Should I buy 6 inch Mark 1 jointer?

[John Strong]

Hi Guys,

Stumbled across this jointer on craigslist today. I don't currently have a jointer, and have been milling my stock using a planer sled, and a rip jig. I'm currently working on several furniture projects for a small apartment. Stumbled across this jointer on craigslist for $140. The guy is the original owner and when I asked him about its current state he responded:

"Everything functions. Motor and guards work as they should. Don’t remember last time blades are changed. I’ve owned this for decades and rarely use it. That’s why I’m selling it"

Anyone familiar with Mark1 as a brand? Looks like it was import awhile back by a company called tool barn, but haven't been able to find out much else about it. I think its bed is 42" long.

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[Jim Becker]

Jointers are pretty simple tools and when adjusted properly and equipped with sharp knives, they will do what they do. They question you need to ask yourself is if the 6" width will suit your needs for face jointing or if you want to continue to use your sled for faces while using the jointer for edges. 6" machines also have shorter beds, so they are best suited to smaller projects, although you can certainly work longer pieces of wood if you are careful and thoughtful.

[John Strong]

Jointers are pretty simple tools and when adjusted properly and equipped with sharp knives, they will do what they do. They question you need to ask yourself is if the 6" width will suit your needs for face jointing or if you want to continue to use your sled for faces while using the jointer for edges. 6" machines also have shorter beds, so they are best suited to smaller projects, although you can certainly work longer pieces of wood if you are careful and thoughtful.

Hi Jim, Thanks for the comment! I'd probably use the sled for wider boards still, but have been using a decent amount of 5 inch stock, and would make that work a lot quicker. $140 sounds decent?

Any advice on getting a jointer into the back of a SUV. Is that possible? or should try to get my hands on a truck. I've got to get it 20 minutes across town.

[Andrew Hughes]

It kinda looks like a Harbor Freight machine. Junk machines are rarely used I think the seller has given you a clue what to expect.
Good Luck

[John Strong]

It kinda looks like a Harbor Freight machine. Junk machines are rarely used I think the seller has given you a clue what to expect.
Good Luck


I ended up purchasing it for until I carve out more space for a larger unit. I think the lack of use in the last decade might have had to do with the owners age. Sounds like he just turned 80 last week.

[Jim Becker]

For $150...I suspect it will work just fine for now. It was made in Taiwan, if I'm reading the label correctly. and looks like a typical 6" jointer of its era.

[Mike Kees]

john I think that you will be able to set that up to work well enough for smaller pieces. I used a 6 inch jointer for about 12-13 years before I finally found a 8 inch machine. At that price you will be able to sell it for what you paid ,if/when the day ever comes that you decide to upgrade.

[Ron Selzer]

You done good on buying that one. Pull the knives and sharpen them, clean the machine while waiting on getting the sharp knives back. Set the knives, check basic adjustments on the machine and have fun with it. When you want to move up you will get your money back selling it. If you want to joint anything longer than 4-5' add extension tables to both ends. Level the jointer dead nuts on and then add the extension tables and level them, finally stretch a string from one end to the other to check the tables. I use 8' tables on both sides of a 6" jointer. outfeed stays in place all the time and infeed gets mounted when i need it
good luck
Ron

[Michael W. Clark]

I bought a similar Delta jointer used a few years ago. The fence looks the same as mine but the cabinet is different. I like the fence arrangement as you can put the jointer directly next to a wall and that was necessary in my last shop. I put a set of knives on it from Infinity and they have been great.

[Brian Tymchak]

My guess is that the table adjustment mechanisms has not been lubricated in its 35 year life. You might want to do that as part of your clean up and set up.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Hi Jim, Thanks for the comment! I'd probably use the sled for wider boards still, but have been using a decent amount of 5 inch stock, and would make that work a lot quicker. $140 sounds decent?

