how often do you use your plate joiner?

[keith ouellette]

I have a chance to buy a hardly used dewalt dw682 for $80.

I have an older porter cable but I hate the fence. To adjust the height I have to loosen 2 allen screws and try to use a square to get both sides of the fence even. So far it has worked but I know it could be a lot better.

Is the plate joiner that big of a deal in your opinion and what are your thoughts on the dw682?

[Dave Cav]

I got a Freud YEARS ago when they were the Next Big Thing. Probably 12-15 years ago. I haven't used it in ten....

[Larry Anderson]

I have the 682 and admittedly don't use it often, but it is a nice tool. $80 sounds like a more than fair price to me.

[Adam Strong]

The easier it is to use, the more chance you will actually use it. I find myself using mine often for stages of cabinet making and aligning glued up panels.

[Mike Henderson]

I have the DeWalt and don't use it very much.

Mike

[Cliff Holmes]

I used mine infrequently. I can't even remember what brand. Since getting the Domino I don't even know where mine is.

[Jeff Willard]

I have a chance to buy a hardly used dewalt dw682 for $80.


I think you already have an answer to your question:D. But if you use one enough, that seems like a more than fair price. It would certainly be an upgrade over the older PC. I have the DW, and like others here, mine collects far more dust than it creates. Not that it's not a quality tool, it just doesn't fit in with my methods of work.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Provided everything is in alignment and working well that is a good price...if you use one enough to justify getting one. I got a 682 not long ago and have no complaints in getting it to do what I need done. I used mine this week and will probably use it again next week.

[John Harden]

I have the PC version and use it every once in awhile. Its good for alignment of glue ups of solid wood panels when there are multiple boards.

Having said that, I just did some glue ups last weekend and today and didn't use it.

Its good to have when you need one and the DeWalt is a very high quality one, so I'd get it if you think you'd use it. What's $80 over ten years?

Not much.

Regards,

John

[Scott Crumpton]

I use my plate joiners constantly. Yes, that's joiners - plural. I've got the old original Freud with it's hard to adjust fence and a new PC.

The Freud is now dedicated to mass producing some parts that I use frequently. It's mounted upside down and has a bicycle break cable connected to a foot peddle to plunge the blade. I have several jigs that bolt to the fence to hold the parts. The PC is used for everything else.

So as others have said, it really does depend on what you're doing. And with a good tool, you may find yourself adapting work to take advantage of it. Oh, and I never use them for panel glue-ups - just not needed.

---Scott.

[Rich Aldrich]

I use a biscuit jointer when I make panels for doors or other panels were I choose not to use plywood. It depends on how often I make panels, but I like the tool and would rather have it than not.

I have used it for face frames, but now use pocket screws.

[Ben Franz]

Use it for gluing up panels and attaching face frames to cases. Also use it a fair amount when doing finish carpentry - reinforcing casing miter joints is real useful. I have the original Freud and also a Ryobi mini-biscuit joiner that I used for some narrow trim. Ryobi dropped the product and I ran out of the biscuits. I think they are available on Amazon if I ever need them. Bottom line, I think it's a useful tool but not essential. YMMV.

[Dave Lehnert]

I purchased a Skill brand many years ago. It is fussy to set up but nice to have when needed.

If I am gluing up panels I use the Shopsmith model on my MarkV. Works very well.

[Phil Thien]

I use my PC quite frequently. I actually like it a lot.

[Eric Sayre]

I've used my Dewalt on three major projects in the 5 years I've owned it. It came in very handy for each of those projects.

Even though I use mine infrequently, I'm glad I made the purchase.

[Cody Colston]

I used my DeWalt yesterday joining the case sides on a pie safe I'm making. The stiles were bowed just a bit and the biscuits made it easy to keep it aligned while I clamped it.

That said, I don't use it frequently but it is a good tool and sometimes, it's the perfect tool.

[Cary Falk]

I used my Dewalt today gluing up panels. It is a great tool. I don't use it every day but it is handy when you need it. I would buy it again. $80 sounds like a winner to me.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Two weeks ago, I used my DW to make some wide boards for the returns on the boxing on my shop. I will go for months, and not use it, and suddenly use it several times. A lot of things I used to use joiner for, I now use pocket screws.

