I'm not looking for the additional strength but more to help with alignment issues when gluing up a panel. I've spent too much time planing and sanding a panel to make it flat and needed a quicker solution. I'm sure there are other solutions that are cheaper but hopefully this will work well for me.
Biscuits do help with that goal, however they are not the final solution as it generally takes a combination of methods/techniques, plus good clamps, to get flat panels/parts.
Both edges being joined obviously need to be either 90 degrees, or complementary angles, that add to 90 degrees. One way to insure this is an edge joining technique whereby you alternate opposite faces of each joint against the joiner fence, thereby insuring complementary angles even if there is a slight discrepancy in either your table saw rip blade, or the jointer fence.
After setting up the biscuit joiner, make sure that you cut all parts from the same "reference" edge/face.
Also make sure that you use just the right amount of clamping pressure so as not to bow the panel.
A final little trick I use during the glue-up is to add "clamp assists" on the opposite ends of each glue joint. These help keep the panels/parts flat and surfaces aligned when under clamping pressure:
Just drill a number of aligned 1" holes in a long board, then rip down the middle, then crosscut to size. I make boxes of these things at a time ... like clamps, you can't have too many.
Good luck. I have not been to impressed by the alignment capabilities of biscuits, specially when gluing up panels. Always seems there is some mismatch and, with the biscuit in the joint, that mismatch is permanent. I quit using them for this reason. When gluing up panels, no biscuits means more slipping around but the parts can be pushed into alignment with hammer, cauls, et. With biscuits, they're stuck.
I have a PC 557 and like it a lot, however, was spoiled by having shared ownership of the Delta stationary biscuit joiner. My partner moved away and I let him have it. Boy do I miss that thing.
Frank
SFWIW, I don't even try.
Glue up oversize panels, then head for the drum sander shop.
End up with sanded to size (thickness) panels, no pain, no strain.
YMMV
Lew
I like to use honey or apricot jam to join my biscuits.
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