Help needed with new Grizzly G0490 Jointer

[John Wilson]

About a month ago I ordered a G0490. That was the start of a fiasco that hasn't ended. After two damaged base cabinets and a replacement fence I'm at the point where I am trying to get the out feed table parallelism adjusted since one side is higher than the other. This being my first jointer I have several questions. For instance, how much vertical travel should I expect in the out feed table. I seems very hard to move and the travel seems to be only about 1/32". I have backed off the stops in an effort to get the table aligned with the cutter body. After spending considerable time adjusting the eccentric bushings, I'm at a point where one side is .006 high and the other side is .005 low. It seems to be level in the middle. I do not seem to be able to get it totally parallel. What are factory tolerances and when are adjustments considered close enough? I have done a search and found a lot of helpful information but nothing I found quite answered my questions. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[Glen Butler]

The outfeed table is typically harder to move because it doesn't ever need to be moved once set. I would hope you have table play set screws that you could loosen if it is too tight for you. I cannot recommend whether 1/32 is typical as I have a PJ882HH, but it moves about a 1/2". The two tables will become coplanar over an extended process of getting one thing close, then getting the next thing close, which will change the first setting and that will have to be reset. I could be wrong on this, but I believe the eccentric adjusters have a notch that is the center of the eccentricity. After totally messing up my table the first time around I reset each of those notches to level and started over.

Loosen the stops so they are out of the way. First we want to get the tables roughly (within 0.010) coplanar without worrying about the blade. Raise your tables just slightly above the cutter head. Put a straight edge across the tables and adjust in the following order once all the way through before going through again and again til satisfied.
1. cutterhead end of the outfeed table
2. outer outfeed
3. cutterhead infeed
4. outer infeed

After you are satisfied with coplanarness within reason lower the tables even with the cutterhead and adjust again. Reset the stops.

[John Wilson]

Thanks Glen. I will reset the concentric adjusters to level and try again. Boy is this frustrating....Like a dog chasing his tail. I really envy those guys who received jointers that were set up correctly out of the box.

[Barry Vabeach]

John, I don't have that machine, but in setting mine, I put a dial indicator magnetic base on the outfeed directly over the adjuster closest to the cutter head at the side closest to the fence, then did the same thing on the side farthest from the fence and then adjusted either one, so that the reading was the same. At that point, the part of the outfeed immediaterly over the adjusters closest to the cutter head is in the same plane as the cutter head. You can do the same thing for the infeed. Use your straightedge to adjust the remaining of the 4 eccentric bushings until everything is coplanar. Glen is right that any one adjustment can effect all the other parts of the table, so moving in small increments is best.

[Craig Coney]

There is a stop bolt under the end of the table that minimizes movement. You need to loosen this and back it off to adjust the outfeed table.

[kenneth kayser]

One of the problems with buying from Grizzly. I bought a Jet drill press from Amazon. I thought I had a problem, and Jet offered to send a tech out in a day or so. It turned out I did not need the tech, but would certainly buy Jet again. I also like buying from my local Woodcraft. They deliver into my basement for no charge. If I do not like the machine or it is defective, they bring something else and cart the other one away. Also, when I buy locally, I have them unpack the item, then I check things like table flatness and chuck runout before delivery. I am going to check air flow before I buy another dust collector.

[kenneth kayser]

The best way to get the tables co-planar may be to use a digital level, like the Wixey. Mine cost $39 shipped. Flatness is best checked with a good straightedge and set of feelers. You can also check flatness with the Wixey, but it is not nearly as sensitive as a good straightedge and feelers. it should read the same everywhere on the table. If the tables are not flat, it is impossible to get them co-planar. It is not necessary that the tables be level; they just have to read the same wherever you put the Wixey. I would check flatness first. then get the outfeed table aligned with the knives. Use a good straightedge and adjust so that the the entire length of all knives just kiss the straightedge. You may have to re-adjust the knives. Now, you can raise the infeed table to the height of the knives and get it coplaner with the outfeed table using either a long straightedge or the Wixey. Now lower the infeed table and re-check with the wixey. If it does not stay co-planer there may be too much play in the adjustments or the jointer is defective. When lowering the infeed table always lower it past the point you want, then raise it to the desired cut. When using a level, bear in mind that 0.1 degree is .010 in 6 inches. This is not adequate for aligning the outfeed with the knives, but should be adequate for co-planarity.