[Fred Preston]

I had a PC and hardly used it [model 556] then I got a ryobi and it was a PITA and I didn't use it. now I have a lamello. use it all the time. domino was not an option when I got the lamello. If I ever wear it out maybe I'll go with the domino but I doubt I'll live that long..... :-]>

[Jim Holman]

I wore out a Freud and a PC. Had a Dewalt and swapped it for a Lamello. Use it constantly for all phases of carcass building and for reinforcing mitre joints in my wife's pecture frames.

[Sam Babbage]

The Freud is now dedicated to mass producing some parts that I use frequently. It's mounted upside down and has a bicycle break cable connected to a foot peddle to plunge the blade. I have several jigs that bolt to the fence to hold the parts.

Any chance of some pictures of your semi-automated set-up please? I'd love to set up a Domino in a similar fashion to a horizontal borer, a foot-based method for plunging would go a long way to help!

[Curt Harms]

for gluing some solid edging on plywood window sills. I had to glue the edging on with the visible side down. 1 did 2 of them. On each one there's a portion where the edging is below the plywood:(. Not much, but enough to be visible. I was working strictly by feel and didn't want to smear glue all over. There is a learning curve to getting good results with biscuits. The biggest thing for me was to keep the cutter absolutely parallel or perpendicular to the work. If the machine is not properly aligned, the biscuits will be at an angle to the edge and the joined piece will not align well. Once I figured that out, I've had good luck. I found that a 2X4 jointed on two adjacent faces and clamped to narrow stock to provide a wider surface for the biscuit jointer fence was a big help.

[Stephen Edwards]

I have a Makita that I've been using since the mid 90's. Though I don't use it a lot, it's a very handy tool to have in the shop.

As others have stated, I may go months without using it and then use it quite a bit for while.

If you think that you might use it, I'd buy it for that price.

[Al Willits]

I'd think considering how much money even a beginner woodworker has tied up in tools and stuff, $80 isn't probably going to make a big difference overall.

I have one and use it often enough I'm glad I bought it.

My PC has the little mini biscuits and I used them a fair bit also.

For $80 I doubt you'd go wrong.

Al

[BOB OLINGER]

I have the DeWalt and use it quite often. If in good condition, I don't see how you can go wrong.

[Jerome Hanby]

I've got the Dewalt and use it a fair amount. Lately I've been thinking that being able to use the FF size biscuits would be nice, and the dewalt will not handle those.

[Paul Steiner]

Depends on the project(s) last year I used mine a lot. This year I have not used it once. Either way I am glad I have mine in my arsenal. $80 for a dewalt is a good deal.

[Dave Gaul]

I'll agree that $80 is a great deal! What are they, $220 new? I have the DW 682 that LOML bought me for V-Day last year (She's the best!) and I've used it on two major projects (one in progress) and on a few minor items. Unless you have other methods, such as dowelling, domino or whatever else, a joiner would be a great addition to your shop!
If you do get it, just take the time to make sure it is all square and set up. My fence was mis-aligned quite a bit, probably at least .5 degrees!

[Allan Froehlich]

I have the PC version that came out a few years ago and I use it.

To put this into context, I have gone through about 5 bottles of biscuits.

[keith ouellette]

Well I lost the opportunity to buy the dewalt model. The guy could not get to me on sunday because of church and it sold. I was going to buy it but oh well.


Thankyou for all hte replies. Next time I'll act quicker. I really want that tool now!

[Tom Winship]

I have had a 682 for several use and use it frequently, mainly for gluing up several boards for tops. $80 sounds like a fair price.

[Roger Pozzi]

I bought a Freud JS100 about 3 years ago. I was not happy with the over sized slots so I bought a new blade from CMT for it and still have over sized slots. Not the width, that's adjustable, the thickness? which does absolutely nothing to help with alignment issues. The "bicuits have so much slop sideways that you can mis-align boards by about 1/8" or more.
Have not used it since and will probably sell it soon.