Biscuits

[Stan Johnsey]

Got a refurbished PC 557 from CPO and am anxious to try it out. Questions:

Do you have better luck with one brand of biscuit over another?

What size biscuit for mitered corner on 3/4" plywood?

[Chris Kennedy]

I have always used PC biscuits, mainly because they are what my local HD carries. I've found them to be more than sufficient. I have also found that it helps to keep a pack of silica gel in with the biscuits for the more humid times of years.

My general approach to biscuit sizing -- biggest one that will fit.

Cheers,

Chris

[Peter Pedisich]

I've used PC biscuits as thats what my local tool store had.
After years of frustration, I bought a bag of virutex biscuits from Spain.

What a big difference, no more frustration.

[Matt Day]

I think 20's are what i use for 3/4". I think I use PC ones too, but sometimes I need to go through a few to find one that fits snugly as they vary a little on thickness. Glue will cause them to expand, but it's nice to have a snug fit so they don't just fall out during dry fitting.

[Steve Clardy]

Always used the pc biscuits.

[Curt Harms]

I've had good luck with the PC biscuits. The silica packs seem like a good idea. I don't leave my jars open, just shake out what I need and close them back up. They DO swell when they get damp; they're designed to. The times I had sloppy fits seemed due to moving the machine a tiny bit when plunging it. The machine is fairly long and it moves along its long axis so it doesn't take much. Either indexing off the base or holding the top fence TIGHT helped me. Another trick that helped me is when cutting slots along the face of plywood, clamp a 2X4 with a jointed edge flush with the back edge of the plywood. That gives the fence more to sit on and helps keep the face of the machine perpendicular to the wood. It's very easy when doing that type of cut to hold the machine not quite square to the work then the slots are not square and aw crap.

[Noah Katz]

Peter, what was frustrating about the PC biscuits?

[Peter Pedisich]

Noah,

Having to set aside about 25% of them for being too tight, then put them in a vise or micro to get them to fit. I always kept them in the original container with the dessicant pack.

With the Virutex biscuits, every single one of them fit the first time.

I dont get enough shop time to fix biscuits.

At work they use Lamello brand for the same reason, much better uniformity than the PC biscuits.

[Sean Nagle]

Noah,

Having to set aside about 25% of them for being too tight, then put them in a vise or micro to get them to fit. I always kept them in the original container with the dessicant pack.

At work they use Lamello brand for the same reason, much better uniformity than the PC biscuits.

I've had the same experience with PC biscuits. Lamello's thickness is much more consistent. I get them through Amazon.

[Bill White]

And I too use PC, but I have seen many Lamelo biscs in the package. HUH????
Bill

[Noah Katz]

I see, thanks, Peter, I'll get out the calipers and measure and see what kind of variation I've got.

[Bob Wingard]

Put the fat ones in a microwave for a few minutes .. shrinks 'em right down .. .. ..


<<<__ Bøb __>>>

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

Put the fat ones in a microwave for a few minutes .. shrinks 'em right down

Thank you!
That tip alone more than paid for my SMC dues for the year, and then some.
I have two big plastic jars of PC biscuits that have gotten rather portly.

[Tom Welch]

+ one for Lamello. I stopped buying PC biscuits. The Lamello are uniform in thickness and there is less waste of biscuits.