Biscuit Size Varaince.

[Trigger]

Hi All,

I decided I needed an additional floor standing shelf unit in my workshop and got around to knocking one up out of some 18mm MDF sheet I had.

After marking out and cutting the biscuit slots with my Makita BJ I started to dry assemble the unit to test. After 5 minutes I ran out of my size 10 Trend biscuits and started to use size 10 Freud's. Immediately I noticed how much tighter the Freuds were in the slots. Damp couldn't have got at them as they were from a new bag just opened so I decided to measure them. :?

Trend 4mm T x 53 L x 19 W
Freud 4mm T x 55.5 L x 20 W

Is this just normal manufacturing tolerances ?

 

[Chris Knight]

Trig,
Since the thickness is the same, I wonder why they seemed tighter?

 

[Trigger]

I'm not rightly sure although just having measured the Trend again they are a tad below 4mm thick. The unit I've made was far more difficult to adjust laterally due to the length of the Freud.

I think I'll stick to the Trend biscuits in future.

 

[Waka]

Trigger

You could put the Freud ones in the microwave for a few seconds and see if that makes a difference to the size, if they get any moisture in them they will swell up.

 

[jasonB]

A slight adjustment to the No 10 depth stop will allow you to use the biscuits you have and get back that bit of latteral play (assuming your machine has the adjustment)

I find that the lamello ones are tighter than the Tanseli ones that I normally use.

Jason

 

[OPJ]

I've also got the Makita jointer and I can confirm that you can adjust the depth of cut to allow for wider biscuits, all you need is a screw driver. When I bought mine earlier this year, it was set to cut slots that were too tight. I make the slots a little deeper and wider to allow for some leeway when aligning boards during a glue up (modern glues are strong enough to hold it all together).

 

[joesoap]

Now lads what you have to bear in mind is that the engineers that design these tools work to the nearest thou . What they seem to forget , is that we 'woodies' have to be 'spot on ' but we'll just have to live with that . Have to say though that a microwave goin in to tlhe shed ;;;;would really set the nieghbours talkin . Cheers !

 

[Trigger]

Thanks for the replies.

I did try the microwave trick but to no avail so I think it will be a case of adjusting the depth of cut as has been suggested until I've used all the Freud biscuits up.

I'm still a bit surprised at the variance between two reputable manufacturers. Had I bought a DIY Sheds own brand I might have been expecting it but not from these two.

 

[jasonB]

Just looked up the size of Lamello bickies and their No 10 is 53x19 so it looks like the freud ones are the problem

Jason

 

[Trigger]

Interesting Jason,

I think you have confirmed my suspicions about the Freud biscuits.

I could afford some Lamello biscuits just a pity I can't afford one of their jointers

 

[jasonB]

I've got one (C3) but don't like their biscuits

Jason