Delta-Rockwell 8'' Jointer

[Jerry Thompson]

I have had this jointer +20 years which I bought used. From the outset the fence will not set @ 90d in all positions accross the beds. One end will be square and the other out so that daylight can be seen. Sometimes @ the top amd othertimes @ the bottom. I can usually move it toward the edge and it will square.
I have put a LV 36'' straight edge on it and it is flat along its length.
I have presented this problem years ago on another site and all I got was the fence was warped and needed to milled.
When I tighten the fence I do not use excess pressure. I does seem, however that I can feel a slight movement on my square as I am tightening it. This has been a problem since day one and I would like to find a solution. Keep in mind I am not mechanically minded so be gentle
Thank you.

[Jim Barrett]

You say your fence is straight...not twisted?...if you can set the fence at 90 degrees on either your infeed or out feed table and not both then your tables are not coplanar...

Jim

[Jerry Thompson]

I can get the fence square on both ends but not @ all areas on the tables. I have to move the fence toward the outside edge and keep checking to find a sweet spot that it will square to after tightening.
I have no problems face jointing.
Thanks.

[Jim Barrett]

When you edge joint a board does it result a board that is flat and 90 degrees to the face you put up against the fence? Even on one of those locations that is not what you call a "sweet spot"?

Jim

[Jerry Thompson]

When I put the flat face up against the fence that I have finally positioned so it is square to the tables I will get a dead on 90d edge to face the length of the board. It seemsto me that something is off in the fence mechanisim. Why would the fence be abled to be squared in certain areas and not on others? One end will be square as well as the other but tighten it up one or the other will go out of square.
I then move the fence toward the out board side and eventually I will find a spot where both ends and the length of the fence are square. It is not just one area and I have not marked the spots that the fence will square up. I can move the fence and before tightening it I can check and all is square. I tighten it and out it goes but not one end each time. When I tighten it one end goes out but the other remains square. I never know which end will remain square and which won't.

[Jim Barrett]

Jerry,
Can you post a picture of your jointer? Others that have that machine may be able to add some insight.

Jim

[Jerry Thompson]

I will do this tomorrow. Thanks.

[Jerry Thompson]

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I have no idea how #1 is so large it is of the infeed square 2 is outfeed square. This is after both were square and becoming as show after tightening. The other two with the square stayed square after moing the fece toward the outsid about two inches from the edge. They were square before and after tightening. The othe picure shows the adjustment mechanisim.
The adj. mech has been take aprt twice and cleaned but not change. This is the way is acted when I bought it from a speaker maker and had no ideas about jointers. I have been told of many ways to fix it from grinding to instcutions I did not understand.
Thank you,.

[Chuck Wintle]

I have had this jointer +20 years which I bought used. From the outset the fence will not set @ 90d in all positions accross the beds. One end will be square and the other out so that daylight can be seen. Sometimes @ the top amd othertimes @ the bottom. I can usually move it toward the edge and it will square.
I have put a LV 36'' straight edge on it and it is flat along its length.
I have presented this problem years ago on another site and all I got was the fence was warped and needed to milled.
When I tighten the fence I do not use excess pressure. I does seem, however that I can feel a slight movement on my square as I am tightening it. This has been a problem since day one and I would like to find a solution. Keep in mind I am not mechanically minded so be gentle
Thank you.
if you could check the entire fence for square and warpage on a flat plate would help. if the fence is warped or twisted then it will never sit square across the two beds.

[Jerry Thompson]

I have done that. The point I am making is that it will sit square at certain points on the beds mostly toward the outside edge. The fence will sit square accross the entire planer bed until I tighten it then one end or the other goes out of square. It is not always the same end. This leaves me to think it may be something in the tightening mechanisim.
Thank you.

[Chuck Wintle]

I have done that. The point I am making is that it will sit square at certain points on the beds mostly toward the outside edge. The fence will sit square accross the entire planer bed until I tighten it then one end or the other goes out of square. It is not always the same end. This leaves me to think it may be something in the tightening mechanisim.
Thank you.

yes its probably the tightening mechanism causing the problem. Can you provide a photo of it? maybe it could be modified to be improved?

[Matt Day]

My fence on my Shop Fox 8" jointer was doing a similar thing, and realized that the bolts that hold the fence to the adjustment parts were tightened too much and pulled the fence out of flat. I adjusted and loosened those bolts a bit and the issues I had were gone.

[Jim Barrett]

I have had this jointer +20 years which I bought used. From the outset the fence will not set @ 90d in all positions accross the beds. One end will be square and the other out so that daylight can be seen. Sometimes @ the top amd othertimes @ the bottom. I can usually move it toward the edge and it will square.
I have put a LV 36'' straight edge on it and it is flat along its length.
I have presented this problem years ago on another site and all I got was the fence was warped and needed to milled.
When I tighten the fence I do not use excess pressure. I does seem, however that I can feel a slight movement on my square as I am tightening it. This has been a problem since day one and I would like to find a solution. Keep in mind I am not mechanically minded so be gentle
Thank you.

Jerry,
One thing I forgot to ask...when you edge joint your lumber how are the results? Is the edge 90 degrees to the face or is it "replicating" the fence...sometimes it is better to pay more attention to the results of your finished product, edge jointing in this case, instead of concentrating on the machine "anomalies"...I am going through a set up on a J/P and am checking the fence for 90 degrees and the tables for coplanar...the fence was not exactly 90 degrees but the results were spot on...

Jim

Jim

[Jerry Thompson]

The edge and the face are always 90* when the fence is @ 90(. I have not tried it anyother way. I still think something is amiss in the positioning mechanisim. When I hole a square to the fence and adjust it to 90* and the tighten the fence I can feel a slight movement and that end of the fence will be out. When I move the fence further out into areas that usually result in 90* I feel no movement. Remember it can be square on one end but not the other and one never knows which end will be out.
I may tear it apart again and take a look. Better yet I will have my wife examine it. She has a great eye for all things mechanical and electrical.