Northfield Jointer Update & questions

[Casey Carr]

Okay, so I have a 5 hp rotary phase converter on the way to power this aircraft carrier.

I have the casters on order for the mobile base that I have yet to build, but finished designing for the most part. Need to tweak it a little, but not much.

I called Northfield, they're great to talk to and very helpful. Still need to switch out the heating coils on the starter, which they'll sell me. Need to replace the switch and possibly front panel on the starter box. They also sell replacement knives for $150. The knives are high speed steel. I've heard good things about the carbide tipped knives, but Infinity doesn't have the size I need, so I did a google search. There is one company that I found that makes the size I need. American National Knife is the place, a set of 3 costs $280. Anyone dealt with this company and know anything about them as far as quality? And on average, how many re-sharpenings could I get out of a set of blades? I know nicks and what not could seriously limit the lifetime, but trying to get a feel for this here.

At that price, I got to thinking I might as well go for the byrd shelix head. Basically 4 sets of knives and I've paid for the byrd head. Talking to the office lady at Northfield, she was saying they did not recommend the helical cutterheads. Something about it taking Hercules to hold the work piece down. Does anyone on here have a helical cutter on a 12" or bigger jointer, and is it a problem holding it down?

This thing is going to break me...Thanks for any help!

[David Kumm]

Talk to Bobby at Woodworkers Tool Works. He will set you up about as reasonably as anyone. Does a very good job at sharpening as well. Will also advise as to type of blade. Steel knives with an extra set are my preference. Use the money to buy a oneway dial indicator base for knife changing. Is your RPC rated to start a 5 hp motor? Some are listed at running capacity, not start up. Dave

[Mark Carlson]

I have a 12in byrd on a hammer A3-31. No problem holding the work down. I don't understand her comment.

[Chip Lindley]

IF the Northfield is gonna break you, Please take some photos while you can still afford to recharge your digital camera! ;-)

No Photos, Didn't Happen!

~Chip~

[Damon Stathatos]

...Still need to switch out the heating coils on the starter, which they'll sell me. Need to replace the switch and possibly front panel on the starter box.

...They also sell replacement knives for $150.
!

I went through the starter/switch thing on an old Powermatic 90 table saw. The conventional replacements that I found were going to run me more than the whole table saw in the first place. I finally stumbled upon the fact that Grizzly has a solution to this problem for well under $100, and yes, it's both a starter and a switch. They have 3ph versions for both 220 and 440.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Magnetic-Switch-3-Phase-440V-Only-5-HP/G8294

Dealing with Northfield is a pretty neat experience not the least of which is the nostalgia value, however, they're 'pricey.' I have a Northfield 4 table saw and one of their 27" bandsaws and but usually go third party for parts, if I can.

As far as the knives, their price probably isn't too bad but I'm sure you can do better. Look for industrial saw blade dealers, guys that service wood shops. They'll quote you on any configuration you would want. If you can't find one, PM me and I'll direct you to my 'guy' out here. You'll get a ton of sharpenings out of a set so I wouldn't let that slow you down. As far as carbide goes, I considered it but it's not as expensive to sharpen steel and unless you're running multiple hours a day, non-stop, you're not going to have to sharpen all that often. I mainly run cocobolo which is hard and dense stuff, but the steel blades hold up fine and really do last a reasonable amount of time. My advice to you is to start with a set of steel and if after you run them a while you're wanting more life, then think about carbide. My guess is that you'll soon forget that you were considering anything other than steel.

Northfield made and makes great equipment, stuff that outlasted the previous generation and will outlast us as well as probably our kids. Best of luck with your project.

[Casey Carr]

Hey Chip, not sure what you're wanting a photo of, but I'll throw you one of the jointer. Still waiting on the other stuff.

193647

I didn't understand the comment on not being able to hold it down either. If anything, I'd think it would be easier to hold down. I still need to talk to Jeff at Northfield about this and get some more stuff ordered from him.

The motor on the jointer is only 3hp, talking with the phase converter company, they said the converter I bought should work fine for what I have. It's an American Rotary converter. Another good company based on the phone calls I've had with them. They're also having a 25% off sale if anyone else needs a converter. I got mine brand new off the bay directly from the manufacturer, so was even cheaper than the 25% off.

