Click-click, boom!

[John Miliunas]

Well, finally pulled the trigger on it and ordered me one o' them, thar jointer thingies. Now, before everyone goes and flames me for it, I presently have neither, the space or the funds allocated for a bigger one. Period. Just the way it is. And, if I did wait to save up the additional $$, I still wouldn't have the room. So, I decided on the entry-level Grizz, G1182HW. That'd be the 6" unit with the base you assemble. Word has it, this unit is the same as the higher-end units, albeit doesn't have the nicer base. Who cares?....The business end of it IS the same and that's what meets the wood. Plus, if we do get into a better situation where I would have the room down the road to upgrade, it seems that out by us, selling lower price-point units is easier. Now I'm busy making room for it. Should be here by the end of the week, when I'll hopefully be able to post a bonafide "gloat". :D :cool:

[Bobby Hatfield]

I'm jelous, want a 12" but can't justify more than a Griz 8" and may get one after collecting on this cabinet job. I have been petting this cheap Buffalo 6" 1986 model along for years.

[Kevin Gerstenecker]

Good for you John! I am sure that that unit will do a fine job for you. Grizzly doesn't mess around when it comes to shipping, so you better get after it and get some space cleared for that new toy! When I order from Grizzly, the items are often on my doorstep the next day, or the following at the latest. I live near St. Louis, and if the merchandise is in the Springfield, MO warehouse, I have it PRONTO! Congratulations on the Jointer, I think you made the right call! Let us know when you get 'er rippin'! :D

[Ted Shrader]

John -

Congratulations on the new jointer! Any idea on when it will be delivered? How about a tool review when you get it up and running?

Ted

[John Miliunas]

Thanks for the "thumbs up" there, guys! I'm pretty excited. It's been long, long overdue.

Bobby, in my own convoluted way(s), I *could* justify a 12"er! :D For most uses, an 8 would be ideal. In reality, I need to settle on the 6. I've got a stash of $$ still set aside for one more major tool and the 8"er would've taken a bite out of it. Even so, still wouldn't have had the real estate for it. Well, OK...Not comfortably. Not much point in having a tool if you can only store it and not have the room to use it!:D

Kevin, it is coming from MO, but I'm not as close to it as you are.:(

Ted, according to the gal who took my order this morning, she's saying 3-5 days. I hope so! If not, oh well. I've only been waiting on this for about 3-5 years now! As for the review, I don't know how qualified I am at something really full-blown, but I'll most certainly jot down my impressions and see if I can mark it as high as some of the magazine reviews show it to be. :cool:

Oh, and FWIW, thus far, the courtesy in which my order was handled already gets high marks! The gal who took my order was pleasant, informative and efficient, constantly checking to see if there was anything else she could help me with. Thanks again, guys! :cool: (Official "gloat" to be posted after actual tool arrival.)

[Ken Salisbury]

John,

I have been using a 6" jointer for more years than I care to remember. Mine does every thing I ask of it. I see no real need for a hobby woodworker to have a larger machine (unless you have more $$$ than you need and just want to get rid of some).

It should serve you needs for a long time.

[John Miliunas]

Originally posted by Ken Salisbury
John,

I have been using a 6" jointer for more years than I care to remember. Mine does every thing I ask of it. I see no real need for a hobby woodworker to have a larger machine (unless you have more $$$ than you need and just want to get rid of some).

It should serve you needs for a long time.

Hey, NOW I'm starting to feel even better about my decision! If a 6"er is, in part, responsible for all the beautiful stuff you've been able to output, it should be more than enough for me! Thanks for the encouragement, Ken. Also, I truly hope your post-surgery recovery is coming along well! Hang tough!!!:cool:

[Bart Leetch]

Hi John

What Ken said goes with me too.

[Terry Stapleton]

Good grief. Where do YOU have room to fit?

I too have used a 6" one for about 30 years. Lots of other toys I'd rather have than a bigger jointer.

[Bob Reilly]

Hey Bobby,ther's a 12"grizz in the classifieds for sale,only $1800 why not drive on down and get it,sounds like a bargain.

[Bart Leetch]

Originally posted by Terry Stapleton
Good grief. Where do YOU have room to fit?

Terry believe it or not I have re-arranged the shop since that pic & whats on my web site & have even more room. I actually built this 8' long computer desk in that little shop.

