FF size biscuits in Dewalt DW682??

[Mac McQuinn]

I'm finishing up a project and decided to use my Dewalt DW682 biscuit joiner with small biscuits although it appears my joiner won't do the smaller sized FF biscuits I need. Is there any way outside of purchasing a appropriate "FF" biscuit joiner to get my Dewalt to do these? I have settings 0, 10, 20 and M for maximum on the Dewalt.

Mac

[Bryan Berguson]

I may be wrong, but I think you're out of luck trying to use the Dewalt for the really small biscuits. I was trying to figure out a way myself once and finally decided if I was going to use those biscuits, I was going to get a router bit to do it. In the end, I didn't do that either and ended up using pocket screws. Now, I'd reach for my DowelMax! :)

But... that was alot of years ago. There may be an after market blade for the Dewalt available now.

Bryan

[Sonny Edmonds]

I'm pretty sure that a Dewalt won't do FF sized biscuits...
And that is why I own a PC. :rolleyes:

[Mac McQuinn]

I'm wondering if once I figure the geometry, I can use some type of reduction spacer which would allow the cutting of a shallower and shorter slot for the FF biscuit......
Mac

[Curt Harms]

I'm wondering if once I figure the geometry, I can use some type of reduction spacer which would allow the cutting of a shallower and shorter slot for the FF biscuit......
Mac
The FF sized cutter for the P-C is about 2 1/2" or so. The radius would be different from the larger cutter.

[Todd Crawford]

What Curt said... the radius wouldn't allow the cut to be deep enough. The FF biscuit is why I love my PC!!!!

[Mac McQuinn]

Thanks guys, Looks like plan B then,

Mac

[john bateman]

If the edge is accesible with a router, there is bit set for doing FF biscuits.
See the link. You need the appropriate sized bearing.

http://eagleamerica.com/rabbet-biscuit-joining-kit/p/100%2D5052/

[Rod Sheridan]

I haven't seen a router bit with the correct diameter to cut biscuit slots.

All the router bits I've seen for this task are much smaller than the required diameter.

Regards, Rod.

[Mac McQuinn]

John & Rod,

Thanks for the link. I think with the router bit, the critical dimension is the depth of the slot and will not get shallow at ends like a true biscuit joiner slot.

Mac

[john bateman]

John & Rod,

Thanks for the link. I think with the router bit, the critical dimension is the depth of the slot and will not get shallow at ends like a true biscuit joiner slot.

Mac

I have one of those sets...bought it before I got a plate joiner. I needed to cut the small FF slots.

The way it works is after you plunge the slot cutter into the wood, you move it slightly to elongate the biscuit slot.

Since I was making narrow face frames, I set up my router table with stop blocks attached to the fence, on either side of the bit. This gave me a guided area to push the end grain of the stock into the cutter, then move it sideways in a (somewhat) controlled fashion. For the FF size, you only move sideways about 1/4".

FWIW, mlcs carries a smallish round biscuit, that works with their own slot cutter.
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/biscuits.html
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/graphics/biscuit1.jpg

[Chris Padilla]

I was going to be all smart alleky and say:

Just change the blade!!! ('cause that is what I do on my biscuit cutter...a PC, of course) :D :D :D

Ryobi (I think), also has a biscuit cutter in which it can cut even smaller biscuits than an FF. Hmmm, maybe it was a Sears cutter?? Anyway, in a pinch when I needed FFs, I bought some of these and sanded them a bit to fit an FF slot.

[Todd Crawford]

Yeah, that Ryobi detail jointer was also a Craftsman product.... I almost bought it once, glad now that they didn't have it in stock when I went to pick it up. I sure do like my PC.....

[Mac McQuinn]

I have one of those sets...bought it before I got a plate joiner. I needed to cut the small FF slots.

The way it works is after you plunge the slot cutter into the wood, you move it slightly to elongate the biscuit slot.

Since I was making narrow face frames, I set up my router table with stop blocks attached to the fence, on either side of the bit. This gave me a guided area to push the end grain of the stock into the cutter, then move it sideways in a (somewhat) controlled fashion. For the FF size, you only move sideways about 1/4".

FWIW, mlcs carries a smallish round biscuit, that works with their own slot cutter.
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/biscuits.html
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/graphics/biscuit1.jpg


Thanks, I'll look into that, Should give more surface to glue to.

Mac