I'll have to take a look at the oneway dial indicator base. Northfield has one they'll sell me for $100! Speaking of, what do most people use to set their jointer blades? Jeff was telling me what he sells is the only way to find true top dead center, but I think what he's meaning is the style that he's selling. May be able to find a cheaper option. Saw one somewhere it had magnets in it to hold the blade, thought that might be nice. Of course, if I get the helical cutter head, won't need one, so I could save myself $100!

[David Kumm]

Casey, Take a look at ebay, that furnas starter is not all that rare. You may be able to find the whole thing and steal parts. Heaters will be cheap. Go on OWWM.org and ask on BOYD and you will find furnas starters. They are good old electricals. $50 probably gets you what you need. Buy a good set of knives and live with them before you decide to change the head. A byrd head takes a little more power. Nice jointer, they called it their medium duty. Get a oneway with the flat bottom tip. You don't need any other way to find top dead center. The indicator will do it. And don't set the blades referencing the cutterhead. Find a starter from the period. If not furnas, allen bradley 709, cutler hammer 9586, etc. Dave

[Casey Carr]

All right, I think you guys might have talked me out of the helical cutterhead and the carbide knives. I'll try the hss and see how it lasts. I've never jointed anything in my life, and I can't even seem to find the time to actually do woodworking with all the projects I have on the house. But this one I was excited about. Was actually going to build some new gates since the ones I have are falling apart. Can classify it as a need to do versus a want to do and been using it as an excuse to get the jointer up and running since I found a lumber source in Chino that sells rough lumber, all four sides. But he's giving me a deal on it since I helped him find some chukar hunting grounds. And it'll be an excuse to get the planer that I still lack, and in order for all this to work well, I'll need a dust collector! See how this works? I'm getting good at convincing the wife!

The heaters aren't all that bad at $30 a pop from Northfield, but I'll look on ebay and see if I can't find what I need there. Don't know if it's noticable, but the Furnas box got beat up in shipping, so wouldn't mind a new one anyways.

David, what do you mean by not setting the blades referencing the cutterhead? What Northfield is selling is a crescent shaped thing that sits around the cutter head and has an indicator right in the middle to check the blade. This to me would be setting the blades referenced off the cutterhead. This not the proper way to do things? Is there somewhere online that can walk me through on how to set the blades? This is all completely new to me.

[Frank Drew]

The motor on the jointer is only 3hp

Casey, I had an older version of that same machine, with a 3hp belt drive, and I never felt that it was underpowered. And I did lots of face planing of wide stock.

[Chip Lindley]

Hey Chip, not sure what you're wanting a photo of, but I'll throw you one of the jointer.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=193647

I didn't understand the comment on not being able to hold it down either. If anything, I'd think it would be easier to hold down. I still need to talk to Jeff at Northfield about this and get some more stuff ordered from him.

The motor on the jointer is only 3hp, talking with the phase converter company, they said the converter I bought should work fine for what I have. It's an American Rotary converter. Another good company based on the phone calls I've had with them. They're also having a 25% off sale if anyone else needs a converter. I got mine brand new off the bay directly from the manufacturer, so was even cheaper than the 25% off.

I'll have to take a look at the oneway dial indicator base. Northfield has one they'll sell me for $100! Speaking of, what do most people use to set their jointer blades? Jeff was telling me what he sells is the only way to find true top dead center, but I think what he's meaning is the style that he's selling. May be able to find a cheaper option. Saw one somewhere it had magnets in it to hold the blade, thought that might be nice. Of course, if I get the helical cutter head, won't need one, so I could save myself $100!

Thanks for the pix Casey. I just love seeing one more Northfield MD 12!

Your 5hp RPC will start the 3hp direct drive Northfield motor just fine if wired up per the maker's installation instructions.

I can see why you might be going broke soon if you buy all needed parts from Northfield. Those guys have a world-class jointer, but also world-class prices. You can do better from other sources and maintain the same quality.

12" HSS knives need not be directly from Northfield. Stock 12" NF knives are listed as 12" x 1-1/4" x 1/8". As long as you have a matched set of a width that can be captured fully by the cutterhead gibs, any set in that neighborhood will work. Used knives are fine if they are good quality HSS. You will be surprised how long a set of sharp knives will last under home shop conditions. As to setting the knives, you can get lots of insight from Bob Vaughn's videos (http://wiki.owwm.com/(S(fyicjzu3bhabqf55clqqvvy3))/Default.aspx?Page=Jointer%20And%20Planer%20Knife%2 0Setting%20Videos&Code=1&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1) listed on the Wiki.

