Replies

1. 
   DaveW | May 09, 2007 03:44am | #1

   There are a few good articles in the FWW archive about setting up the jointer that I have referred to every time I set new knives. Two things I'd suggest right off. First bring both the infeed and outfeed table up to where they are parallel. Then set your outfeed table to the top dead center of the blade. You want the outfeed to be even with the edge of the blade. Often if you get snipe or a curved board it is due to the tables being whacked.

   Get a couple of rare earth magnets and glue them to a scrap about as wide as you blades and long enough to lie quietly on the outfeed table. If you recess the magnets in the board so that they are flush, you can use them to hold the blades up as you tighten the clamps. And every blade will be at the same height.

   Last, the 6" jointer is good for edges and some face work, but can easily make a board into a wedge. Getting a face and edge square is the best thing to count on a jointer for. IMHO

1. 
   flycaster | May 13, 2007 06:40pm | #6

   Thanks much, appreciate it.

2. 
   forestgirl | May 09, 2007 04:57am | #2

   Run out and get (or sit down and order) John White's book Care and Repair of Shop Machines.  He has excellent instructions for tuning up a jointer and making little knife-holding jigs and such.

   If you don't have a real straight-edge, do yourself a favor and get one.  Lee Valley has aluminum straight edges that are affordable and well-machined.  My life has been much less frustrating since getting one.

   It's also possible to have the jointer tuned properly and still get unstraight boards due to poor feed technique.  Don't let it get you down.  Just last night, 1/3 of the way through a big stack of stock for a project, I found myself thinking "The jointer has to be the most frustrating machine!"  A little tuning and paying better attention to the feed fixed the problem (x-ing fingers and toes).

   Here's a pretty good article on jointer tune-up. 

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   
1. 
   ctsjr | May 09, 2007 05:53am | #3

   FGQuestion: How do you store your straight edge and how long is necessary for the shop? Tom"Notice that at no time do my fingers leave my hand"

1. 
   forestgirl | May 09, 2007 08:28am | #4

   When I first got it, I put it upsidedown in two spaced pegboard hooks (the top edge is curved, so it fit just right).  When I finished my "interim router table" I put a brass screw with a small head on the framepiece in the back, and hang it there -- it has a hole drilled in the end, presumably for that purpose.

   I bought the 24" one, based strictly on my budget at the time.  I think for the purpose of checking jointer beds and longer pieces of stock, a 50" model is in my future, but the 24" has done most tasks quite well.

   View Image forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   ctsjr | May 09, 2007 03:00pm | #5

   Thanks. I was looking at the 38" for the same reasons. Tom"Notice that at no time do my fingers leave my hand"

2. 
   flycaster | May 13, 2007 06:42pm | #7

   Thank you,  appreciate pointing me to the article.