Ridgid Jointer Issues

[Clint Schlosser]

I have a Ridgid 610 jointer (fairly certain on the model) it is a 6" model that you find all over craigslist. I purchased it for only 100$ so I think I got a good deal with a newly sharpened set of knives. My issue is that I must be a complete idiot because no matter how much time and effort I spend setting the knives it just does not leave a good surface on any board.

What I have found is that one knife is always slightly higher than the others and and I just am tired of futzing around with the thing. My question is can I replace the cutter head with a helical one from Grizzly that has the carbide inserts. I am willing to deal with a little scalloping or other standard surface imperfections that easily dealt with through some sanding. I am just sick and tired of knife setting and spending the cash is worth it to me to get back to working. I am a hobbiest and and don't want to spend my time in setup but rather working the project.

[Todd Burch]

Do yourself a favor. Buy a new jointer.

[Jim Riseborough]

I have a ridgid and bought a helical blade for it, works fine in my opinion. There are replacement heads out there

[Glen Blanchard]

Have you tried anything like this?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/315St4tMHXL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-W1210-Polycarbonate-Jointer-Pal/dp/B0000DD1NL

[Mike Circo]

Before you invest any money in upgrades, be sure you've tried hard enough to set the knives correctly.

I struggled for hours with jigs, glass plates, etc. and never got the knives set right until I found this method....

http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/knife_adjustment.shtml

That article lays out a very simple method that I use to this day. 20 minutes and I get perfect joints.

Try it.

[glenn bradley]

I have a spiral head on my jointer and love it. Byrd (http://www.holbren.com/home.php?cat=479) has one but the cost, . . . . you'll have to decide that. Do you consider the low price you paid for the jointer in the first place to make three times that amount for a head reasonable? Could be. I would fight the knives a bit more and save that money to put towards the 8" jointer that will be calling your name sooner than you think.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

I have the Ridgid jointer and find it to be a great piece of equipment for the price. Knife setting is a bit of a pain, but that has nothing at all to do with the brand of jointer you're working on.

Spend some time learning how to properly set the knives. It's time well spent.

Then do what Glenn said and save your money for a bigger and better jointer. :D

Paul

[Clint Schlosser]

I have tried the glass plate approach, magnetic jig (jointer pal), and other methods listed above. I still do not see the benefit in spending time and frustration to set knives. A new jointer is not in the budget for about 3-5 years no matter how much I can save today. At the end of the day is 250$ worth the frustration, quality of operation, and time savings I think I am decided on "Yes".

Has anyone installed an aftermarket helical head and was it easy? Any tricks or things to consider?

[glenn bradley]

From all reports, this is pretty straight forward on a jointer. New bearings are generally recommended at the time of install and some kits come with them. If you've found a 6" Byrd for $250, I would be inclined to go for it. This head will have to be aligned parallel to the tables as well but, once your done, your done.

[Jason White]

No offense, but that is really bad advice!

I have a 6" RIDGID jointer and it's a very good machine. Your problem is most likely due to operator error, a knicked knife, poorly-adjusted knives, or a combination of all three.

Get a machinist straightedge or something reasonably straight like an aluminum level and use it on the outfeed side of the jointer. Each of the knives should touch the straightedge when rotated to top dead center (TDC).

There are fancy magnetic jigs to help make this easier, but the old straightedge trick is fine if you do it right.

Jason


Do yourself a favor. Buy a new jointer.

[Mike Gager]

wont you still have to adjust the knives with a new cutterhead?

you mentioned the knives had been recently sharpened, im thinking that has something to do with the problem

i would buy a set of new knives and see how that goes

[Todd Burch]

No offense, but that is really bad advice!



No offense taken, but...

the guy doesn't want to jack with setting knives. Just like me, he has other things he would like to be doing. How can suggesting he rectify the situation be bad advice?

Giving him more options for doing something he doesn't want to do in the first place is.... good advice?

[Glen Blanchard]

No offense taken, but...

the guy doesn't want to jack with setting knives. Just like me, he has other things he would like to be doing. How can suggesting he rectify the situation be bad advice?

Giving him more options for doing something he doesn't want to do in the first place is.... good advice?

Here's my take on it. Unless there is something drastically wrong with Clint's jointer (and it is my hunch that the problem is likely operator error or some kind of defect with the knives themselves, rendering the jointer itself quite serviceable.....after all, a jointer is a rather simple machine) it makes more sense to determine the cause of the problem and then find the approproate solution. Why not just buy another jointer? Because he will have to tune that one too!! So I cannot (at this point) recommend dumping the jointer and buying another (unless Clint is looking for a good reason to buy a nice 12" model...:D).

Clint - Do you perhaps have a buddy who is a woodworker who could drop by and take a look?

[Alan Schwabacher]

Setting jointer knives is not hard once you have the technique worked out, but can be frustrating if you don't. Here is a great source of info:
http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDocs/Wood_How_To_Power/POWER_INDEX_How_To.htm

In the jointer section there are lots of entries. The Vaughn video is very good for showing you how to adjust knives up and down accurately without a lot of bother. I like the Grout method for deciding where to set them. It is similar to what was posted earlier in this thread. If you do check the height of the blades by seeing how far a straightedge is pulled by the blade, shoot for a distance of about 1/8", which will give you much better results than a longer distance, in terms of having all blades the same height.

I recently installed new blades in my Ridgid jointer. It took 10-15 minutes, and gives me very smooth cuts with no apparenbt scalloping.

[Jeff Willard]

Has anyone installed an aftermarket helical head and was it easy? Any tricks or things to consider?

Piece of cake, actually. And I did it for the very same reason you are considering it. I can get the knives set correctly, but it's time consuming for me, and I'd rather not endure the frustration. I got the Byrd head from Grizzly for a PM 54-$245. I don't ever have to deal with setting knives again, and as a bonus, I don't ever have to pay to have them sharpened either.

The only sticky spot on my installation was the fact that there wasn't enough clearance behind the bearings for the gear puller that I had. Two screwdrivers fixed that. Other than that, it just dropped right in. Level the outfeed with the knives, and away I went.

[Jason White]

If the blades are sharp and adjusted properly, that machine should work perfectly. I had the same issues when I first got my jointer, all of which were attributed to my lack of knowledge about jointers at the time.

$250 on a helical head or $20 to resharpen his knives and 20 minutes adjusting them properly. In this economy, you tell me which is the better option.

Jason





No offense taken, but...

the guy doesn't want to jack with setting knives. Just like me, he has other things he would like to be doing. How can suggesting he rectify the situation be bad advice?

Giving him more options for doing something he doesn't want to do in the first place is.... good advice?

[Jeff Willard]

$250 on a helical head or $20 to resharpen his knives and 20 minutes adjusting them properly. In this economy, you tell me which is the better option.


Well, for you, obviously, sharpening and setting the knives is the best option. For me, a new cutterhead was. For another person, another option (new jointer?) might be. At this point, it's for Clint to decide what the best option is.;)