Jointer HELP!

[matthew Young]

Good Afternoon All,
This is my first time posting on this forum but I have been getting information here for a while now. I now have a problem that I can't find an answer to, so I am extending it to the experts.
I bought a used jointer from a gentlemen and its a 6" Canwood Jointer. I can not find a manual or even really any existance of Canwood anywhere on the internet. I have been using other brands manuals in the hope of reverse engineering the problem with mine but the problem persists.
I couldn't for the life of me get a board to straighten out when I was trying to face joint, so I started working down the list of every adjustment, technique and different wood I could to try and find/solve the problem. While measuring the infeed table with a dial indicator off the outfeed table, I found that the front left corner (looking as you would feed the wood) was down .017". After checking the other three corners on the infeed from a straight edge off the outfeed, the other three corners were all even and coplaner with the outfeed side. So I assume that somehow that front left corner has dropped.
My issue is I can't figure out how to adjust it up. I dont see any set screws and the only adjustments on the infeed side is the high/low stops for the infeed table height adjustments. I even tried wedging that corner to see if I could level it with the other three corners but it just raises the whole table.
I took a break to rest my patience, but when I head back out I will take pictures of whatever I can think of will help.
I am with the Canadian Armed Forces and am being released medically. I just recently started my own custom woodworking shop and had been using a sled for the planer. It would be way less of a pain though if I can get this jointer set right and be able to use it.
Any help or advice fixing this problem is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance and glad to be part of the team!

[Rod Sheridan]

Matthew, welcome to the forum.

Canwood was a brandname for House of Tools in Canada, who closed a few years ago.

Whenever I was working in Calgary I would pop in for a visit to look around.

You should be able to find the same machine from Busy Bee or King, and use their manual.

Please add your location to your profile, you might also want to log into the canadianwoodworking.com for some local help............Regards, Rod

[matthew Young]

Thanks Rod,

I will definitely look into canadianwoodworking.com as well. Also, I did relatively track down that the Busy Bee machines were close to the same. But looking at the manuals not everything is matching up which is making it difficult. I almost don't really see anywhere to adjust on the infeed side.

[Steve Baumgartner]

While measuring the infeed table with a dial indicator off the outfeed table, I found that the front left corner (looking as you would feed the wood) was down .017". After checking the other three corners on the infeed from a straight edge off the outfeed, the other three corners were all even and coplaner with the outfeed side. So I assume that somehow that front left corner has dropped.


There is no way to misalign a flat rectangle so that three corners are in one plane and the fourth is out! I hope for your sake there was a measurement error, because if not that table is warped and the only fix is to have it ground flat by a machine shop.

[matthew Young]

There is no way to misalign a flat rectangle so that three corners are in one plane and the fourth is out! I hope for your sake there was a measurement error, because if not that table is warped and the only fix is to have it ground flat by a machine shop. I am working on a Harvest Table project so I'll be remeasuring when I'm complete with that. I'm fingers crossed I measured wrong too because a warped table was all I could come up with as well. :o

[John TenEyck]

Just put a straight edge on the outfeed table, long enough that it projects the full length of the infeed table, too. Adjust the infeed table until one or, hopefully, all the corners hit the straightedge. When one corner hits the straightedge, stop, and then use feeler gauges or a dial indicator mounted to the straightedge to measure the clearance at the other three corners. Pretty simple process. Anything more than 0.005" is probably going to be a problem.

John

[matthew Young]

Far ahead of you John,

That is the precise step I was conducting when I discovered this dilemma. I used feeler gauges then double checked with the dial indicator. On the infeed table, the two corners nearest the fence and the one outside corner farthest from the blades all measured between .002". The outside corner nearest the blades, however, was down around .017". I also cant figure out how to adjust the corners on the infeed table (to adjust coplaner) so I'm not sure if it just requires adjustment or if the table is warped.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Far ahead of you John,

That is the precise step I was conducting when I discovered this dilemma. I used feeler gauges then double checked with the dial indicator. On the infeed table, the two corners nearest the fence and the one outside corner farthest from the blades all measured between .002". The outside corner nearest the blades, however, was down around .017". I also cant figure out how to adjust the corners on the infeed table (to adjust coplaner) so I'm not sure if it just requires adjustment or if the table is warped.

