Hello
I have a 6″ delta jointer model 37-190. It squeals and sqeeches when running. I believe this is because it needs new bearings. Could it be something else? If it does need new bearings, is this a major repair or pretty straight forward?? Am I better off having a professional repair it??
Replies
Replacing ointer bearings are a pretty easy -- IF you have the right tools.
To start you must determine how the cutter head is attached to the jointer body. Lower both tables to to their maximum.. bearings are usually housed in a bearing "housing" an the bearing housings are usually secured by two bolts accesssable underneath the jointer. Remove these two bolts and the whole cutterhead should be free.
Check though to be sure on your jointer....
You will need at a minimum a bearing puller or an arbor press to remove the old bearings. You will also need a hollow pipe with an ID that will fit over the shaft and an OD that is not bigger than the OD of hte inner race. The pipe can be a pipe nipple from Home Depot just be sure the get the right size. YOu will use this to push the bearing on the shaft if you don't have an arbor press. A bearing heater is a luxury, but not needed for one measly jointer.
Since you could care less about the old bearings, you can be fairly rough in pulling them off the shaft, so any bearing puller will usually work. Tap the bearing housings off (this fit should be a very light press fit to the OD of the bearing) to reveal the bearing itselft and then pull the bearings off with a bearing puller.
Pressing the new bearings onto the cutterhead shaft is key.. the bearings need to go on STRAIGHT without cocking, and be fully seated, and that is where a press comes in handy.
Now without a press, all you really need is a freezer and a toaster oven and the above mentioned hollow pipe.. put the cutterhead in the freezer for a few hours or overnight. When you are ready to push the bearings on, use an old cake pan in a toaster oven to heat the bearings to about 180-200 degrees (about 4-6 minutes is fine). I usually put a small amount of oil in the bottom and "cook" the bearing in the oil. This oil will also lubricated the shaft as you push the bearing on.
What you are creating is a cold shaft (read: shrunk shaft) and a heated bearing (read: expanded inner race) that in many cases, the bearing will simply fall right down in place.
Clamp the cutter head vertically in a vice (a V block makes it easy) and using a pair gloves and a pair of slipjoint pliers, grab the warm bearing with the pliers, place it over the shaft, steady the bearing with your gloved hand with your gloved hand, and use the pipe to press the bearing down until it fully seats. You may have to tap the pipe with a hammer to get the bearing to seat. LIGHT taps please, you don't want to "cock" it or force it. If the bearing simply won't go on, re-freeze the shaft and reheat the bearing a little longer.
Repeat for the other bearing and reinstall the cutter head. NOT a difficult procedure..although the first time is always a bit nerve racking. But after rebuilding 3 tables saws, 3 jointers, 4 bandsaws 5 routers and one 20" planer, bearings are [usually!] a piece of cake.
Oh yeah.. go to a decent bearing supply house from the Yellow Pages and simply match the old bearing number to get a new one. Don't wast your money going to the manufacturer to get "original equipment parts".
Steve Koschmann
I can think of at least 6 reasons why you could be hearing squeals and screeches from your jointer, bearings being one of the less likely causes.
1. The belt guard, or something similar, is rubbing against the belt, the pulleys, the motor shaft, or the cutter head.
2. The belt could be worn, damaged, or too loose. A belt problem can cause a squealing sound.
3. One, or possibly both pulleys are damaged and/or loose.
4. The cooling fan in the motor is loose and rubbing against the motor's shell.
5. The bearings in the motor are worn out.
6. The bearings for the cutter head shaft are worn out.
Ball bearings can run a half century or more in a lightly used machine and wouldn't be what I would first suspect as the cause.
So the first thing to do is to identify the problem. Listen, look, poke, take off the covers, and possibly take off the belt to isolate the problem. Be careful about running the machine without all the covers and guards in place, though sometimes you have to do so make a diagnosis.
Let me know if you can narrow down or identify the exact cause of the noise. Only take off the belt as a last resort and get in back to me before you take it off.
John White
I removed jointer fence and protective covers. Tightend belt- noise did not dissipate. Then had enough access to spray WD-40 into area where bearings are located. This totally got rid of the problem!! Why did this work ? I thought that you cannot lubricate sealed bearings??? Did I do the right thing? Was it something else that got lubricated??
Thank you
A good test procedure, one I do all the time.There are sealed bearings and there are sort of sealed bearings, the latter showing up more often on less expensive machinery. In any case, a penetrating oil can oftentimes make its way past a bearing seal especially if the bearing is worn out. Sometimes the seal itself is the source of the noise.Hopefully you tried spraying and testing the bearings one at a time so you know which bearing got "fixed" by the spray. Once you have narrowed the noise down to a specific bearing a few more things need to be looked at to pinpoint the problem and decide on a fix if needed.John W.
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