Shopsmith Forums

Hi,

I dugout my shopsmith biscuit joiner (555320) today for a project. While I had it out I thought I might as well take a few pictures.

This is not a true review as I'm not going to go that far but rather this is a review in pictures with a couple of notes along the way.

For those of you who have never seen one before this might help out in knowing what you might be buying.

We will call this first picture a side view. Note the springs, they make sure the blade is contained in the housing, as you push the stock into the joiner the springs compress so the blade makes the cut.

The vertical slot is where the setscrew for the arbor is accessed. The housing is slid on the quill collar while the arbor slides on the spindle. The housing is locked in place with a screw, the arbor with a set screw.

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This one we will call a rear view. The dust collection port is the most visible part from this angle.

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And this would be a top view.

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The cutter is contained with in the housing but by removing the screws and cover it comes out. This would be called an inside view.

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The allen wrench is in the set screw that adjusts the joiner for the biscuit sizes, largest #20 followed by a #10 and then the smallest #10. I have mine set for a #20 as that is what I wanted to use today.

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More coming in the next post.

Ed

Another adjustment are the pins that are shown in the next two images. I like to back them off so they are not protruding when in storage, that protects the tips and my fingers. You adjust the pins with about 1/32" exposed for hardwood and about 1/16" for soft wood, pictures are in that order.

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The height or placement of the cut is adjusted by using the quill. Do remember that the main table is the reference surface, so the work pieces need to be marked and all parts cut the same way. So if you were doing a table top and wanted the top of the table to be flat then it needs to face the main table, the uneven surface is up.

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After you mark up the horizontal locations for the biscuits, matching lines at the joint, it is then only a mater of matching the line with the joiner line and cutting.

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In this case I did a test cut to make sure everything was the way I expected it to be.

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More coming.

Ed

For this project I'm going with double biscuits on the X2 wood. With the first set cut I then re-adjust the quill so the second set of cuts can be made with the reference side of the wood sitting on the main table.

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Now which way does the workpiece go?

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I know, do you know?

So this is about all I got for now. Questions?

Ed

I would think the same side as used for the first set.

Assuming you want to, that also allows using the same alignment marks.

I have heard that placing biscuits close to one surface can result in bulging of the surface due to expansion of the biscuit. Have you ever experienced this phenomenon?

mountainbreeze wrote:I have heard that placing biscuits close to one surface can result in bulging of the surface due to expansion of the biscuit. Have you ever experienced this phenomenon?

It has happened to me when using biscuits in MDF but never in real wood. But I would not be surprised if it happened in real wood as well; especially if the biscuits are close to the surface. I normally try to install biscuits close to the center.

Thanks for the tour and explanation of the biscuit joiner in action. ~mike

Hi, Ed! Very good show on the SS Biscuit cutter. As usual, your presentations are really good.

I see that your cutter is missing the stick on sandpaper for the face. Maybe you don't like it, but I have found it sure helps when cutting into a piece that doesn't reach the pins.
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Thanks for another super presentation. I really appreciate the bi-lingual aspect - English and pictures. You do a great job combining the two, really helps me understand the technique, tool, etc. You always teach me something new.

charlese wrote:Hi, Ed! Very good show on the SS Biscuit cutter. As usual, your presentations are really good.

I see that your cutter is missing the stick on sandpaper for the face. Maybe you don't like it, but I have found it sure helps when cutting into a piece that doesn't reach the pins.
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See, now I learned something, I have a model from the late 1980's and there was no sandpaper! Checked my manual and none was listed.

Does someone have the part number for this? Some times I need something to fill in an order for small parts, making the postage thing work for you can be quite the task.

Ed