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

Reply to
tymncycle
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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

Reply to
aswr

...

Sounds like only solution if there are no originals and no second source...guess it might pay to get a couple of the one that is available assuming you want to keep the joiner and that's a size you use.

I have no idea whether anybody else used such a blade or not.

Reply to
Duane Bozarth

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.
Reply to
Leon

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news:1123774473.819551.321000 @f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Can the old one be sharpened, or was there damage?

Reply to
Patriarch

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

Reply to
aswr

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.
Reply to
Leon

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

Reply to
BillyBob

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.

Reply to
Doug Miller

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

Reply to
Duane Bozarth

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

Reply to
Rumpty

on 8/11/2005 3:00 PM BillyBob said the following:

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.

Reply to
Unquestionably Confused

on 8/11/2005 5:02 PM Rumpty said the following:

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.

Reply to
Unquestionably Confused

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.

Reply to
Duane Bozarth

Unquestionably Confused wrote: ...

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

Reply to
Duane Bozarth

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?

Reply to
Unquestionably Confused

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.

Reply to
CW

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 Re: to Rick Heitzman. Good Luck. Rabbit

Reply to
Joe Mama

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