Are your Furnas heaters missing or sized for 440v? Furnas starter heaters can be found on ebay or from online commercial sources cheaper than $30 each. I've bought more than a few. Do a search for the "E" number you need for the amperage of your 3hp motor running on 230v. Ask here on BOYD for Furnas parts to fix your starter. Also search ebay for a Furnas enclosure and pushbutton station if both are trashed beyond repair. Close-up photos of your starter will help.

Truth be known, any NEMA Size 0, 3-pole starter will work for your jointer. Over time Northfield changed their starter configurations many times. But, a Furnas starter like the one on your jointer should be easy to track down.

Best of Luck!
~Chip~

[glenn bradley]

they did not recommend the helical cutterheads. Something about it taking Hercules to hold the work piece down.


I have a 12in byrd on a hammer A3-31. No problem holding the work down. I don't understand her comment.

I have no idea where that statement would have come from.

[David Kumm]

Casey, You want the blades set level with the outfeed table. The cutterhead may or may not be exactly aligned with the tables. My Porter allows the cutterhead to be adjusted but I don"t know if the northfield allows an easy way to do that. I set the oneway dial indicator base on the outfeed table with the dial contact point on the blade. Rotate the cutterhead until you get the highest reading which will be top dead center. Then adjust the knife going side to side. Keep in mind that tightening the gib bolts will change the reading .001 or.002 so you need to go back and forth but will get used to it. There are some really good articles and videos on the process. What I do works for me but there are many ways. I am an accountant in real life so I like using dial indicators and reference to the numbers. Others do it without them. Finding and learning about old motor starters is part of the fun of OWWM so don't be afraid of them. Dave

[Keith Weber]

Casey,

Marc from thewoodwhisperer.com does a great video on jointer setup. Just go to his website and look up the video (#118). He tries a bunch of different knife setting gizmos and gives his thoughts on which one is best and why he believes so.

I'm surprised that American Rotary sold you a 5hp RPC for a 3hp jointer. The general rule of thumb with AR RPCs is double the motor to get the minimum RPC size. I was told by Jay at AR that a jointer is a "hard" starting motor, so you should step up a size. I was going to buy a 15hp RPC to start my 7.5hp Northfield HD16 jointer, but he recommended that I go with a 20hp. I did, even though I think that the 15hp would have been fine. In the end, I'm glad I did buy the 20hp since I later picked up a 10hp Powermatic planer. Now that 15hp widebelt sander that's showing up next Monday is going to be another issue. Should have just gone with a 60hp and called it a day! LOL!

Keith

[Casey Carr]

Hey Keith, I talked with Jay at American Rotary also and he said the RPC I bought should be fine. Even told him how much the cutter head weighs, said it shouldn't be any problem. Big plus is its an American made motor, and they're very comfortable with what the American made motors pull. Too late anyways as the box was sitting on my porch when I got home last night! Now I just have to put the thing together.

I also don't have any clue where the helical cutter head comment came from. I just got an e-mail from Byrd that Mr. Northfield himself just placed an order for one in a 12" medium duty jointer that they're refurbishing in house. So it sounds like the cutter heads are fine if I ever do decide to go that route. I think I'll take a look at the blades I have and see if I can't get them re-sharpened, then go from there. See how they last.

I did find some heaters on ebay. There's 3 of what I need for about $30 bucks after shipping even, so that'll save me some cash. Now I need to figure out what else I need. I don't know what this stuff is called, but did a part search on ebay with no luck. You guys can look at the pic and tell me what the thing is, but the on/off button broke off of whatever it is I need and I'd like to replace it. Probably don't have an option and actually need to replace it. Here are the 193707193706

[Casey Carr]

Or do I not order the heaters and just buy a new box with all new goodies inside?

[Chip Lindley]

...Now I need to figure out what else I need. I don't know what this stuff is called, but did a part search on ebay with no luck. You guys can look at the pic and tell me what the thing is, but the on/off button broke off of whatever it is I need and I'd like to replace it. Probably don't have an option and actually need to replace it. Here are the

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=193707&d=1304615788&thumb=1http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=193706&d=1304615785&thumb=1

The two parts surrounding your Furnas Size 0 starter are the starter "enclosure" and it's "cover." There is a nice Size 00 in the same enclosure right now on ebay (http://cgi.ebay.com/FURNAS-Cat-14BF12BA-Magnetic-Starter-Size-00-/140362018499?_trksid=p3286.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3D LVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8940934938218855099#ht_877 wt_695).

