I just purchased a Transpower JT 980 8" jointer at an auction. It seems to be fairly new and hasn't had a lot of use. The problem is that it has obviously been sitting for quite a while and through neglect has picked up some surface rust on the tables and blades. I need to purchase a new set of blades and hopefully a manual for this machine. Also am looking for suggestions as to the best way to deal with the rust on the tables. I know that this a foreign machine but looks very well made. I bought it for less than the price of a low end 6" jointer so feel like I did OK. Just hope I can find the blades and manual with the group's help.
if it's taiwanese, it's probably a knock off of the old style delta. you can use the manual from any of those. jointers are pretty simple machines, and even the early asian ones are often just fine. the odds of finding a manual that says "Transpower 8" jointer" on the cover are pretty slim, and if you did it would probably be an unreadable sixth language translation. however, mosey on over to
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and rummage around in the files until you find a manual for any old jointer that looks about like yours. it will most likely be about entirely identical. for instance, this parts breakdown for the old style delta is likely to help:
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's for the old delta I have. the places where you might find a few differences are in the details of blade adjustment, maybe whether it has wheels or levers to adjust the tables. if you have more questions ask here..... Bridger
Thanks Bridger. While I haven't had a chance to get familiar with my machine yet, the drawing looks very similar to the jointer that I have. I will do some more looking and may be getting back to you with some more questions.
just out of curiosity, what did you pay for this machine?
the rust isn't a big issue as long as it isn't to the point where it has eaten pits into the metal or frozen parts together. my first line of offense when dealing with light to moderately rusty surfaces is a razor blade. might be all you have to do. if t was mine I'd be tempted to tear it completely down and inspect/clean/lube/paint every surface. on the other hand, I'm nuts like that. it might be that you really don't *need* to do anything to this machine other than rub the tables down with steel wool, give them a coat of wax, plug it in and start making shavings.
why do you feel that you will have to buy new blades? I'd suggest you take them in to your local sharpening service and see if they are salvageable. the sharpening folks will be able to tell you what to look for in new blades, should that indeed be necessary. odds they will be able to sell you some.
another area where there is considerable variation in jointer design is the mechanical action of the fence. if your fence is complete it shouldn't be difficult to figure out. if it's missing parts you might need to hunt about for diagrams of similar jointer fences. if grizzly sells a version of your jointer they may turn out to be a good source of parts.
how's the motor? an 8" jointer should probably have a 1 horse motor at the bare minimum. I'm running mine with a 2 HP with no problems. if the jointer has been sitting unused for some time and had a cheap belt to begin with, replacing the belt may be a good idea. get a quality belt. check to be sure that the pulleys line up nicely with one another and that neither of them is loose on their shafts. after you run it for a while check this again. loose pulleys can do a lot of damage to a shaft.
one very useful thing to do is take pictures of everything as you work on it. this can save a lot of head scratching at reassembly time. digital cameras are our friends.
It is the JT
980 model. I paid $390 for it. The machine is almost new although I'm pretty sure that it has set (judging from the rust) for a number of years. The deal is that I bought it at an auction where the old guy had passed away and the little old lady was in a nursing home. The old fellow must have been quite a woodworker in his day judging from the quality of tools that he had. Some really old Porter Cable and Craftsman stuff. There was a 220VAC Delta Cabinet saw that looked early 1950's vintage that sold to an Amish guy for about $400 as I recall. Also an old Dewalt RAS.
The rust is the worst underneath the blade guard where I assume that moisture collected the most. I have started to work on the surface with WD
40 and sandpaper. It is rough but I think that I will be able to get it usable. The reason that I need new blades is that rust has pitted them so that it leaves grooves in the stock. The fence is fine and works well.
It is the JT
980 model. I paid $390 for it. The machine is almost new although I'm pretty sure that it has set (judging from the rust) for a number of years. The deal is that I bought it at an auction where the old guy had passed away and the little old lady was in a nursing home. The old fellow must have been quite a woodworker in his day judging from the quality of tools that he had. Some really old Porter Cable and Craftsman stuff. There was a 220VAC Delta Cabinet saw that looked early 1950's vintage that sold to an Amish guy for about $400 as I recall. Also an old Dewalt RAS.
The rust is the worst underneath the blade guard where I assume that moisture collected the most. I have started to work on the surface with WD
40 and sandpaper. It is rough but I think that I will be able to get it usable. The reason that I need new blades is that rust has pitted them so that it leaves grooves in the stock. The fence is fine and works well.
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