Popular Woodworking 2001-10 № 124, страница 19
tops, almost any tool will do (except the mini-biscuit joiners). There are only three original sized biscuits: #0, #10, and #20. These range in size from 13/4" for the #0to 2V4" for the #20, and they are all the same thickness. The face-frame biscuits currently sold by Porter-Cable are smaller than the #0 at IV4". Craftsman sells mini-biscuits for its small joiner. They are numbered #1, #2, and #3. Their sizes are 5/s", 3/4" and 1", and are thinner. Lamello also makes a wide variety of specialty biscuits, everything from biscuit hinges, biscuits for knock-down joints and translucent biscuits for use in solid-surface material, such as Corian. In general, big biscuits are great for large, edge-to-edge applications, such as tabletops. Porter-Cable's midsized biscuit is made for face frames. Craftsman's small-sized joiner is great for craft projects or special applications. The quality of your biscuits is also important. We tested every major brand of biscuit to see how consistent their sizes were, how much they swelled and how many broken ones we encountered in a box. The three best brands, according to our test, are Porter-Cable (whose biscuits are made of birch), Lamello and Kaiser (both of which are made from beech). Better biscuits make for better joints, so don't skimp on the biscuits. Other Features Make sure you try the switch before you buy. Some switches are holdovers from the angle grinder. Located on the side of the barrel, they take a little bit of getting used to. The other type of switch is a trigger on the back of the barrel. These are easier to use, though they're more likely to be pressed accidentally if you drop the tool. Most of the tools feature a switch that allows you to lock the motor on — a handy feature for large jobs. Some of the lock-on buttons are a pain to use, so check those out, too. The next feature to look at is dust collection. Most joiners have a bag to collect the chips flying out the side of the machine. Take a fitting from your shop vacuum and see if it fits the model you're looking at. It's best to use a vacuum when cutting more than a few biscuit slots because the bags fill quickly and the ports clog easily. Don't get too worked up about the motor's amperage. There's less than a 3-amp difference among all the major brands. Lastly, noise is a consideration. The motors can be loud, and all of them operate in a decibel level where hearing protection is required. PW PW Recommends occasional user • Freud JS100, This tool made biscuit joinery affordable for the masses, and it's still a workshop favorite. For the money, you can't buy a better entry-level tool. serious home woodworker • Freud JS102, This updated model includes a more versatile fence, a blade that's easier to change and a price that still beats many of its competitors. • Makita 3901, We've been using this tool for years in our shop and have found it to be accurate and totally reliable, as you would expect with a Makita tool. It's also lighter in weight than some newer tools, which makes a difference if you've got a lot of slots to cut. advanced woodworker or professional user • Porter-Cable 557, Without a doubt, this is the most versatile tool available on the market today. The fence is capable of almost any sort of gymnastics you can dream up. It also comes with a smaller cutter for face-frame biscuits. The only downside is that you need to shim the face around the cutter slightly. Porter-Cable had to change this because of patent concerns. • Lamello Classic C2, Lamello invented biscuit joinery, and the company's European-made tools are precision machines. The price of the tool is high, but many professionals are glad to pay it. These tools have been tested or used by the editors of Popular Woodworking and have earned their recommendation. |
