jointer motor going - going -

[brocpuffs]

Hi people,

I've had my jointer, an ultra-budget Delta 37-285 6-incher, almost a year. The motor bearings are going out. I didn't hear the telltale noise, since I can't hear a Lockheed 1011 anyway. When my SWMBO pointed it out, it was already pretty far gone, very rough and emits a metal-on-metal noise, according to SWMBO..

Anyway, the machine was a poorly designed early model.For instance in use, the belt quickly shredded itself against its protective housing. In a few days of use, before I caught on! It was improperly adjusted and a design flaw did the job on the belt.

So, I think it's a piece o' junk, it works, that's all one can say for it. It's small, which is what I need.

If I take it back and convince Delta to "work on it", they will replace poorly designed parts with new, poorly designed parts, so maybe I should look for a new motor as good as or better than the old one??

Or toss it and get a Griz (for instance)?

James [e-mail]

[Charlie Self]

James notes:

First, try Delta. Who knows. They might even agree iwth your about the poor design and do some truly reconstructive surgery on the jointer. They might not, too, but you'll never know unless you try.

Charlie Self

"Man is a reasoning rather than a reasonable animal." Alexander Hamilton

[nospam]

do a quick feasibility study : ^ )

price out motors. call a local motor repair shop and see if they have anything rebuilt to sell you. look at grizzly and harbor freight's websites. check ebay.

figure on replacing the pulleys while you're at it. get machined steel pulleys and a quality belt. make sure the pulleys are locked to the shaft well.

consider how much time you want to put into this machine, and balance that against the setup and tuning time you'd have to put into something new.

Bridger

[Myxylplyk]

Jim,

What did Jackson Saw say when you told them about this? They are the local Delta service reps.

Myx

[brocpuffs]

Hi Myx,

I bought it from Woodworker's Warehouse which, as you must know, is in the last few weeks of its life.

Actually I found out from taking the jointer apart, that the dang motor was fine. The link belt had stretched and possibly the motor bolts loosened, such that the motor shaft was leaning heavily on a piece of metal that closed the motor shaft cutout in the side.

Said piece of metal was bent and somewhat ground away at the point of contact. My SWMBO didn't have the experience, and I didn't have the ears, to notice this-

I removed one link from the belt and tightened the motor bolts and it feels smooth as heck now.

Except now the damfino on/off switch doesn;t work. AAaugh!

James [e-mail]