Make 'em an offer! The enclosure can be used with your Size 0 starter. Hopefully the 240v coil from the Size 00 will replace the 480v coil on your present starter.

You also need a new Furnas "pushbutton station", maybe like this. (http://cgi.ebay.com/1-NIB-FURNAS-49SAPB5-PUSHBUTTON-KIT-NEMA-1-OPEN-/180657461184?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a100617c0#ht_1538wt_648)

[QUOTE=Casey Carr;1697891]Or do I not order the heaters and just buy a new box with all new goodies inside?

Rarely will you find "all the goodies" exactly as you need them. Heaters must be sized exactly for your 3hp motor on any used starter. Starter must have a 240v (120v can be used) coil.

~Chip~

[Casey Carr]

Ha, thanks Chip! Wasn't referring to the enclosure itself, but the electrical thingy's inside! Made me laugh though, as I'm sadly ignorant about things that make sparks! Not only is the on/off button broke, but whatever it attaches to behind it is broke also and that's what I need. I can't find anything on the part number online either, but I'm sure there's something that would work, I just don't know what to look for. I found our electrician here at work and showed him this on someone's advice: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Magnetic-Switch-3-Phase-220V-Only-3-HP/G4673

He said that this would be perfect for what I need. I realize mounting may not be ideal, but I can figure something out. And for about $85 after shipping, don't think I'll beat the price.

May take a look at your ebay box a little harder tonight, maybe find a size 0 starter and a new on/off switch. Would be nice going with the same form factor that I currently have. Thanks a bunch for the education!

[David Kumm]

Casey, before you give in to the replacement starter, look inside the cover of the furnas. Usually there are printed wiring instructions including heater size, push button part numbers, and if you are lucky, coil info. the coil is usually the hardest but it isn't that tough to figure out the numbering sequence. the size 0 and 1 coils may be the same so all you may need to check is the voltage. That will be on the coil itself which is usually in the middle of the box. Look on Ebay for furnas coils and you will be able to identify it. You can use a 110-115 coil but will have to have a neutral or go to ground. A 220-240 is better if you don't have the neutral. Yours may be fine. Those old starters are pretty rugged and with a little effort will outlast the newer stuff. Regular NEMA starters go for a couple of hundred new. dave

[Damon Stathatos]

What you are learning is that your current box provides two functions, a starter and a switch.

Not trying to be too persistent here but why don't you just give the Grizzly starter & switch a try. For a 3ph 3hp it's only $72. It will completely replace everything you currently have and may be a lot less prone to future problems as well. They're a piece-of-cake to swap out and would end up to be much less work than to repair your current box.

I'm just throwing it out there again in case you missed it the first time.

[David Kumm]

Damon is correct that the Grizzly will be easier, but I'm not sure it is fair to say better. I guess we will know in 30 years how well they stand up. I will admit I'm biased when I see a neat old machine like that- but I did put a biesemeyer on an Oliver 217 at the risk of freaking out the OWWM crowd. Dave

[Casey Carr]

I see what you're saying Damon, and that might be the easiest thing for me to do, and I had thought that would be the way to go yesterday. But then I thought about it more and am kind of wondering if that wouldn't be a bit sacrilegious, putting a grizzly starter on this old American iron.

So if I go as close to original as I can, I'll need the Size 0 enclosure and a size 0 starter with a 220-240 coil? What about the heaters? Looks like there's umpteen million different configurations. How do I figure out what type of heaters I'd need? Or do the heaters dictate what voltage the coils are?

[David Kumm]

casey, If you don't have a white paper inside the cover, go to OWWM.org and ask. Other wise look at A-B 709 starters. They are the cheapest to find. The heaters and coil are also cheap. Next would be square d 8536 starters. their size 0 and size 1 enclosures are the same. A-b use different size enclosures but either a size 0 or 1 will work. Furnas was bought out by Siemens so look for both on ebay. Best info is oww.org- anything electrical. owwm.com also has a knowledge base that talks about starters. A little research-late at night- will make you much more comfortable with the whole program. Dave

[Casey Carr]

Thanks David. I'll keep digging, may end up ordering the grizzly starter just to get it operational and then look for what I need on ebay.

[Frank Drew]

I've never jointed anything in my life...