[Terry Stapleton]

Originally posted by Bart Leetch
Terry believe it or not I have re-arranged the shop since that pic & whats on my web site & have even more room. I actually built this 8' long computer desk in that little shop.

I like the cubby holes and the size. Never seems to be enough space for all of the odds and ends.

[Kyle Koenig]

John, I just recently purchased the same jointer! I have been setting it up and thought I would share my experiences with you.

First, assembling the stand was one of the hardest parts. You put together the front and sides loosely and then build in the dust chute. The way I thought it should go together and the way the engineer thought it should go together were slightly different. The bottom of the dust chute has a small break at the end and I thought this should overlap the side so that all dust would just roll out. The only way it would fit together, is with the lip on the inside!

After I finally got it assembled I hung the motor per the instructions. In looking at it, it appeared that the motor was too far to the back and the belt would hit the edge of the cut out. So, I let it sit for a couple of days to see if my perspective changed. It didn?t, so I took the dust chute out and reinstalled it the other way. Keep in mind that turning the little screws inside the chute involved a stubby screwdriver and a lot of hand pressure! After turning it around, and installing the motor, I immediately realized that it was correct the first time - so I had to do it all over again.

In the process of building the stand, I also built a mobile base for the jointer. I figured that it would be easier to just assemble it on the stand as opposed to lifting it on later - I think I was right.

This took me a couple nights to get that far. I then waited a few days to get someone to help me lift the top onto the stand. After not getting any help I decided to just lift the thing up and see how heavy it really was. Once I had it standing on end, I felt that I no longer had a choice ? it had to be set back down and the logical place was to set it on the stand. Anyone watching me would have had a grand chuckle! I had set the stand next to the box, with the thought that I would essentially tip it up on end, tip it to pick it up and just set it on the stand. Good concept, but I inadvertently had the stand turned the wrong way and didn?t notice it until I had the jointer in my arms. So, standing on my right foot, I spun the stand around (good thing the mobile base was there!) with my left foot and set it down where it belonged. It actually wasn?t too bad and not nearly has heavy as I expected.

After that, I began the clean up. I tried denatured alcohol - little success, lots of work. Tried Simple Green and their citrus version - didn?t even touch the goo. Went to mineral spirits and the goo just melted away. Had to be careful because it melted the paint too!

I installed a link belt right off the bat just because I had a couple lying around. Went through Grizzly?s recommended set up and found that the knives where in perfect alignment and the fence was easy to square. I did notice that the out-feed side of the fence is dished. I couldn?t find my feeler gauge to determine how much though.

When I installed the cutter guard per their instructions, I noticed that the guard would not always swing back over the cutter head. It seemed to be binding inside. I backed the pressure off so it wouldn?t bind, but now it is slow in returning. A quick email exchange with Grizzly support and a new one is on the way.

Fired it up and ran it for a couple minutes and jointed a few boards. Worked like a champ until I started smelling something hot. I took the back off the stand and noticed that the motor pulley was HOT. Nothing else! When I looked at the back of the stand I noticed a nice worn circle where the motor pulley had been rubbing. So, I spent an hour or so last night trying to realign the motor and pulleys. Turned out to be a major pain in the bottom. It would have been much easier if I had someone to help me. It is very difficult to get the motor in position with two hands and then use two more hands to tighten the nuts because I only have two hands total!

My next step is to install dust collection. I purchased a 6x6x6 plenum take off and it appears that it will fit almost perfectly! Good luck with your jointer! I really am excited to have this in my garage and feel that it will be a good tool long term.

[John Miliunas]

Kyle, may many, many board feet of clear Cherry grace your shop at no more than two bucks a bd/ft!!! I'm hopeful my unit will be here before the end of the week, and your thoughtful insights have given me a leg-up on this little project! Many thanks!!! This is my first equipment experience with Griz and figured if it's a good one, a couple others may go their way, as well. I'll keep you all posted on progress after the unit comes in. :cool:

[Kyle Koenig]

John, I have had good luck with the tools I have purchased from Grizzly. I now have their contractor saw, drill press, band saw, jointer, dust collector and saber saw. I am generally pleased with the quality I get for the money spent. Their tech support has been very accommodating. With all my tools, they have come out of the box in good condition and alignment. The only tool I have thought to be lacking features of the top brands is the band saw, but for the price?

Good luck with your jointer!

[John Miliunas]

Kyle, thanks again. The fact that you're pleased with so many of their tools is further reassuring. I hope I have the same luck you did! :cool: