>I am getting ready to purchase a buscuit joiner for a book case to be built next week. The PC 557 has caught my eye because of some generally favorable reviews, however, I found a number of reviews where owners have complained about plastic hinges on the fence failing, and Porter Cable not providing replacement parts in a timely way.
Is this a widespread problem with this tool?
Can the WC members steer me to a reasonable quality bisuit joiner that will withstand medium duty use in my hobby workshop?
>I use my 557 at least once a month. I upgraded to the 557 from a Ryobi. The Ryobi was a good "started" joiner, but does not compare at all the the 557.
If my 557 died today, I would replace it with another one. Also, you can get a reducer hose and connect your DC (or shop vac) for almost dust free work.
>I have a PC Bisuit Joiner. I'm not sure of the model number (I'm at work) but it is their top of the line model. My son and I built 17 oak book cases. These were red oak plywood with red oak nosings. We cut about 42 biscuits per case. I have also used it on several other projects and had to make several adjustments/blade changes along the way. That puppy didn't give me one lick of trouble. Ever.
Although I am very satisfied with the performance and accuracy of my DeWalt, I bought the PC for my #3 son several years ago. He's presently on his third blade! It gets almost daily use, as he is a finish carpenter/cabinet maker. It is a superior tool.
>I have had a PC557 for about five years. I did not know until you told me the hinges were plastic. Mine gets occasional hobbly use. Not one second of trouble with it. The fence system seems sturdy and accurate and versatile. If it died I would buy another and have recommended it to friends.
I did have some trouble jointing small pieces that would drop "through" the fence. I invented the idea of taping a piece of thin lexan to the fence so I could see through it for alignment and yet have great support. Then my friend (mentioned above) told me there was a ready made plastic "shoe" in the carrying case (which I keep the 557 in). Much better than my invention. Silly Me! All my best ideas were stolen by the Ancients. Perhaps I should have read the instructions. NOT!
>The 557 Type 2 is the infamous biscuit joiner that PC had to re-engineer because of patent-infringement litigation about 10 years ago. The rework involved setting the body of the joiner about .060" back from the face of the fence, resulting in some awkward joining situations, none of which preclude its use. In fact, to restore it to its original flush condition, you can simply contact cement an extra strip of rough floor paper or inner tube rubber to the face of the base.
I have tested biscuit joiners for two magazines and continue to like the 557 among the best we tested. The fence angle adjustments are great and it's the only one that will take the tiny cutter for FF size biscuits. Also, I have not had any trouble with the plastic quadrant hinges, but I could see how they might not survive a fall with the fence extended.
>I'll point out that Porter-Cable is now shipping a "Type 3" version of the 557 that supposedly fixes the problems Ellis describes. I haven't looked at mine closely, but I've never had any problems with it. And I cut, quite literally, thousands of slots for Eb-ty fasteners when I built my deck last year. That said, in my shop it seems to be a solution in search of a problem... I think I've only used it on one other project.
>The flip fence on the Type 2 sticks out .060 in front of the friction surface surrounding the blade cavity. No self-respecting engineer would have designed it that way unless they were under legal pressure to save their bacon. It sounds like they have a new model that fixes the problem, but I have not had a chance to try it out so I can't say how they got around the original issue.
What this disparity means/meant is that if the flip fence was up at 90° to the base and at its lowest position, it (instead of the friction face of the base) would contact the edge of the board. This is not a good situation, because the flip fence is smooth metal and can slip when the blade is plunged, and the blade will plunge .060" shallower than half the depth of the biscuit setting. You could get around it by raising the flip fence above the thickness of the wood you're joining, but on the PC, that involves a lot of turns of a height adjustment screw. When you flip the fence down parallel to the base and reference the top surface of the workpiece, the problem goes away. It's a minor annoyance that you can fix by shimming the friction surface out flush with the face of the fence.
It's somewhat of a big deal if you're using the biscuit joiner in the classic mode, where you are referencing the base on the work. For top-referenced and miter work, it's not a serious issue.
Without illustrations, I don't know if I can explain it any better. Sounds like the Type 3 gets around the problem.
>"That said, in my shop it seems to be a solution in search of a problem... I think I've only used it on one other project."
Well, that describes a bunch of the tools in my shop. Some of them sit for more than a year, and get moved only to clean up some of the mess that accumulates. I have a DeWalt biscuit machine, maybe 6 years now. It sat for more than a year and a half, unopened, but the last couple of months, it's been real busy on my daughter-in-law's kitchen cabinet replacement project.
Still cheaper out of pocket, and way better quality, than the off-the-shelf cabinets at the big box stores...
>One of life's embarrassing moments. My cousin asked me to help do some built-ins for her daughter. Made of MDF and "Straw Wood" and painted. I used my 557 to make a cut with the fence "up" and in an awkward position. It ran around in a circle and cut a smiley face worthy of Jack Nicholson as the Joker. My magic biscuit machine I had bragged on embarrased me. ME! Who houses it and takes it to the emergency room when its ill (repair shop) and feeds it all the biscuits it wants. Now I understand why the grippy part did not work.
How's an old half blind hobbiest supposed to notice .060"? What manner of Engineering is this? Had to be engineered by their Lawyers. (This kind of crap does not give us better machines, it gives us better lawyers.)
>Thank you everyone for the enlightening feedback on the PC 557 Bisuit Joiner. I am going to proceed with the purchase and will be sure to check that it is a Type 3.
>specifically, DeWalt/Black & Decker lawyers. Black & Decker filed a patent infringement suit and won, so P-C had to reengineer the fence. Who now owns P-C & Delta?
>If memory serves, the shim manufacturer was the 'fly by night copper company' at least for the one I have. Don't know if they're still in business or not, but I loved the name! It was a solid piece of thin aluminum, just take the original grit piece off the jointer, attach the new piece and plunge thru the new piece to cut a slot.