I missed this the first time around: You've never used a jointer and your first jointer purchase is a Northfield 12"? :eek:

Well, what the hey, why not, start at the top! But be careful, please.

[Chip Lindley]

I see what you're saying Damon, and that might be the easiest thing for me to do, and I had thought that would be the way to go yesterday. But then I thought about it more and am kind of wondering if that wouldn't be a bit sacrilegious, putting a grizzly starter on this old American iron.

So if I go as close to original as I can, I'll need the Size 0 enclosure and a size 0 starter with a 220-240 coil? What about the heaters? Looks like there's umpteen million different configurations. How do I figure out what type of heaters I'd need? Or do the heaters dictate what voltage the coils are?

You took the words right out of my mouth Casey! Indeed, mounting a Griz plastic starter on an All-American Northfield joiner would be mortal sacrilege. But, that is is an issue for each individual to decide--if they can live with themselves and sleep at night!

Concerning your Furnas "Size 0 magnetic starter" (that's what is inside the enclosure) heaters have nothing to do with the magetic coil voltage. Coil voltage coincides with line voltage (230v) your motor operates on.

Inside the cover of your enclosure, should be a listing of heater values at different motor amperage ranges. Pick the heater value that is equal to, a little more than, but never less than the amperage on the motor plate at 230v. Say, your motor's amperage falls between 8.64A - 9.59A, H1035 or H1036 heaters would be installed. Here is a chart (http://www.southlandelectric.com/Circuit_Breakers/Cutler%20Hammer/Heater%20Elements%20Citation%20A10.htm) for "H" series Cutler-Hammer heaters as used on your Furnas starter, incase your enclosure cover is lacking the heater chart pasted inside.

Hope this helps to clairify.

~Chip~

[Casey Carr]

Actually Drew, this is my second jointer. The first one I bought off my brother as he was going through a rough patch, an 8" grizzly, he got through the rough patch and I told him when I bought it off him if he ever wanted it back, he could have it for what I paid for it. But I never got around to switching out the plug on it to match mine, he got through his rough patch and wanted it back. Basically I just stored it for him. I found this one here in my little town and figured I couldn't pass it up. Bigger's always better, right?!? Plus it just looks so much prettier than that Grizzly. More manly! And after 8", prices start to escalate exponentially, so for $400 on this monster, I couldn't say no.

[Casey Carr]

Awesome Chip! Yes, my enclosure is missing any kind of technical details like that, but I think I'm going to need the entire starter as it's busted. So I need the enclosure, starter, 240V coil, and heaters? Jeff at Northfield said I'd need to swap mine out for H31's. But I'm guessing the heaters are dictated by what type of starter I have, and ultimately what brand I end up being able to find?

The more I look at things, I think this thing might have been tipped over on it's front face, hence the crushed electrical box and there's also a piece bolted on the infeed table that stretches over to the outfeed table that has been welded together. Don't know how important this piece is and if I need to get another one ordered or if I can just work around it. I'm thinking it'll be fine as it's in front of the knives, so wood shouldn't be going over this surface? But if my thinking is correct, I don't care how flat it is and whether the welding warped it or not. Cast parts, not good to weld? Or am I thinking of pot metal? Been too long since the high school shop days...

[Frank Drew]

... there's also a piece bolted on the infeed table that stretches over to the outfeed table that has been welded together. Don't know how important this piece is and if I need to get another one ordered or if I can just work around it. I'm thinking it'll be fine as it's in front of the knives, so wood shouldn't be going over this surface?

Casey, if I understand you correctly, that piece is called a rabbeting ledge; I don't consider it a critical component -- I never used mine, preferring other methods to cut rabbets (tablesaw, shaper, etc.) -- but in practice you move your fence over and drop your infeed table, both in combination adding up to the dimensions of a rabbet you want to cut on the edge of a board, then run the board with the rabbeting ledge as support. If you do want to use it as such, it would need to be flat and co-planar with the infeed table.

A lot of people take the ledge off their machines to get it out of the way; I did.

Another thing to consider, if in fact your jointer did get damaged in a fall or from something heavy running into it (like a forklift), you'd want to make sure nothing else was damaged or knocked out of alignment, such as the tables' co-planarity (a good thing to check in any case).

