on 8/11/2005 3:00 PM BillyBob said the following:
wrote in message
oups.com...

Tim,

In my days as a tool salesman I have sold 1000's
of the model 555 and maybe sold one or two blades? Have you had the
blade sharpened yet? The blades seem to last forever in most cases.


I'm not sure, but it seems like sharpening would reduce the diameter and
therefore create a misfit for the biscuits. It might be academic, but a
biscuit joiner is one of the few tools I can think of where the diameter of
the blade is important to the final fit.

The diameter of the blade is important on all blades - some more so than
others as you've pointed out. However, the sharpening of the carbide
tip is done to the face of the tooth, not to the top. Yeah, with the
bevel back there will be some diminishing of the diameter of the blade
but it will be so miniscule as to be irrelevant in the over all scheme
of things. By the time it make an appreciable difference, you'll be out
of carbide tip and need a new blade.

Unless the blade is seriously messed up he can probably sharpen it a
time or two.

OTOH, trying to replace it on an old clunky model for ~ $50 doesn't make
a lot of sense. Soem good deals are out there to be had on the 556 or 557.