HANK METZ
04-17-2012, 5:47 PM
I bought a 1950’s 6” Delta/ Rockwell jointer from a Craigslist seller for $30, a sweet machine but this is not a gloat today, it’s about bringing it up to date safety- wise. The problem I had with it is identified by the black electrician’s tape wrapped around the power cord about midway up in the image; she tried to eat it on me one day, so getting the message I pondered how to fabricate a guard, you know, with the nice radius arching over and under the pulleys. Kerf bend; cut segments and assemble; saw out the sections from flat? Nope, it occurred to me that a tool rest for my push blocks would also be handy to have built into it too, so I made it a simple rectangle, with the bottom corners clipped to allow operating the casters.
In this image, it shows the inside detail of the 1/8” hardboard which was laid out for the pulley’s centers. Their radius was then scribed and finally a ¼” clearance was added so that’s what I built the framework to.
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To aid in locating the guard mounting holes for the fairing blocks’ which I had fastened to the frame, I bored out for the motor shaft which had plenty of length as a support, and used an awl to find the cutter head shaft center, then ran a drill through the guards’ pre- bored mounting holes, thus getting a perfect alignment.
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The other safety feature I incorporated was the remote reach rod for the on/ off function, seen mid- frame left, under the fence locks.
229933
My push blocks are a repurposed grout float, foreground, and a custom made pusher with a tail hook, sporting an old purple computer handle, which is real easy to find in the shop BTW, thanks to the goofy color. I applied shelf liner to both tools for added friction, and if I ever tile again the float gets re- repurposed.
229935
The whole thing had one unexpected bonus too; it ran much quieter than before, I suppose the belt moving in free air must’ve gave out with some noise of it’s own.
- Beachside Hank
The use of nails in fine furniture is to be abhorred- drywall screws are preferred.
In this image, it shows the inside detail of the 1/8” hardboard which was laid out for the pulley’s centers. Their radius was then scribed and finally a ¼” clearance was added so that’s what I built the framework to.
229932
To aid in locating the guard mounting holes for the fairing blocks’ which I had fastened to the frame, I bored out for the motor shaft which had plenty of length as a support, and used an awl to find the cutter head shaft center, then ran a drill through the guards’ pre- bored mounting holes, thus getting a perfect alignment.
229934
The other safety feature I incorporated was the remote reach rod for the on/ off function, seen mid- frame left, under the fence locks.
229933
My push blocks are a repurposed grout float, foreground, and a custom made pusher with a tail hook, sporting an old purple computer handle, which is real easy to find in the shop BTW, thanks to the goofy color. I applied shelf liner to both tools for added friction, and if I ever tile again the float gets re- repurposed.
229935
The whole thing had one unexpected bonus too; it ran much quieter than before, I suppose the belt moving in free air must’ve gave out with some noise of it’s own.
- Beachside Hank
The use of nails in fine furniture is to be abhorred- drywall screws are preferred.