"Bob G." wrote in message
...
On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 20:21:46 +0000, wesf66
wrote:


I use a dowelmax doweling jig, and it works great. It can, however, be
quite time consuming. Are biscuits close to the same strength? They
look like they would be a lot faster, but I thought I'd ask a few
questions before paying a few hundred for a new tool. Are there
significant differances between buscuit jointers? Are there certain
features that I should look for?

I think you have opened a can of worms...lol

I do own a PC biscuit jointer ..and I do use it....

BUT to be very honest I tend to use dowels much more....as they
(Dowel) just seem to "fit" the work I do ...

Not going to comment on the strenght issue... both work well enough
for what I do...


Start with a concept of load.

A biscuit installed parallel to the load has the shear strength of the glue
that holds it. A dowel - loose tenon - has far greater shear strength. A
biscuit installed perpendicular to the load has much greater strength, but
is still only 1/8" thick, vs. 3/8 or 1/2.

Then think withdrawal. Here the initial nod also goes to the dowel for as
long as the glue remains sound. Unfortunately, it's a cross-grain
situation, and the dowel will work loose of the glue with humidity cycles.
The biscuit suffers much less, and so over the long run will be better.

Now return to a real M/T and notice that it's also a great shear joint, but
cross-grained, and subject to the same, if lesser problems than its round
cousin. We pin the tenon, and there's a new shear kid in town. We have to
shear the pin to withdraw the joint. This is made extremely difficult by
the registry of the shoulder of the tenon with the face of the mortise.