I have a fairly new 6″ York jointer. The knives were sharpened by a professional and I re-installed them. Now, when I put through a rather short board (16 inches long) on its flat side everything is tapered side to side and end to end. The “first-fed” end of the board becomes progressively thinner than the “last-fed” end. I can understand how the board might end up tapered side to side: one or more of the knives is higher on one side of the roller than the other side. But tapered end to end? How does that happen? What do I have to adjust?
-Bob
Replies
Bob,
Presuming the machine hasn't warped, the across the board taper is probably due to, as you guessed, the knives not being parallel to the outfeed table. The second problem, again presuming the machine hasn't suddenly warped, is due to the outfeed table being slightly higher or lower (probably lower) than it should be.
The first problem can only be corrected by resetting the knives and that needs to be done first. After you have the knives parallel to the outfeed table you can adjust the height of the outfeed table to eliminate the lengthwise tapering.
Jointers are one of the fussiest machines to get working properly, a book or magazine article about tuning them up would help you out considerably. Typically the instruction manuals that come with jointers are terribly written.
John W.
"Care and Repair of Shop Machines" by John White is an excellent book that should help you tune your jointer, as well as your other machines. This book is particularly valuable to those of us who don't have long Starrett straightedges or fancy test equipment, since he explains how to use what you have.
http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/070551.asp
Perhaps JohnW is John White, who didn't want to plug his own book? I will.
I'll second the advice from AlanS. "Care and Repair of Shop Machines" is an extremely valuable resource!! If you don't have it, go get it!! LOL Seriously, it's the best book I've ever seen/read with a common sense approach to tuning up shop machinery!
Regards,
Mack
"WISH IN ONE HAND, #### IN THE OTHER AND SEE WHICH FILLS UP FIRST"
possibly the outfeed table is too high. As the board rides up onto the high outfeed table,the tail end of the board "disengages" from the cutterhead hence the taper. john
Bob,
Assuming that the machine (blades, tables, etc...) are set up correctly, it may be a simple matter of how the wood is being fed across the cutters. (Not knowing your previous experience using a jointer...) The correct way to face joint a board is: place one safety push block 8"-10" back from the leading end of the board. Using smooth even pressure, feed the board across the cutters with just enough downward force to keep the wood from chattering. Once the lead hand is 8"-10" past the cutters, exchange it for the other hand with the other safety push block. You are basically walking hand over hand, 8"-10" past the cutters on the outfeed table.
If the wood were only to be pushed from the infeed table side, the piece would become tapered down its length.
With the 16" boards that you're trying to plane, try using one push block with steady down and forward pressure, with the tables set to take a very light cut.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Dan Kornfeld, Owner/President - Odyssey Wood Design, Inc.
Thanks for the advice guys. I ordered White's book. It should be a great help.
After tinkering with the thing for a full day, I eliminated the end to end taper and most of the side to side taper. But it is still frustrating spend so much time on being a mechanic, rather than a woodworker. Delta has gone to the reversable, throw away knives for it's two-speed planer. They fit in only one way, no adjustments necessary. I wonder when other manufacturers are going to employ similar systems for their products.
Installing knives on a planer is one thing. Installing them on a jointer.. as you have discovered.. is an entirely different thing.
Esta sells what you are after. I just got the system for my 15 inch thickness planer. Setting jointer knives is easy as pie....planer knives is a PITA.
all you need a piece of flat, straight stock...perhaps 1 foot long....plywood will work fine. lay the piece on the outfeed. use that to reference tdc for jointer knives...both to get even height of all knives as well as setting knives parallel to tables.Tim
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