Mystery nicks

[Steve Demuth]

Today, working on a new bench setup, had to joint some rough lumber. Pushed a nice bit of hard maple through the machine, and it was just harder than hell getting it to go. Looked at the resulting surface and it's terribly rough with a groove down the center - a groove, not a raised relief from nicked blades! So I look at the jointer. It's got a big gouge with a raised divot in the trailing edge of the infeed table, the cutter head looks like somebody took a monkey wrench to it, and 2 of 3 blades nicked deeply enough to be unsalvageable.

Ok, so obviously somebody jointed a board with a screw, or looking at the damage, maybe a bolt, in it on my machine. I can't recall doing so though, and nobody but me EVER goes in that shop.

Aside from the couple of hours hours it took to repair the machine, the real damage is to my self-confidence. How did I do that and not know it instantly? People trust me with some pretty big decisions at work. Not sure that's a good idea at this point.

[Andrew Hughes]

That’s sounds terrible Steve, I’ve also had some unexplained things happen that have lead me to pay very close attention to what I use.
Never will I stack wood on my shop floor or leave it uncovered outside side.
Im sure not saying you dont.
Hope your jointer wasn’t damaged to much.

[Jim Becker]

That does bite. Andrew makes a good point..it could very well have been debris sticking to a piece of wood, but it's strange that you didn't hear something, etc., when it happened. Either that, or you have a infestation of some amazing metal eating creature that got hungry in the middle of some night... :D

[Bill Dufour]

I would suspect a missing nut or bolt on the cutterhead.
Bil lD

[Steve Demuth]

I would suspect a missing nut or bolt on the cutterhead.
Bil lD

My first thought too, but since I took it pretty much apart to clean the mess up, I can say it wasn't that.

Had to be something as hard as steel though, so either it was in or stuck to a board, and I didn't realize it when it happened.

[Bill Dufour]

I doubt if a bullet would be that hard. I will guess a wire, nail, rock or screw that the tree grew around,. Note that metal detectors do not sense rocks.

[Lee Schierer]

I've found bullets embedded in lumber several times. I agree that most would not cause a problem. There are some that have steel cores.

[Bill Space]

"Aside from the couple of hours hours it took to repair the machine, the real damage is to my self-confidence. How did I do that and not know it instantly?"

I would blame it on good hearing protection. Stuff happens...best to put it behind you and thank yourself for protecting your hearing for your later years! :)

Yes, I am serious!

[Steve Demuth]

"Aside from the couple of hours hours it took to repair the machine, the real damage is to my self-confidence. How did I do that and not know it instantly?"

I would blame it on good hearing protection. Stuff happens...best to put it behind you and thank yourself for protecting your hearing for your later years! :)

Yes, I am serious!

I had actually wondered if that didn't play a role. I've been pretty casual over the years with hearing protection in the shop, but last year got a very good industrial headset. I probably had them on last time I used the jointer before the recent discovery, as I was doing a lot of jointing and planing, and I always wear them for the latter. One thing I dislike about them is that I can't tell if I don't turn some machines off with the ear defenders on.