[David Kumm]

Casey, I forgot to mention that if you are replacing, look at starters without start buttons, and put it in the back and use a start stop remote unit wired to the front of the jointer. Much easier to find starters w/out buttons and the AB start stop are small and cheap. The starter will be 50 to 75 if good condition, the start stop another 25. Makes for a very neat installation. That is actually how most old jointers are set up. Go to owwm.com and look at the jointer pictures. Will give you ideas on how others set theirs up. Almost all old stuff has had the electricals changed. If you prefer one unit, keep in mind that most starters without buttons can be converted with the appropriate start stop kit. Sometimes one have to drill holes in the box- the locations are marked on the inside of the cover, or there are knockouts. If you need specific info, I have lots of starters so I can give you the appropriate numbers for AB, CH or SQ d. PM me if you need info. Dave

[Casey Carr]

Thanks Frank! Rabbeting ledge it is then. I've got other options for that, but it may be something to try out some day, see which I prefer over the long run. And that's the first thing I'll do when I actually get the thing operational, check all the surfaces for flatness, co-planarity and everything else. Going to need a good going through before I'll actually use it. I just want to make sure the RPC is going to work for me. I'll duck when I finally get to turn the thing on! :)

[Jameel Abraham]

I just installed a Shelix head on my 12" NF Medium. Just finished restoring the entire machine in fact. I've been using a 12" Shelix on my 10" Oliver for about 3 years now and I will never go to back to straight knives. Just too many advantages with the carbide. None of my furniture has machined surfaces (I always hand plane or sand), so for me a jointer (and planer) is simply a flattening and dimensioning tool. I haven't cut wood with the NF yet, just finished it yesterday. It will cost you way more than straight knives, but not in the long run (sharpening). You'll also change the inserts maybe once every 2-3 years in a typical hobbyist environment.

[Chip Lindley]

...so for $400 on this monster, I couldn't say no.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=193647&d=1304553110

Did I mention that YOU SUCK??!!??!!

Heckofadeal on a Northfield MD 12!! Way To Go!

[Eric Patterson]

Casey, I forgot to mention that if you are replacing, look at starters without start buttons, and put it in the back and use a start stop remote unit wired to the front of the jointer. Much easier to find starters w/out buttons and the AB start stop are small and cheap. The starter will be 50 to 75 if good condition, the start stop another 25. Makes for a very neat installation. That is actually how most old jointers are set up. Go to owwm.com and look at the jointer pictures. Will give you ideas on how others set theirs up. Almost all old stuff has had the electricals changed. If you prefer one unit, keep in mind that most starters without buttons can be converted with the appropriate start stop kit. Sometimes one have to drill holes in the box- the locations are marked on the inside of the cover, or there are knockouts. If you need specific info, I have lots of starters so I can give you the appropriate numbers for AB, CH or SQ d. PM me if you need info. Dave

As an owner of a Northfield 12" Medium Duty jointer I agree wholeheartedly with David's advice. If your starter is undamaged other than the enclosure then pick up an enclosure that doesn't have built in push buttons and use a remote push button. It is not that difficult to do. This is how my Northfield is set up. I like the looks of a small push button on the front while the clunky mag starter is mounted out of site.

194068

[Casey Carr]

Ah, I wish I'd seen your base before ordering my casters. How easy does that thing roll Eric? I wound up ordering 5" casters and it's been a bit of a pain figuring out how to put this thing on wheels. I've got it laid out for the most part, just need to tweak a thing here and there, but I think it'll work. I may have a bit of a tripping hazard with the wheel on the outfeed side when it's all done though. It would have been easier to do had mine been a direct drive versus belt driven, but it is what it is.

That does look pretty slick with the remote push button. I think I'll have to keep digging and see what I can find to replicate something similar.

[Eric Patterson]

It rolls around fine but the caster diameter is small for the weight so hopping the garage/driveway joint is a bit hard. Any welding shop could make you something similar for those 5" casters. These med duty jointers have a small footprint but I know I'd like a three toed jointer better since they offer more foot room for the operator.

[Casey Carr]

So I wound up ordering everything I think I'll need to get this thing back up and running. I was looking at Square D, then took another look at my starter and I think the only thing bad on it is the switch and the box. So I found another box on ebay, the heaters and also a remote switch. Spent a little more money than I wanted, but hopefully I'll never have to do this again on this jointer. For me and my ignorance with all things that make sparks, this was the easiest way for me to figure it out. Now I just have to get the mobile base built...and pray the mag starter is still good!