[glenn bradley]

I would have Grizzly tech support on the phone. Others have reported here that the folks there are quite good at walking you through procedures. Beyond that it sounds like somewhere in the delivery chain some rough handling is going on. I would want to be sure that I wasn't trying to adjust a machine that had been damaged in shipping (chasing my tail) and the tech support folks should be able to do that.

Grizzly has sent full machine replacements out for others due to bad handling by shippers. Proper delivery is in Grizzly's court. You paid for a good machine and you should receive one. I am one of the first to brag about Grizzly's great customer service but part of my satisfaction may be that I insist (pleasantly and professionally) on getting it.

[kenneth kayser]

+1 for that.

[John Wilson]

I'm within a about .003 of getting the outfeed table level with the cutter body using advice given here on the forum. I'm going to mess with it some more over the weekend and if I don't get it coplanar by Monday I'm going to give tech support a call. After three base cabinets and a replacement fence I hate to think of tearing this thing apart and shipping it back. So far Grizzly has been responsive but they really need to do something about there packing and shipping practices. I have a Grizzly bandsaw that was packed a lot better and survived Overnite shipping without a problem. Thanks one and all for helpful instructions.

[John Wilson]

Problems continue. I just discovered that the out feed table casting where the raise and lower handle is attached is broken!:mad:

[Barry Vabeach]

John, I just saw where you live. Obviously, the broken casting needs to be replaced. When that is done, if you need help setting it up, send me a pm. I have a 36 straight edge, dial indicators, and other implements of destruction. Barry.

[glenn bradley]

Problems continue. I just discovered that the out feed table casting where the raise and lower handle is attached is broken!:mad:

I kinda thought something wasn't right when you described the symptoms. Sounds like somewhere along the delivery line someone employs gorillas. Its four bolts to remove the machine from the base. I'd ask for a replacement. After all, you'll have this thing for a long time. None of this is your fault and you have put out more effort than I would have, it should be right and Grizzly is very good about making things right.

[Glen Butler]

That is frustrating to hear. Hope everything works out for you.

[John Wilson]

As it turns out the casting was not broken. The nut that holds the adjustment handle on the plate under the table had come loose and dropped off inside the out feed table. The fix was to remove the end plates and one of the rods that the table moves on and re-attach the handle. Took about two hours to get that done. Now back to the problem of adjusting the out feed table level with the cutter head. No amount of adjustment would bring things parrallel. Finally after cutting and installing coke can shims under one end of the cutter head I've be able to adjust everything to parallel at both ends of the table. Now its just a matter of putting the belt back on, re-installing the fence and adjusting the blades. Hopefully the Jointer-pal I ordered works as advertised.
Its been a learning experience that I hope others can have the good fortune to avoid. Grizzly support was helpful in that they sent replacement parts in a timely manner but over the phone instructions left a lot to the imagination. Shipping methods definitely need improvement. Thanks every one your for suggestions and offers of help. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

[CPeter James]

Did you read the Grizzly instructions on how to level the tables? If not, that is a good place to start. If that does not do it, Try this link to the Delta DJ20 version from which you G0490 was cloned. They do work unless something is wrong. Coke can shims should not be necessary.

http://www.happywoodworking.com/DJ20adjustments.html

CPeter

[John Wilson]

Did you read the Grizzly instructions on how to level the tables? If not, that is a good place to start. If that does not do it, Try this link to the Delta DJ20 version from which you G0490 was cloned. They do work unless something is wrong. Coke can shims should not be necessary.

http://www.happywoodworking.com/DJ20adjustments.html

CPeter

Yes, I read the directions in the Grizzly manual. Since the DJ20 directions were more detailed, I printed them out and attempted to follow them step by step. Instead of using a feeler gauge I used a Multi-gauge which I think is just as accurate. No adjustment I made would bring the out feed table parallel until I inserted shims under the cutter head on the fence side. Now everything reads .001 or less accross both the out feed and the in feed tables. Right or wrong, it seems squared up to me.

By the way, where can you get a pin face spanner that will fit the eccentric bushings. I asked Grizzly and they stated that they did not know! Another forum member mentioned that he made his own out of a lawn more blade. I have and adjustable wrench that I filed the pins down on to sorta fit but it seems to me that as many jointers as there are out there, someone would have made a commercial product that would fit.