Hi All,
I would like some feed back on safe jointing technique from the experienced out there. I sometimes work in a small shop with a Delta 6in. jointer and am required to check out my colleagues with the safety aspects.
Generic safety information has been contracted for. Its a bit short on some specifics. For me the issue is the technique in dealing safely with stock both bowed and cupped.
I once received instruction that one should place the convex side down, apply pressure with a push block at the point where you want the flattened surface to be established and pass from infeed to outfeed without moving the pressure point. After several passes two push blocks may be needed to maintain constant cut over the jointed length.
Most manufacturers recommend that the concave side be placed down. I have two problems with this approach but limited experience. The push block pressure, without great care, will tend to flatten the board. Secondly the leading end after passing over the knives sometimes falls below the level of the outfeed table and hangs up against the edge of it. The safest way out of this situation is to turn off and wait for the knives to stop and remove the stock. Chances are that the second attempt will result in the same situation.
Comments please.
Thanks, John.
Replies
Comments: I will use either cvx down or cvx up- depends on which face I want to favour, but it is easier to go cvx side up i.e cup down.
The answer lies in the type of push block used and how it or operator applies the pressure, and where and when- sounds confusing .I prefer a push block that has a handle on it-like a plane, and a lip, so that the work cannot creep backwards under the block.When going cup face down the critical stage is as the leading edge contacts the knives, proceeds and contacts the out table edge- so here the right hand is on the push blockat the trailing edge of the board, the left hand merelyexerts enough pressure to stop the board bouncing, at the front but at the in feed table, changing to the out later.
So you will not be flattening the board under the pressure of this type of block because , having a lip, it is applied at the trailing edge of the work-it the board is long one has to be more careful about selective pressure-or use two types of push block.
It is the same old story- where you apply or don't apply downward pressure can affect the straightness or otherwise of the work-even if the machine is a very long bed.
Thems my 50 cents.
I prefer concave side down as it less liable to rock and promote a twist in the board. I can do it either way but when I'm showing a beginner I try to keep it as simple as posible.
Personally I don't use the paddles as they are slow and cumbersome. I've been used to doing piles of wood in production situations and the paddles get in my way. Plus I'm used to jointers up to 24". I prefer to put on a couple of the rubber finger tips they used to use in banks to count money. You can still get them. I get better control and my fingers don't slip. After awhile the boards get slippery from the saw dust and if I can't hang on to the board I get wary. A few of the rubber tips on each hand is fine and I can grab the boards and joint safely. I can also use a pencil to keep notes and tally the pile.
Stance on the jointer is important. Also as soon as you get enough stock on the outfeed table that's where your hands should be. That's where the pork chop guard gets scary for many folks. If the board should slip and get grabbed by the cutters, the risk is your hands pulling back into the knives. That's where the Euroguard excells. It keeps your hands clear.
The American pork chop guard is pretty lame. The Euro type guards are designed to allow the board to pass under the guard so even if your hand slips it will safely glance off the guard. That's probably the best thing you could do to improve your safety conditions on the jointer. Often it takes time to get used to it and the newbies would probably get usd to it quicker. In my experience the more seasoned woodworkers have a hard time changing habits.
An example of a Euro jointer guard...
http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/Hammers.shtml
Edited 4/19/2007 11:26 am ET by RickL
The few jointer accidents members have reported in my recollection have been related to jointing thin stock. Major caution needed there. Also, many people don't realize that you shouldn't joint stock shorter than about 10-11". There may be a "work-around" for that, I dunno.
I'm not an expert such as the ones who've written above, but I gave up on those plain hold-down push-blocks along time ago, made my own with a lip in the back, for the reasons cited. Use a block to hold stock down if need be, but a lipped pusher to feed the stock.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 4/19/2007 1:12 pm by forestgirl
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