"krw" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:51:05 -0600, "Max"
wrote:


"krw" wrote in message
. ..
On Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:17:27 +1200, Peter Huebner
wrote:

In article ,
says...

A while back I bought a PC biscuit jointer and have just gotten an
excuse to use it. I broke it out today, planning to add an Ash edge
some plywood for a cabinet I'm making and have run into some
questions:

1. The biscuits seem pretty loose in the slot. I can move the boards
laterally a 64th or so. Is this normal? I thought they'd be more
like dowels and be quite tight. I know the idea is that they expand
when glued but the slop isn't giving me much confidence. My plywood
is somewhat warped so there is no way the biscuits are going to hold
the two pieces laterally. It seems I'm going to have to make some
cauls this weekend.

2. Is the PC jointer supposed to sound like a coffee grinder? I would
have expected the sound from HF, but not a "high end" jointer like the
PC. I can't feel any slop in the bearings so I don't think this
accounts for any slop, but thought I'd ask.

Thanks.


I'm astonished at some of the replies. I use a Makita bisquit jointer
with Lamello bisquits and there is NO slop, period. It requires firm
pressure to insert 95% of the bisquits into the slot (I get the odd one
that slides in easily) and I sometimes have to use pliers to remove them
after a trial fit-up. Once coated with pva, I have to use a very small
wooden mallet to centre bisquits if I haven't gotten them into the right
place with my thumb, they're that tight.

Haven't tried the glue yet. It was apparent I was going to need to do
more alignment, so stopped.

Hard to say if your bisquits are crap, or if the PC is sloppy/wobbly or
if the blade is no good. My jointer sounds like a router, not like a
coffee grinder ...

Just for reference: I keep the lamello bisquits in a plastic bucket with
the lid merely laid snugly on top, rather than pressed down (it's so
tight, it's a pain to try and open if I seal it) and in my extremely
humid climate I haven't had noticable problems with the bisquits
swelling through sucking moisture from the air. The box-full of bisquits
I am still using a.t.m. is about 5 years old.

I just recently bought both PC (#10) and Bosch (#20) biscuits. All
are sloppy in the slots (I just cut for #20, but it's the same blade).
I'm sorta limited in what I can buy around here so I'll try some
Lamello next time I order toys.

I have a PC joiner and use (mostly) Bosch biscuits. (because they're the
most available here).
The biscuits fit snug but not so tight that they can't be removed before
gluing.
There is plenty of room for lateral adjustment; I think that was an
intentional design.

"Latteral" was a poor choice of words on my part. I meant that the
edge alignment is off by as much as 1/64" either way. That is, the
biscuit rattles from top to bottom (board laying flat) in the slot
about 1/64". Side to side the slop is at least 1/8", maybe 1/4".

There must be something wrong with the blade or the arbor (shaft). The blade
on mine cuts a slot just the right "thickness" to fit the thickness of the
biscuit. Do you have a caliper (or even better a micrometer) Measure the
thickness of the teeth on the blade. With the joiner setting on a smooth,
flat surface, measure the distance between the blade and the surface.
Rotate the blade (with the cord unplugged, heh, heh)
and measure again. If there's a difference, it's the arbor, (shaft).
The joiner has to be tight against the work and held tight so there's no
chance for it to move up.
Plunge *once* and back out. If you leave the blade in the slot more than a
couple seconds it will make the slot larger.
My son has the same PC joiner that I have and he has no problems either.

Max