shop.  That said, the only reason to keep joiner that I've read so far would be for door casings.  Good point Dixon.  

Matt,  when you say you use biscuits for table top fasteners, do you mean cutting slots for the metal (or wood) clips to attach the table top to aprons?  I would think the Domino would work better in that capacity.  

I have too many tools in my shop that I have in the  "I might need that someday" classification.  I've been selling a lot of them in the last month and already had enough scratch to buy a domino.  I don't have to tell you how expensive this festool habit is.  
I know my joiner isn't worth that much but I have a friend just getting into this hobby and has expressed interest in it.  Every little bit helps!

PS MerkleBob,  I was under the impression biscuits swell more than dominos as they are made from compressed wood chips where dominos are machined from solid wood.  Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Matthew Schenker]

Matt,  when you say you use biscuits for table top fasteners, do you mean cutting slots for the metal (or wood) clips to attach the table top to aprons?  I would think the Domino would work better in that capacity. 

Yes, the Domino could definitely work for this as well.  Just set it for the smallest cut.

If I did not already own a biscuit joiner, I certainly would not buy one just to cut slots for table-top fasteners!  However, since I already own the biscuit joiner from my pre-Domino days, I just decided to use it for this purpose.  Probably this is a sign I need to sell the biscuit joiner, as it's more or less taking up valuable shop space (yes, my shop is small enough that a biscuit joiner "takes up valuable space").

So let me clarify: I can't think of a use where the biscuit joiner does something a Domino cannot do.

Matthew

 

[dirtydeeds]

correct in principle

but if you have to make mdf cabinets and need 1500 joints you use biscuits

if you are making good quality stuff you use dominos

 

[tallgrass]

i use my biscuit jointer for decking. there are special biscuits so you do not have holes on the surface of the decking, they work great. othere than that i use my domino.

 

[nickao]

i use my biscuit jointer for decking. there are special biscuits so you do not have holes on the surface of the decking, they work great. othere than that i use my domino.

Tall grass I have seen those. I used to  have a deck company and have been involved in over 300 outdoor structures. I did not personally build them all but my crews did. I have a few questions on those biscuits. This may determine if  someone still needs a joiner. A deck looks really nice with no nails or screws on the surface.

1) Those are plastic type biscuits that attach to the framing , right?

2) How do they hold up over a span of a few years?

3) Do you think they will be holding 10 years or more down the line. Have you gone back to check?

4) Will they work with the cheaper grade treated lumber, that stuff sure moves?

5) Can you slam the boards tight using those biscuits?  We could never space the decking, just to much shrinkage out here. As a kid we would use a 16 d nail as a spacer, when we did the gaps were over 1/2" right quick. To much for little fingers.  Unless we used Ipe or comparable wood all other decking including redwood and cedar had to be initially installed tight. Then in 3 weeks to 6 months there would spacing between the boards.

I am asking because I am going to build a new deck for the house and was considering those biscuits.

Nickao

 

[Per Swenson]

Nickao

The Great Gizoogle brings us this...[attachthumb=#]http://www.rd.com/19759/article19759.html
and this...http://www.screw-products.com/deck-clip.htm

Both use biscuit joiners

Per

 

[nickao]

Thank you sir, I mean Per, are you a sir? I hate when I am called sir, that's my dad.

Anyway I will look at that now, do you have personal experience with them?

nickao