Sorry about this, but..............

From the cheap seats, I'd have to go with Door #2: warped table.

Ouch.

[John TenEyck]

Far ahead of you John,

That is the precise step I was conducting when I discovered this dilemma. I used feeler gauges then double checked with the dial indicator. On the infeed table, the two corners nearest the fence and the one outside corner farthest from the blades all measured between .002". The outside corner nearest the blades, however, was down around .017". I also cant figure out how to adjust the corners on the infeed table (to adjust coplaner) so I'm not sure if it just requires adjustment or if the table is warped.

Great minds think alike. With that confirmed, I think the infeed table is warped. Take it off and lay it on your table saw to confirm, and go from there. There's no way to twist it flat, as far as I know; the only solution is to get another or have that one machined. Or sell it and buy another.

John

[Phil Thien]

If you're going to have a wonky table, the front of the infeed table is where you'd want it, I'd think. Because your outfeed table is really your reference surface.

I'm not saying such a dip as you describe won't interfere, but I'd think the most it would do is require an extra pass when face-jointing.

So I guess what I'm saying is, the problem may be your technique and not necessarily the dip in the front of the infeed.

Maybe.

[Jeff Duncan]

Using the straight edge check the infeed table by itself to see if it's a short dip or if it's actually warped. If it's a short dip it can probably be worked around. If it's warped it probably cannot. If it's not a dip or warp then it needs to be adjusted. I'm not familiar with your particular jointer, but most tables can be adjusted and/or shimmed. Directions for both should be pretty easy to find with a quick search.

The important thing is to KNOW exactly what the issue is before starting to monkey around with it. My 8" jointer was WAY out of whack when I bought it. Previous owner claimed he spent 6 hours getting the tables aligned properly. Took me 2 more hours to get it properly aligned:o

good luck,
JeffD

[matthew Young]

Yea I'm thinking it may just be a dip as opposed to being warped. Or maybe that's just what I'm hoping lol. It 100% could be my technique, I haven't used a jointer very much and from what I've been reading it is usually the culprit with a lot of jointer related problems. Facts are: that front corner is definitely down from the other three. I can edge joint fine which would lead me to believe that it just dips vs warped/twisted.

In theory in my head, if I keep pressure against the fence and outfeed table, like previously mentioned above I would think it still should come out relatively fine. A very common problem I'm having is when I face joint a board, it does rock side to side. I believe that means there's two opposing high corners, however, when I run it through again that rock stays the same regardless of passes and sometimes even gets a little worse. That totally could be technique although I do pay very close attention to try and mitigate that option.

[rudy de haas]

hi:

The Canwood products were a bit like the mastercraft ones - generally made to a very general spec by the lowest bidder in the year before it hit retail, so yours may the functionally identical to a name brand product, but which one depends on the year of manufacture. If you like the one you have except for the one table, I'd suggest watching kijiji for another like it on the assumption that the tables will be interchangeable (the shims etc may not be, but that shouldn't matter) and unlikely to have identical problems. There's one for sale in Llyodminister right now for $150 and these come up in Calgary fairly regularly - as do the very similar craftex and Delta/Porter-Cable 6" units.

Sometimes, however, fixing just sends good money after bad - and I see a nice invicta 8" for sale in Calgary at $400 right now too. If it's in good shape and you can handle a 220V machine, that will probably serve you much better.

[Phil Thien]

A very common problem I'm having is when I face joint a board, it does rock side to side.

On what, and how much?

That is, what is your reference flat surface, a workbench? Table? Piece of granite? Your reference could be contributing here.

Best practice is, IMHO, to take a longer board and cut it in half. Face joint both halves. Place them (jointed) face to face.

Now tell us the length of the boards, and how much rocking you have. Sometimes it is helpful to use a feeler gauge, or enough pieces of paper to eliminate the rock, then you can tell us how much of a gap you had fairly accurately.

A small knock while tapping diagonal corners may be in the thousandths of an inch and nothing to worry about.

Or it could be something more significant.

So do a little more testing and tell us how far the boards are off.