Jointer Help

[The Wolf]

Someone showed me a way to check the jointer. Joint the first 12" of a board, pull it back scribble pencil marks on it. Turn it around and run it through the other way. It should remove the pencil marks on the second pass.

At any rate I am working on a jointer manufactured in 1944. It takes 2-3 passes to remove the pencil marks.

Can anyone help me with troubleshooting?

[SonomaProducts.com]

In theory that would be a tru test if you started with a perfectly flat board. But if not, then it means nothing. Also, technique can have a big effect on jointers also.

The key factors are:

1. The infeed and outfeed tables should be totally parallel in both directions (side to side and end to end). This is easiest to check when infeed table is raised to be equal height to outfeed but should remain true after infeed is lowered for usage(harder to check). So any adjustments to make tables parallel are first step.

1. Raise cutters so they are equal to outfeed table height. There are little frames with magnet that help set this up. You loosen the blades, run the head to center the cutter at highest point and lock down each blade. Use can use a straight edge if you don't have magnet gizmo.

2. Side fence should lock in at 90 degrees exact to table.

Not much else to do.

[Swingman]

My advice would be to ignore it ... too many other variables at play for that method to be remotely reliable, IMO.

The proof is in the pudding ... using a proper and practised technique, when a single pass fully engages the board from end to end, and results is a flat surface, then the pudding is done.

[The Wolf]

This thing is a 12" monster. I only have a 4' level to use as a straight edge. Trying to improvise. I suspect the outfeed table is sloped towards the floor.

The bed is level.

[Doug Miller]

IME, 0.002" to 0.003" above outfeed table height works better.

[Doug Miller]

FWIW, in operation it doesn't matter *at all* if the tables are level, as long as they're parallel to each other. If you can make one of them dead level, though, it makes it easier to tell when they're parallel: if you can make the other one dead level too, then they must be parallel. With a machine as large as yours, it may well be much easier to check for level than for parallel -- as long as your level is accurate.

[Chris Friesen]

Given its age and the symptom you describe, I suspect that the tables are not parallel to each other. One or the other is "drooping".

Usually the outfeed is the one adjusted since it normally doesn't move once set. If it's on dovetailed ways make sure you have any gib screws tightened up and see if that helps. You may need to shim it with metal shim stock.

If it's some sort of parallelogram linkage, then they usually have some form of eccentric cam adjustment.

Chris