Jointer taking an extra bite at the end of each pass

[Isaac Frisbie]

I have an old delta 6in jointer in my high school woodshop class. When my students run their stock, this jointer takes and extra 1/16 -1/8" off the end of the piece. Typically, this extra gouge is about 2" long. I tried raising the infeed table and replacing the knives to no avail. Anyone else had this issue? Anyone found a solution??
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[Matt Day]

That’s called snipe. You’re need to make sure TDC (top dead center) of the knives are the same height as your outfeed table, and that your outfeed table and infeed table are coplaner. Lots of YouTube content on adjusting a jointer, I like the wood whisperers.

[Al Launier]

Assuming the tables & knives are properly adjusted, as the wood passes over the knives are the students "really" holding the board down on the outfeed table & walking it forward while continuing to hold it down until the tail end of the board completely passes over the knives? The tail end should basically float once the the board is held down on the outfeed table letting the knives do their work.

[peter gagliardi]

Your outfeed table is too low, you need to raise it.

[glenn bradley]

Your outfeed table is too low, you need to raise it.

This one gets my vote as a first check.

[Bill Dufour]

He probably had it adjusted correctly and some helpful student adjusted it without telling the teacher. The teacher assumed it was still adjusted right and something else must have happened since he knew it was correct last time he checked.
Bil lD

[Tom M King]

My 8" jointer came from a school auction in 1975. The handwheel on the outfeed table was taken off when I bought it, and no one knew where it was. That was probably a good idea. Bill has the right answer.

[Kevin Jenness]

The only way you can get a 1/16" deep snipe on a jointer is if the outfeed table is 1/16" below the knife cutting circle (I guess you could do it by lifting the leading edge several inches off the outfeed table, but that's a bigger problem).

[Patrick Walsh]

I’d kill for a job in a vocational school teaching Woodworking.

Local to me that’s a $100K job with major Benny’s and long term security into old age.

But yeah outfeed table is low.

Wasn’t to long ago I woulda been asking the same question. So I see no need to be rude. Good on you for having my dream job and finding your answer however you had to find it. Know you know.

As the knives wear you will have the same issue. For instance on a wide jointer often only the section closest to operators will exhibit this problem. Move to the back edge of the machine and offenthe issue is gone.




The only way you can get a 1/16" deep snipe on a jointer is if the outfeed table is 1/16" below the knife cutting circle (I guess you could do it by lifting the leading edge several inches off the outfeed table, but that's a bigger problem).

[Bill Orbine]

If you had changed the knives (as you stated), you are missing something... You need to make sure all your knives meet the outfeed table at TDC.

[Patrick Walsh]

Kevin,

Fair enough and a valid point.

[Mike Kees]

Issac ,saw this thread yesterday with a few less than helpful replies. Anyhow If this is new territory for you,there is a very good book called "Care and Repair of shop machines" by John White who was the shop manager for Fine Woodworking. This book has chapters dedicated to setup and tuning of individual machines,the jointer section is very good. It is a good reference to have on hand as well as a great read for learning purposes. It helped me out tremendously when learning about adjusting jointers. Good luck,Mike.

[Gary Ragatz]

Mike,

Thanks for that suggestion - I just ordered a copy. I find it so much more helpful to have a good reference book on the shelf vs. searching on line for individual articles and/or videos every time I have a question.

[William Hodge]

It's easy to learn how to set up and operate a jointer.

Teaching woodworking to a bunch of kids, and dealing with the administration and parents, requires skills far beyond stuff we talk about here.

Feel free to ask for some technical advice.

By the way, I shoot for a tiny bit of snipe on the jointer. I use the jointer for flattening wood, and the snipe comes out in the planer. If the knives are too low, it can cause wood to bump over the outfeed table, then not be flat. Draw a pencil line between the two wedged surfaces on the outfeed table and its support, so you can see if someone moved the table.

[Richard Coers]

Raise the outfield table until the snipe stops. Go easy as going to far makes another problem.

[Brian Holcombe]

I like the knives about .001-.002” above the table. I adjust it until it will just barely grab the wood as it turn it over by hand.

[brent stanley]

I like the knives about .001-.002” above the table. I adjust it until it will just barely grab the wood as it turn it over by hand.


Yup! That's what I've always found is required. A straight knife head will leave tiny scallops (depending on the feed rate) and TDC only determines the lowest point of the scallop....the ridges are of course a little higher. There can also be fibre compression and spring back that needs to be accounted for which is why jointer outfeed tables on machines that provide perfect results are often just a whisker lower than TDC.

[Mel Fulks]

A jointer with adjustment hand wheel, instead of "shift stick" , can have the wheel calibrated and a pointer added that makes
adjustment easy. Accurate install of knives is good. But just a little over one thousandth wear can make the cut start to
climb and require slight lowering of outfeed table.

[Mel Fulks]

I've used jointers with the set-up William described. A lot of them are set up like that ,I think it's mostly because some
will accept anything from the machine except climbing. I always adjust them for the present task,including hollow joints
for edge gluing.

[Isaac Frisbie]

Thanks for the input guys!!! I checked the out feed as this thread was heating up. The out feed adjustment wheel is missing and the adjustment screw seems to be stripped? Awesome. I recently took over the shop and a previous student must have 'adjusted' the out feed.