I guess that Lamello is what he was referring to in the video as the red one. I presumed Milwaukee, couldn't imagine it costing what he said. Now I know.RFGuy wrote: ↑Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:08 am ...It is worth pointing out that there is a high end biscuit jointer made by Lamello that costs like $1,500. I know at least a couple of production woodworkers, who happen to have YouTube channels, that use and love the Lamello biscuit jointer. Lamello even sells knockdown hardware that can be used in the biscuit slot. Check out Mike Farrington or Guy's Woodshop if you want to see a Lamello in action.
I've never had a biscuit joint fail. I've also never used one for an end-to-end glue joint as demo'd as 'unsuccessful' in the subject video. I don't consider its failure to strengthen that joint as a failure, it is simply not its intended use.
The video did not convince me that a biscuit does not significantly improve the strength of a miter. The 'miter' tested isn't a real miter, and the force that broke it is not a force I'm worried about. I don't think a miter would ever fail the way he demonstrated in the second video, a combo of the glue joint and the material, under real world conditions. I've never seen a real miter joint fail anywhere but the glue joint, and believe that to be the normal case.
The video did convince me that biscuits have one unfortunate characteristic. If used in a miter, the biscuit's grain is likely to align with the grain of one of the two work pieces. And therefore does not reinforce the lignin in that piece. I checked samples I have of two brands and believe that he is probably correct that the grain runs roughly 45 degrees in biscuits. Which seems inexplicable.
- David