P-C #555 Biscuit Joiner Blade quest
 

Folks -

I've got an old Porter Cable model 555 biscuit joiner, and recently
went looking for new blades. What I've discovered is that PC made a
change in the tool, and the blades, when they introduced the 556 model.
The older blades have a raised "shoulder" on both sides, around the
arbor hole. The new blades do not, so they are slighly thinner at this
point, and you cannot tighten down the locknut onto them properly.
Porter Cable informed me that they have discontinued the older style
blades, and only had a few of one size of that type anywhere in their
service system.

So, my question is... has anyone else run up against this problem?
Does anyone have source for blades that will fit my older joiner? Or
is there another solution? At the moment, I'm thinking a couple of
thin round shims are the answer, but it's annoying that I have to do
that.

Anyone?

Tim

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.
Good luck,
Mike

wrote in message
oups.com...
Folks -

I've got an old Porter Cable model 555 biscuit joiner, and recently
went looking for new blades. What I've discovered is that PC made a
change in the tool, and the blades, when they introduced the 556 model.
The older blades have a raised "shoulder" on both sides, around the
arbor hole. The new blades do not, so they are slighly thinner at this
point, and you cannot tighten down the locknut onto them properly.
Porter Cable informed me that they have discontinued the older style
blades, and only had a few of one size of that type anywhere in their
service system.

So, my question is... has anyone else run up against this problem?
Does anyone have source for blades that will fit my older joiner? Or
is there another solution? At the moment, I'm thinking a couple of
thin round shims are the answer, but it's annoying that I have to do
that.


I have had that joiner, the 555 for about 16 years now. I also have the
556. New blades generally coat around $50. Given the quality difference of
the 2 machines I would suggest putting that money towards a new more modern
machine that has better and easier adjustments.

you might try with Freud...I think that I remember that Freud made a
replacement blade for the 555.
good luck,
Mike from American Sycamore

wrote in message
oups.com...
Folks -

I've got an old Porter Cable model 555 biscuit joiner, and recently
went looking for new blades. What I've discovered is that PC made a
change in the tool, and the blades, when they introduced the 556 model.
The older blades have a raised "shoulder" on both sides, around the
arbor hole. The new blades do not, so they are slighly thinner at this
point, and you cannot tighten down the locknut onto them properly.
Porter Cable informed me that they have discontinued the older style
blades, and only had a few of one size of that type anywhere in their
service system.

So, my question is... has anyone else run up against this problem?
Does anyone have source for blades that will fit my older joiner? Or
is there another solution? At the moment, I'm thinking a couple of
thin round shims are the answer, but it's annoying that I have to do
that.


I have had that joiner, the 555 for about 16 years now. I also have the
556. New blades generally coat around $50. Given the quality difference of
the 2 machines I would suggest putting that money towards a new more modern
machine that has better and easier adjustments.

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.

Bob

In article et, "BillyBob" wrote:

wrote in message
roups.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.

Nope, not an issue at all IMO. First, there's plenty of slop in the fit
anyway, more than enough room to allow for reducing the diameter slightly;.
Second, any reduction in diameter can be compensated for by increasing the
depth of cut. You could grind *all* the carbide off the teeth without reducing
the diameter enough to make any kind of differenc.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

Doug Miller wrote:

In article et, "BillyBob" wrote:

wrote in message
roups.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.

Nope, not an issue at all IMO. First, there's plenty of slop in the fit
anyway, more than enough room to allow for reducing the diameter slightly;.
Second, any reduction in diameter can be compensated for by increasing the
depth of cut. You could grind *all* the carbide off the teeth without reducing
the diameter enough to make any kind of differenc.

Plus, the grinding will be on the face of the tooth not the outside edge
which has minimal effect on the OD.

It's cheaper to buy a new blade than sharpen one.

--

Rumpty

Radial Arm Saw Forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/woodbutcher/start

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"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
Doug Miller wrote:

In article et,
"BillyBob" wrote:

wrote in message
roups.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.

Nope, not an issue at all IMO. First, there's plenty of slop in the fit
anyway, more than enough room to allow for reducing the diameter
slightly;.
Second, any reduction in diameter can be compensated for by increasing
the
depth of cut. You could grind *all* the carbide off the teeth without
reducing
the diameter enough to make any kind of differenc.

Plus, the grinding will be on the face of the tooth not the outside edge
which has minimal effect on the OD.

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.

on 8/11/2005 5:02 PM Rumpty said the following:
It's cheaper to buy a new blade than sharpen one.

Even when the replacement costs $50 as someone claimed and the blade has
what? seven or eight teeth?

Then too the problem seems to be that NOBODY is selling the damn blade
for the 555 which really throws a monkey wrench into the works.g

Rumpty wrote:

It's cheaper to buy a new blade than sharpen one.

Quite possibly true...never asked for a small one such as that. W/ no
more than 8 teeth and not needing truing, however, one would think it
shouldn't be too much, though.

Unquestionably Confused wrote:
....

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.

Wonder if there might be used ones on eBay cheap if it's an old model...

on 8/11/2005 6:43 PM Duane Bozarth said the following:
Unquestionably Confused wrote:
...

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.


Wonder if there might be used ones on eBay cheap if it's an old model...

That's one of the first places I check when looking for just about
anything.

I picked up a NEW PC 557 for about $125 last year. Don't think I've
ever seen the 555 but if the 556 was an "improvement" I think the OP
might be better off making the plunge (no pun intended) to the 557
rather than messing with the 555... Then again, if it worked for him,
why not?

When sharpening a blade like this (this goes for tablesaw blades too) the
only sharpening done on the outside diameter (if any) is just enough to even
up the tip heights. Maybe .005. The majority of grinding is done on the
tooth face where it has little effect on diameter.

"BillyBob" wrote in message
nk.net...

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.

Bob

I got one a couple of years ago from W.S.Jenks in Washington DC. It
was not made by PC. Jenks is on the web. Send them an email to Rick
Heitzman. Good Luck.
Rabbit

--
--
Lon Marshall