Jointer adjustment Q?

Hi all -

I have a Ridgid 610 jointer (no chuckles please, it was a deal), and I am trying to tune it for maximum precision.

Last night, I was checking the tables with a straight edge, and I cannot get them exactly co-planar. Instead of droop, it would seem that the outside end of one table is actually too high. With a straightedge dead flat on the outfeed, and touching the far end of the infeed table, I have about .004 under the straightedge at the infeed table right before the cutters. Both tables are dead flat individually. The problem worsens slightly as I lower the outfeed table, so I have adjusted the knives to the table's highest setting and locked it there.

I have tried loosening the gib screws, and I even gave a good tap on the ends of the tables with a dead-blow hammer. This got me to the current point from a start of about .010

Is this the best I can hope for, or are there any other tricks short of machining that I can try? Is .003 close enough that I can now blame my poor results on technique instead of the machine? I haven't tried it since these adjustments, but I was getting a concave edge with a high spot about 2" from each end.

Thanks for any insight - Gary

Reply to
gw
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If I am imganing the situation properly, the infeed table should be lower than the outfeed, otherwise the blades would not be taking any material off? The outfeed table should be level with the top of the blades, the infeed table should be able to adjust lower to however much material you wish to remove in a single pass. I usually remove 1/16" per pass as standard, but this can change depending on how warped/bowed the material is.

-- Regards,

Dean Bielanowski Editor, Online Tool Reviews

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Reply to
Woodcrafter

The infeed is lower than the outfeed, but it is not exactly parallel. If I lay a straightedge on the outfeed table, and allow it to project over the lowered infeed table, the end of the infeed table closest to the cutting head is .004 lower than the far right end. In other words, it is very slightly sloped "downhill", toward the blades. I think this is giving me concave cuts, because the trailing edge of the board gets lower as it approaches the blades.

Reply to
gw

Well .003 is really good if it will stay that way. Most of the time the tables seem to sag a little. Each table is flat but going from the end of the infeed to the end of the outfeed you see a gap and the end of the tables. If I am correct you have a gap near the cutterhead. Do a google search on "shimming a jointer". What you need to do is get some shims .001 at an auto parts store and find the sweet spot to shim the dovetail ways that the table rides in. Now the only problem is if you shim the infeed table, it gets moved more than the outfeed table. So it's best to shim it for a 1/32 or 1/16 cut and leave that setting.

Reply to
Jody

You have to shim the dovetail ways if you are looking for perfection.

004 is not too bad though. Reset your knives so they are even or maybe .001 above the outfeed table at the cutterhead. Take light cuts and you should get good results. Sometimes moving the jointer by lifting from the outfeed table will cause your problem, should not if the gibs are tight. mike
Reply to
mike

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