I am using an 8" Delta jointer, and am experiencing "snipe" at the end of each pass. For some reason the last 1.5" or so of board gets a deeper cut, giving me an uneven board.
I've checked the Delta docs with no luck; any ideas on how to correct this would be most appreciated.
If the rear table is adjustable the rear table needs to be adjusted up to be level with the knives. disconect power loosen locknut on outfeed table gibs (ususlly centre bolt) place straight edge on outfeed table and over knives adjust rear table up untill you can rotate the cutter block by hand and knives just touch straightedge when at top dead centre tighten locknut on outfeed table gibs
If the outfeed table is not adjustable the knives need to be adjusted to be set level with outfeed table. disconect power place straight edge on outfeed table and over knives rotate the cutter block by hand and adjust all knives to just touch straightedge when at top dead centre tighten gibs
away you go and all should be well
Put your feed pressure against the fence and then on the outfeed side.....take less off in each pass as well. Your most likely at the end of the cut pushing down on the infeed side and rocking the board into the blades......when I changed methods mine magically fixed itself....Rod
Yours was definatly a user error problem and a safety issue Safety Rule Number 1 Your hands should never pass over the cutter head.
To place enough pressure above cutter block to force timber down into knives would take considerable pressure. Your purpose at the driving end is simply to guide the piece through. Only light downward pressure is required. The size of each pass will not stop snipe, except a deeper cut will result in a deeper snipe and a shallower cut a shalower snipe. Only light pressure is required against teh fence to keep the piece in contact with fence. Exerting more pressure than necessary only serves to increase the seriousnous of the injury if something does go wrong ..... more pressure and fingers travel further into cutter ....
A gentle hand is all that is needed to keep things flowing smoothly
I'm guessing that your outfeed table is too low relative to your cutter knives. If this is the case, the portion of the board that rests on the infeed table is allowing the board to bridge over the cutter until the tail end of the board falls off the infeed table. Then the board drops until it is caught by the outfeed table. I'll bet the finished edge of your board isn't truly straight (not counting the snipe) either.
As others have said, place a straightedge on the outfeed table with the end hanging over the cutter. When the cutterhead is turned by hand (while following accepted safety precautions), the blade should just scrape the straightedge without lifting it.
DonkeyHody "We are all ignorant, just about different things." - Will Rogers
Yep, my RIDGID model propels the stock through after I simply get it started.
Not sure why anyone would need to "exert" pressure or get one's digits near the cutterhead while the machine was operating.
Don't you have to measure how far off it is with a dial indicator first?
That's a mighty fancy jointer that you have there if it has a power feed. Didn't know Ridgid made anything that sophisticated.
Perhaps you're thinking of a planer and not a jointer ?
You have a RIDGID jointer with power feed??
Ummm... that's the way a jointer works. Perhaps you're thinking of a planer?
Nah, He's just running his wood across it backwards. It'll feed itself pretty well in that direction.
DonkeyHody "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." - Will Rogers
"Perhaps you're thinking of a planer"
Yep - Duh!
Umm If your jointer propels the stock, you may want to feed from the other direction.
Who cares if its .001" , .025", 3/16", 2mm or 1/2 a pubic hair off ..... ? It's either right or wrong. You simply adjust as required to match straight edge. It doesn't matter how much you adjusted it unless for some strange reason you like to keep statistical maintenance records of how often and how far out it is.
I think that comment was intended mostly in jest, referring to another thread we had a month ago about setting jointer knives.
However...
"Simply adjust as required" is just another name for "trial and error". While trial and error does work (not the best way IMO, but it does work) for setting the height of the outfeed table relative to the knives, it's a *lousy* way of making sure that the knives are all at the same height relative to each other. That's where the dial indicator is really useful.
Ugh-oh.....
Sure. Because you can then use the built-in microadjust capability to raise or lower the knives precisely the required amount.
For those of you who have that capability. What brand of jointer is that, anyway? The one with the auto-adjust which compensates for blade wear?
LOL
Well, yes, that's kind of the point.
I'm not sure just what you find confusing here. I have a Delta DJ-15, just your basic run-of-the-mill 6" jointer, nothing particularly special about it. Each knife has two height-adjusting screws. With a dial indicator and an Allen wrench, it's a pretty simple operation to adjust each knife to exactly the same height. What brand of jointer is it, anyway, that does *not* have height-adjusting screws for the knives?
Sorry George.
I dont think we need to go down this track again but there is no trial and error about it if its done right. The measurement is of no paractical use unless you happen have a microadjust scale on jointer as George mentions little firther down.
It's not entirely clear to me exactly what you mean here, at two points:
Which measurement is "of no practical use"?
And what, exactly, do you mean by "a microadjust scale" on the jointer? Are you talking about adjusting the infeed, the outfeed, the knife height, or what?
Simple concept. Of what value is a precise measurement of error when you have no precise corrective adjustment? How many turns, after you take out the inevitable backlash, does it take on the knife elevating screws if so equipped? If you think that butting the knife up against a gage with a dial attached is significantly different than butting it up to a block referenced to the outfeed table, there's no help for you. The knives can be perfectly level to the outfeed and still be in error as far as the operation of the tool is concerned.
If the wood passes the knives, which are the cut limiters, and catches on the table, lower the table until the new surface just touches it. If feeding while referencing the outfeed produces a snipe on the trailing edge, lower the table until it does neither.
A good way to figure how low you have to go is to extend your outfeed table with a block and bring the knives up until they kiss it at the top of their arc. Pretty much what you'd do whether you knew how far you needed to go or not.
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