Replies

1. 
   John_D | Jun 09, 2006 08:57am | #1

   If you can, start with a straight, flat board.  Run it a couple of times, then put that board on a good flat surface (like your table saw, or even your jointer's infeed or outfeed).  Note the point at which it seems to be going out of flat by making a mark on the top surface of the wood.

   Now run the board one more time.  I bet you dollars to donuts you'll find that mark is just over the cutterhead at about the time you start moving the board primarily with your left hand, on the outfeed table.

   I think what is happening is, you're getting a good deep cut on the first 12" of the board, then when you press down on that reduced portion, you're lifting the back end of the board up.  Don't try to lean down and see it while you're moving the stock, you'll be in a weird position.

   If this is what's going on, see if you get improvement by maintaining pressure on both the infeed and outfeed portions of the wood for a longer part of the stock's travel over the cutterhead.  Dull blades may make this worse as well.

   One other thing, if you're dealing with a cupped board, don't put the convex side down, put it up.  In other words, the two ends should be on the table, and the middle should stick up as necessary.  If you do it the other way, the board will tend to shift as you feed and it'll take forever to flatten.  If you put the ends down, it won't rock, and it'll get flat as soon as you work your way up to the highest point, in the middle.

   My goal is for my work to outlast me.  Expect my joinery to get simpler as time goes by.
1. 
   Dockside | Jun 09, 2006 06:11pm | #4

   John

   I think I am doing excately what you mentioned.  Guilty as charged! 

   WRT cupped side UP...  I have done as you have suggested but I was a little worried about the safety of feeding the edge of the board into the knifes so I start out by placing the leading edge on the outfeed table and pulling the board accross to flaten the trailing edge.  Then I turn the board around and don the other end.  I do this until I have a flat surface long enough to transision accross the cutter head to the other table.

   Ric

2. 
   RickL | Jun 09, 2006 02:15pm | #2

   As simple as a jointer appears to be it's a stumbling block for many. From your description it sounds if your oufeed table is a few thousandths higher than your cutting circle. Drop the outfeed table down until you get snipe then slowly raise it until the snipe is minimized. It will take a few tries. I'd bet that when you have snipe at the end of your board it will be making a full cut on the board and not trailing off and giving a tapered cut.  This condition typically develops after the knives get dull and are lower than the original setting. Tell me...did it work better when the jointer was new?

1. 
   Dockside | Jun 09, 2006 05:56pm | #3

   Well...  I'm a little embarrrassed to admit that I have not been able to make it work just right from new.  The cut seems to be flat and square comparing it to the table saw top, it just tapers the board. 

   After I posted the question last night I read of another person with a simuilar problem and I think your suggestion is right on.   I have a dial guage with a mag base to measure the outfeed table vs knifes and I think I can get a fairly accuracte picture. 

   I can't believe the knifes are dull, it just hasn't been used that much but I will check. 

   I expected it to take a little time to master a hand plane, but this machine seems much tricker then advertised.

   Ric

1. 
   KeithNewton | Jun 09, 2006 06:25pm | #5

   I have to agree with everything above, but would like to add, that if you don't have the outfeed adjustments tight, there is a possibility of your feed pressure causing the outfeed to flex down on the outer end, which would lift the back end as you feed across.This would show up by pressing down on the outboard end of your straight-edge, and watching for it to lift on the other end. It might be worth checking the in-feed table the same way.When you are checking the knife height. If you have one low knife, and three set just right, the low one will cause this problem.