DJ-20 Adjustment problems

[Chris Fairbanks]

I picked up a use DJ-20 about 4 years ago and while it works it just never seemed perfect. So I went ahead and picked up a Byrd Head when Brian @ Holbren had a sale the other week on them. I also figured I would pick-up a quality straight edge to adjust the jointer once I got the head in. I bought the 36" steel one from Lee Valley. So I put the head in yesterday and started to adjust it per the Delta instructions. The outfeed side went fine. Some minor adjustments but all good. I then started on the infeed side. No mater what I do I cannot get it level. The back far corner of the table is off by about 0.020". I lowered the other 3 points to as low as they go and raised that one to as high as it goes but still off by the 0.020" Any ideas on how I can get this aligned? Thanks!

[Matt Kestenbaum]

I think this model is one with parallelagram tables. A quick search will pull up tons of threads/posts on this subject. Get yourself a long precision straight edge, feeler gauges, and maybe a dial indicator w/magnetic base. A cool beverage not a bad idea either.

Unplug the machine. Confirm that the double set of set screws are removed from above each of the 8 eccentric bushings. Remove the cutter guard. I am not sure as to how one lines up top dead venter of the Shelix head but, it does need to perfectly level with the outfeed table...and that the outfeed table is perfectly level by adjusting the eccentric bushings as needed. Use the straight edge and feeler gauges along each edge of the outfeed table then diagonal across. This is tricky and requires a lot of patience..they are somewhat dynamic as you adjust one the others may now appear to be high/low. Around and around you go making smaller and smaller tweaks checking each time with the edge and gauges.

When the table is dead level all over and with the cutter head. Lock it. Then start with the infeed side. Lift it all the way up and then adjust the bushings. when a straight edge is flat across both tables in each position then you are done. Lock the infeed and reset all the set screws.

[glenn bradley]

The DJ-20 is a parallelogram machine so your setup is indeed handled by eccentric rollers. Since you state that you are adjusting the table and seeing movement I will assume you are doing it basically correct. DJ-20 manuals are available out there somewhere but a Grizzly G0490 manual (http://cdn2.grizzly.com/manuals/g0490_m.pdf) would probably suit your needs for this step if you don't have a manual available.

If you are adjusting the table successfully, that is, it's moving in response to your adjustments as expected, And you cannot get one corner, out of four, level, I would suspect a bent table. The adjustments only effect the "tilt" of the table, they do not twist or warp the table like a piece of paper.

That being said, Cast iron is malleable and some tweaking can be accomplished. I would think your 2 hundredths should be able to be minimized unless it was a lot more than that and the ,02" is the already minimized adjustment. Please keep us posted as to how this progresses. On the upside, the problem you state is in a very minimally impactive location for many things that you might use the jointer for ;-)

[Dan Friedrichs]

Are you sure the table is flat? The way you describe the problem makes me think you're not doing the adjustments entirely correctly, because if one of the bushings needed adjustment, the entire table would slope towards/away that bushing in both the x- and y-planes. Unless the table is not flat, I don't think it is possible to have it off by an amount in only one location (but be perfect everywhere else).

[Dan West02]

I have a DJ20 and have the info for these type of adjustments in a PDF. If you want a copy, PM me with your e-mail address.

[Chris Fairbanks]

Word of advise... Do not try to adjust your jointer when you are tired, all it will do is frustrate you. So this afternoon I figured I would start from scratch at trying to level everything again. So I started with the outfeed table again and it looked like the adjustments closest to the head were fine but I had the far end of the outfeed table low. So I fixed that and then was able to get the infeed table leveled correctly. Not sure why it seemed like I only had one corner out of level but everything seems fine now. I am just going to call it lack of sleep. Thanks for the pointers!

[Mike Goetzke]

Word of advise... Do not try to adjust your jointer when you are tired, all it will do is frustrate you. So this afternoon I figured I would start from scratch at trying to level everything again. So I started with the outfeed table again and it looked like the adjustments closest to the head were fine but I had the far end of the outfeed table low. So I fixed that and then was able to get the infeed table leveled correctly. Not sure why it seemed like I only had one corner out of level but everything seems fine now. I am just going to call it lack of sleep. Thanks for the pointers!

After all the time I spent getting my Grizzly G0490 beds set up I'm convinced it would be much easier to set the beds to each other and then shim the head.

Mike

[glenn bradley]

Glad a fresh look made thing go better. Enjoy that jointer.