Steel City 8" Joiner with Granite Tables?

[jason lambert]

I need a jointer I looking at the steel city 8", it is basically a DJ-20 just a little cheaper under the steel city name. However there new one comming out will have granite tables and a heriarctical (sp?) head. You can only get it with granite tables I have a home workshop that is my garage so it may not be a bad thing because I have to fight rust and with granite that solves that issue.

Are there any disadvantages to going with granite tables? I know this is not out yet but is this a good machine?

[John Thompson]

I need a jointer I looking at the steel city 8", it is basically a DJ-20 just a little cheaper under the steel city name. However there new one comming out will have granite tables and a heriarctical (sp?) head. You can only get it with granet tables I have a home workshop that is my garage so it may not be a bad thing because I have to fight rust and with granite that solves that issue.

Are there any disadvantages to going with granite tables? I know this is not out yet but is this a good machine?

Will be a couple of months before you actually can see it Jason, but it is a very good machine. I used it at IWF last August. I field tested the granite fence on the jointer two years ago and absolutely love the fence. Dead flat and no change of warp. I would love to have the granite table also for the same reason.

I have pretty much abused the fence smacking it turning 12' stock.. I intentionally whacked the back of the fence very hard with a 1" wrench about 5 times to try to chip the granite but it didn't. I would not intentionally hit it with a metal wrench hard on an outside corner though as I suspect it would be the most suseptible place that it might chip.

Fine tuning is taking place on the helical heads as we speak. The helicals on the new 20" planer are perfect at this point and the jointer heads are close. It won't be released until Steel City has them just where they want them.

Hope that helps....

Sarge..

[JohnMorgan of Lititz]

Granite is such an awesome advance in the tool industry. Super dead flat tolerances and no warping. Wow.

You say you smacked in a bit with a wrench to try to chip it. Do you think cast iron is more durable? I guess both could fracture. Do you think it will stand up to years of use and getting knocked around a little?

Wonder what the price jump will be for granite...can't imagine it being cheaper than cast iron.

[John Thompson]

Granite is such an awesome advance in the tool industry. Super dead flat tolerances and no warping. Wow.

You say you smacked in a bit with a wrench to try to chip it. Do you think cast iron is more durable? I guess both could fracture. Do you think it will stand up to years of use and getting knocked around a little?

Wonder what the price jump will be for granite...can't imagine it being cheaper than cast iron.

Both can fracture with enough impact. Cast iron can fracture or warp from stress relief down the road as even the most monitored mix and stress relief phase cannot garauntee that the carbon is evenly distributed throughout the somewhat lenghthy processs.

But.. the granite used is carefully tested for internal stress lines and if they are found.. that particular granite is rejected. They aren't found often from what I have been told as the granite quarry they come from produces very high grade granite. As far as having to stress relieve granite as you do cast iron.. Granite has been stress relieved for about 5 million years before it gets dug up.

Do I think it will hold up in the long run? I definitely think it will hold up as again... it has held up for 5 million years. I see no reason that won't go on. But... that doesn't mean you should test it by hitting it with a 8 lb. sledge hammer.. drop it from a B-52 onto concrete.. etc.. etc.. :)

But.. we certainly wouldn't do that to my cast iron machines either... would we?

Sarge..

[Brian Effinger]

Granite is such an awesome advance in the tool industry. Super dead flat tolerances and no warping. Wow.

You say you smacked in a bit with a wrench to try to chip it. Do you think cast iron is more durable? I guess both could fracture. Do you think it will stand up to years of use and getting knocked around a little?

Wonder what the price jump will be for granite...can't imagine it being cheaper than cast iron.

Steel City is so confident of the durability, that they have a 10 year warranty on the stone - 5 more years than the rest of the machine, and far far longer than any other tool company as far as I know.

[jason lambert]

Ok good 10 year warntee won't rust, resistant to almost anything, chemical, wet wood, beer bottles sweating, etc... sounds good to me.

[Brian Kent]

"Are there any disadvantages to going with granite tables?"

Sure. The envy of your fellow woodworkers. They might say "you suck" when you show your gloat. Stuff like that.:D

[Randy Rose]

Are there any disadvantages to going with granite tables? I know this is not out yet but is this a good machine?

I have the S/C 6" x 67"(?) with a granite fence, very happy so far.