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Thread: Shaper finger joint cutter, uses

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
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    Modesto, CA, USA
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    Shaper finger joint cutter, uses

    I see finger joint cutters for sale at reasonable prices from time to time. Are they much use anymore with biscuit joiners. I do have a glue joint cutter and a wedge tongue/groove set.
    I thought they were designed for end joining long boards?
    Bill

  2. #2
    Handy for segmented arched/round top sashes.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    One of the folks I follow on YouTube, Timothy Wilmots, uses a type of wavy "short finger" joint shaper cutter quite frequently to assemble the thick panels I uses for the tops of gold-smithing benches he sells to that industry. Rather than longer "fingers", the profiles are vee shaped I believe. It provides both alignment and glue surface for these edge to edge glue-ups and fast production advantages when clamping since no cauls are required.

    Obviously, this form of joinery, regardless of the profile, is visible on the end grain sides of the panels, so it has to be a consideration if that aesthetic might be objectionable.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
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    Toronto Ontario
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    Hi Bill, on a good shaper with accurate setup and a stock feeder, the accuracy surpasses a biscuit joiner.

    They're often used for edge to edge glueing, like a tabletop.

    I don't often use them.............Rod.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    Ouray Colorado
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    There are a few types of finger joint cutters. For end grain the fingers are longer, usually 10 to 15 mm in length. These make a stronger than you would think joint. We use ours for joining segments of arch window and door heads. A few contractors have had us join 10’ Alder base boards into 20’ lengths. It’s strong, you can run through the moulder and sander without fear of falling apart.
    The other type for long grain work have shorter fingers and sometimes as mentioned V cuts. I have used both types on the shaper and they work well. It’s a bit of a fussy setup depending on your shaper. Either the split fence has to be set accurately or use a outboard fence. I find we don’t use it very often on the shaper because we get good results edge gluing panels off the jointer and another step to the shaper is time consuming.

    They do do make for accurate panel gluing and in a shop without a wide belt sander or wide planer could be a asset. We have a set of insert glue joint cutters for thick stock for our S4S machine and use those when gluing long and thick table tops and panels. I would also say they are more accurate than biscuits for this type work.

    6F3706A0-3C71-450D-8C12-7BFD27798BC2.jpg
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    Last edited by Joe Calhoon; 01-20-2018 at 8:56 AM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
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    I bought one to make perfect base trim joints. I have also used it to make blanks for arch shapes for flooring inlays. If you are using it to glue up scraps, the key is to have a lot of scrap piled up and thicknessed properly so you can blast through stock quickly. They are not very quick to setup unless you have a machine like Joe where it is the click of a button after reading your setup notes.

    DSC02572(stefan).JPG

    As Rod mentions, a finger joint from a cutter like, https://rangate.com/products/adjusta...r-joint-cutter, is totally different than a biscuit joint. These joints have strength when clamped properly. If I hold a biscuit jointed piece over the edge of a table and hit the unsupported end, I can break that joint fairly easily. If I try the same with a finger jointed piece, I will hurt my hand. The reason this is used in the beam world is the increase in glue surface area and the fact you are gluing parallel to grain.

  7. #7
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    Dec 2008
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    Ouray Colorado
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    Brad, that is a nice floor! What was your process for building that?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Dawson Creek, BC
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    1,033
    Thanks Joe, means a lot from you. Yes, that was a progress picture and sadly the floor in the room beside the border did not get finished. I get so annoyed at myself when I look back through old pics like that and see the date.

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