It edge joints just fine. There is snipe when I face plane; just a tad, but it is there all across the face.
I figured it has to be set properly or there would be snipe on the edges also, so I played around with how I was feeding it; but it wouldn't go away.
I called Delta. They say my knives are set to high (you can't adjust the outfeed table, but must set the knives to it.) But wouldn't that give me snipe on the edge joints as well?
I figure it probably is my technique. I thought maybe I was pushing it down on the knives after it cleared the infeed table, so I shifted all the pressure to the front, but it didn't help. If you have any suggestions for proper face planing...
My techique seems to be fine on the edges; but there I am not using a push block.
Lift the end a little as you begin the feed and lift the end on the outfeed end as you finish the pass. I suspect that as you start the feed your pressing down on the board off the infeed table - that raises the other end up into the planer knives rather than under them. And on the outfeed side, pressing down on the piece off the table will rasie the end up into the knives rather than under them.
Think of the end of the infeed table as a fulcrum since the infeed roller is spring loaded and can be pushed up away from the table. As you start the feed, if you press down on the stock behind the back of the infeed table you can push the infeed roller up, along with the end of the stock as it approaches the knives.
Once both the infeed and the outfeed rollers are on the stock they control things.
But after the stock passes the infeed roller only the knives and the outfeed roller control the stock. Like the infeed roller, the outfeed roller is spring loaded. The closer the end of the stock gets to the knives the more affect moving the the outfeed side of the stock up has, keeping it down on the table rather than lifting it up into rather than under the knives.
So lift up on as you feed in and lift up on the outfeed side near the end of the cutting.
No offense taken. I was a bit surprised when I got it to find it had no outfee adjustment; but I guess that is part of why it was $150. I was willing to pay more for a real jointer, but there just isn't any room available.
I am reluctant to mess with the knives when it is edge jointing just fine.
I was adjusting my jointer to get a smooth face after reading an article on the setup of jointers by the editor of the Long Island Woodworkers Club. They said to place a flat board with two marks 5/16" apart at the edge of the outfeed table. With power off, turn the cutterhead until it contacts the board and pushes it forward. When it pushes the board from the first mark to the second you know the height of your blades are just a hair higher than the outfeed table and everything will work.
WELL, that ended up GIVING me snipe. I was freaking out, I'd never had snipe before!! ACK! So, I decided to make the gap smaller (I think I ended up with 1/8" instead) and when I adjusted my outfeed table to get the knives to push the board that much (I realize this isn't perfect, and don't forget to check all 3 knives) I face jointed another board and viola! No snipe :)
So, unfortunately, in your case if this is your problem you'll HAVE to adjust the knives. If they're too proud of the outfeed table, they'll do ok on the first part of your board because you're feeding it forward and I figure the force of the knives pushing into the wood as you feed it across forces the board up ever so slightly. Then when you finish the cut the board is able to "settle" down into the knives at the very end and you end up with snipe.
I'd check your edge jointer boards really carefully, mine didn't look like it had snipe, but when I layed it across the outfeed table and looked for light shining through, I noticed the snipe was actually about 3-4" long vs.
1" long on the face jointed board, and so I didn't notice it right away, but it was there.
Good luck, I hate changing knives, but I think that's what you've got to do.
Most common thing I see happen on the jointer is people want to walk the board across the knives from right to left. This can cause a slight rocking motion on the board. Instead you should remain stationary just back from the knives on the infeed side, and just push the board across.
======================== For the last 40 odd years I have been using a Rockwell 6 inch jointer that has a fixed out feed table.... Still waiting for my first problem with this configuration ... Honest I never had a single problem with a fixed out feed table...
Hate to say this BUT you have to "mess" with the knives because they are not set correctly now... they have to be set dead on level with the out feed table...
I will admit that until I bought a magnetic alignment gauge to set the blades on my Joinder IT DID REQUIRE HOURS to set up correctly.... still takes close to a half hour to do the three knives BUT I only need to do that once every other blue moon...
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