Saw this new take from Lamello on the biscuit joiner.
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Wow! That’s bonkers.
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Wow – had not seen this yet. I guess if I made a lot of breakdown furniture – this would be a good investment. Lamello does make top-notch tools. I love their Cantex lipping planer (which I bought after I retired) way better than the Hoffman we used in the shop.
Lamello started the biscuit joiner era – and over the years we had bought a number (different models) for our shop and installation work. My take was that their top-of-the-line tool continually added some new features over the years – they maintained quality and that the biscuit slots they cut were quite precise – perhaps more so than others.
We liked the first and subsequent Lamello plate joiners (as they called them) quite a lot – and in use you knew that you were using a high quality tool that felt right in your hands.
We had also bought a Ryobi DBJ50 that was a bit of a toy – but cut slots for tiny biscuits – just the right size for moldings.
Because we also liked dowelling for some jobs – and did not want to buy a big dowelling station – we bought a Feud FDW710K portable doweling machine and then a much better Mafell DD-40.
When I thought to buy a biscuit joiner for my home shop – the Lamello had probably gone off-patent so a batch of other brands started to appear. At the time I bought – the Dewalt DW682 was getting the highest marks (the Porter Cable was not out yet) in the lower-priced arena – so that’s what I went with. Glad I did – because over the years I’ve found that biscuits were only so-so useful – and had some real issues when their swelling could cause bump-out on thinner materials. So I would probably have kicked myself if I had laid out the big bucks for the Lamello. Because I found that biscuits were not the end-all – be-all – I also bought one of the Freud dowelling machines in 2009. This now sits pretty much idle – supplanted by the Festool Domino XL (with adapters, from Seneca Woodworking, I use it for the full range of dominos) that I bought in 2013.
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Yeah I thought it was pretty cool. Would be great for a small cabinet shop, especially one not ready to drop the money on a doweling machine. I work as an engineer and CNC programmer for a commercial millwork and casework company, so stuff like this is always interesting. Very cool to see something that has become a staple of the industry to still be able to be improved so much with such a simple change.
Also one of the videos looks like they are using a CNC to cut the slots in cabinet sides.
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I don’t do anything in terms of knock down furniture, but the ‘biscuits’ look to be about $1.50 each, how does that compare with other knock down hardware? The tool itself is around $1700 which I guess is typical for high end specialist tools like this, but I wondered if the hardware is a competitive price. Festool dominos are a lot cheaper but they of course are not knock down so can’t really be compared.
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It’s pretty comparable. I would think there will be bulk discounts as well. Some similar KD type hardware we have used would be Rafix fittings, or the cam type stuff like you find on Ikea, but this is also more concealed. It also can be used for straight wood and glue biscuit joints. Its pricey like a festool domino, but I think it could be worth it for someone who does a lot of closets or furniture like that. I would be interested in the CNC setup as well.
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That system reminds me of this old video but with a neat twist … and relatively invisible.
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Ah yes the Ikea standard 
These are pretty ugly and I suspect present challenges in getting the holes lined up perfectly so that sides match etc. Of course I’m sure a jig could be put together quite easily to give good alignment if there are a lot of repetitive joints to be made. They also only work with butt joints not mitered joints that appear to be possible with the Lamello product.
None of these knock down solutions provide much in the way of joint strength, particularly in resisting racking forces but in that regard they are probably no worse than something like pocket screws or even normal biscuits. Decent dowels and floating tenons (like Domino) should provide good strength depending on the wood being used, but don’t make for good knock down.
I guess the combination of strength, knock down, appearance and cost is pretty difficult to achieve.
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By themselves no, but that is the same with dowels or really anything connect two 3/4" thick members with a particle board or mdf core. Putting a back or some sort of stretcher is always the best bet, and can use the same type of fasteners and still add strength.
@Art I’ve played with that system a little as well. Very cool, especially for like railings. Also neat that it is a lamello product as well.
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The Zeta is a fantastic machine for knock down furniture! I was pleasantly surprised with the build quality compared to a domino (different tools and both quite good). The dovetail’d slides and fence operate so smoothly and I like how the fence registers on the outside of a mitered corner and not the inside like a domino. The joints are pretty strong as well. I’m planning to use this to build out closet systems and built ins in my office (when I get time). I can do the finishing work on flat panels in my basement, then install/assemble on site. And no more need for 1000 clamps and all that time doing glue ups.
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