[Terry Therneau]

About 2 weeks ago a group of us took a tour of the Northfield facility; one of the most enjoyable afternoons I've ever had. The machinery that they use to build their stuff is amazing, but even more interesting was Jeff's treasure trove of comments about the history of machines, and what works and doesn't. The attitude was still that of a family business, i.e., to build it right. There was a reason behind nearly every choice they made, including a few "that was one of our mistakes" statements. Part of their business is specialty machining for others, and one of the comments I remember was "They tell us to 'use the tolerance' -- doesn't anyone want to do it right in the first place?"
Two of his comments that are relevant: He did mention that helical knives are bad on a jointer, and by that he meant true helices (longer knives on an angle), not the ones with lots of small inserts. The angle generates side forces, and he found it very difficult to control the "jointing" aspect of the stock while dealing with this too. He thought such heads were great on a planer BTW. He was talking about his own experience on a Northfield jointer, of course, and others may vary.
The other comment was about the rabbeting ledge. He doesn't think that much of them either, but their earliest jointers had them (people used the feature then), and the dimensions ended up in the military spec. And there they stayed. It's a big enough part of the market that all the other big boys (Moak, Oliver, ....) did the same. That was a general answer to a question of whether various manufacturers copied one another, since so many machines "look similar": "Mil Spec". Once a dimension gets into that paperwork it lives forever.
Terry Therneau

[Casey Carr]

That makes a little more sense Terry. Couldn't understand how the individual carbide tipped knives would cause a problem holding things down. I can see how the individual spiral knives that wrap around the cutterhead would cause problems.

Interesting about the mil specs. Guess I'll be taking my rabbeting ledge off! Thanks for the info.

[jon preston]

I restored a Northfiled 16HD jointer a few years ago. There are probably still some photos on the OWWM web site under my name. I disasembled it, stripped it to bare metal, sandblasted the frame, diamond lapped the tables, replaced the wiring, motor and motor controls (a Baldor 5hp single phase is cheaper and easier than a rotary phase converter) and rebuilt the thing with all new factory decals etc. It looked better than new and probably was since Northfield just painted nuts, bolts and all. I gave it an automotive like factory green color with clearcoat after all.

I also replaced the cutterhead bearings and installed a Byrd Shelix cutterhead. That cutterhead is magnificent. I used to replace/resharpen the HSS blades pretty regularly. The HSS knives are fragile and would aways develope knicks. It was always a pain to reset the knives and get them just right. After putting in the Shelix I set the outfeed table ONCE and haven't had to touch it for five years. I joint a lot of roughsawn hardwoods and I even occasionally hit a well hidden nail. The carbide inserts are undamaged. In fact, I haven't even had to rotate the inserts yeat and they still have three unused sides. It does take a little more effort to push a wide board through but it doesn't bother me. I'm a weightlifter anyway so why not push a little harder? I would NEVER consider going back to that old HSS cutterhead. Never. I also put a Shelix in my planer. Same story. It cuts figured hardwood quite well.

I'll trade the slight increase in pushing effort for constant knife changes/sharpening/setting/getting cut fingers.. I'm the first person to put a Shelix in the northfield by the way. I had to get the bluprints from Northfield and send them to Byrd. They have them on file now and can make a head for you.



QUOTE=Casey Carr;1697412]Okay, so I have a 5 hp rotary phase converter on the way to power this aircraft carrier.

I have the casters on order for the mobile base that I have yet to build, but finished designing for the most part. Need to tweak it a little, but not much.

I called Northfield, they're great to talk to and very helpful. Still need to switch out the heating coils on the starter, which they'll sell me. Need to replace the switch and possibly front panel on the starter box. They also sell replacement knives for $150. The knives are high speed steel. I've heard good things about the carbide tipped knives, but Infinity doesn't have the size I need, so I did a google search. There is one company that I found that makes the size I need. American National Knife is the place, a set of 3 costs $280. Anyone dealt with this company and know anything about them as far as quality? And on average, how many re-sharpenings could I get out of a set of blades? I know nicks and what not could seriously limit the lifetime, but trying to get a feel for this here.

At that price, I got to thinking I might as well go for the byrd shelix head. Basically 4 sets of knives and I've paid for the byrd head. Talking to the office lady at Northfield, she was saying they did not recommend the helical cutterheads. Something about it taking Hercules to hold the work piece down. Does anyone on here have a helical cutter on a 12" or bigger jointer, and is it a problem holding it down?

This thing is going to break me...Thanks for any help![/QUOTE]