Any advice on getting a jointer into the back of a SUV. Is that possible? or should try to get my hands on a truck. I've got to get it 20 minutes across town.If your jointer has a rabbeting ledge (most do) you can face joint boards up to 9" wide. You face joint, add a flat shim under jointed area, then run them thru the planer. Once second face is planed smooth, turn board over, remove flat shim, and plane away the waste

[Bill Dufour]

Note the old fashioned fence has to reset to square every time it is moved. Try to move it around to even out knife wear.
Bil lD

[Michael W. Clark]

Note the old fashioned fence has to reset to square every time it is moved. Try to move it around to even out knife wear.
Bil lD

Definitely need to check square when you move the fence and also periodically as you use it to make sure it doesn't lose its setting. My Delta has a hex bolt and jam nut that sits on a stop to set 90. I check it often as I got used to doing that on a little benchtop jointer I had, but I rarely have to make any adjustments on this one. The benchtop jointer was terrible in almost every aspect that makes a jointer but I was just starting and couldn't commit the space to a floor model at that time.

[Charlie Jones]

That’s a good deal if it will clean up. I have a Woodtex just like it. I bought it new about 30 years ago. It is a nice tool that does it’s job well. The knives are a pain to set. I replaced mine with the Quick Set drop in knives. I keep a square nearby to check the fence when it is moved. That is not a big deal. I like the fence because I can park the machine close to the left side of my Cabinet saw.

[John Strong]

Thanks for all the comments guys. I'll spend a good chuck of the weekend getting everything cleaned up.


I replaced mine with the Quick Set drop in knives.

Can you elaborate a little more on the Quick Set drop in knives? Do I need to make any adjustments to the cutter head to make this work?

[Dave Sabo]

Think he’s talking about these :

https://dispozablade.com/

You need only set them up the first time. Shouldn’t have to adjust the head, but I’m not familiar with that model.

Read / watch videos on how to set up a jointer and align knives.


Never ceases to amaze me at some of the tool snobs round here that think one can’t get a decent / functioning tool from HF or Taiwan, China in general. Plenty of that stuff has been sold for decades and has served craftsmen well. To be sure there are some manuf. of real rubbish, but they are rare.

Like Jim said, a jointer is pretty simple. If the tables are reasonably flat and can be aligned, and the motor runs the rest is just effort. Certainly you’ll spend less time trying to dial in a new Powermatic , but it’ll cost you 10-20x as much.

Even then the Felder & SCMI guys will look down their nose at you. And the Northfield guys will do the same to that bunch.

[Mike Kees]

John ,the 6 jointer I used to own started its life with tables that dropped at the ends. I tried to adjust the gibs ( on my own with zero knowledge or experience) ,this did not help. Finally I took the tables right off my machine . I discovered that there was cosmoline in the dovetail ways, by that time 5-6 years of sawdust had turned it into a thick hardened paste. I scraped the gunk and cleaned throughly. When I put it all back together and snugged up the gibs properly then checked for flat it was bang on. I used this machine for about 10 more years and edge jointed stuff to 10' long. My jointer was a Delta ,made in Taiwan . I have six machines in my shop at the moment made in Taiwan ,all getting the job done and earning their keep. Hope you enjoy your jointer and if you need any help feel free to PM me.

[Charlie Jones]

Yes those are the ones. You just buy the kit the first time. It comes with three double sided blades and the blade holders. You just pull out the old blades and springs. Drop in the holder and blade and tighten the gib screws. They index off the outside edge of the blade slot. They is no adjustment needed. I used to spend an hour or more trying to get the old blades in adjustment. Replacement blades are cheaper since you won’t need the blade holder.

[Charlie Jones]

[attach=config]445416 [attach=config]445417

The picture isn’t great. The little nub you see on the blade holder is what indexes it.

[John Strong]

Hope you enjoy your jointer and if you need any help feel free to PM me.

Hey Mike, (and the rest)

After getting rid of all the rust, and lubricating all the moving parts, I've run into potentially my first question while dialing in the jointer. The blade guard seems to be slightly too high off the table. The 4/4 stock I was test jointing slides underneath the guard, instead of pushing it open. (See imgur, couldn't get the image to imbed)

I'm planning on modifying the guard to lower the front of it somehow. Has anyone else experience this with their guard?

https://imgur.com/a/tf9sgfd

Best,
John

[Mike Kees]

To me it looks as though the guard is not all the way down. Most jointer pork chop guards have a shaft with a slot in the end that engages a spring that can be twisted to increase or decrease the tension that the guard closes with. I would pull it out and clean it up with a wire wheel or brush and give it a shot of WD 40 and then see if it works different. I suspect it is just riding up higher because of rust or grit.

[Ron Selzer]

move the fence as far to the right/back as it will go, needs to be far enough that the pork chop can swing past it.
Look down in the hole for the spring that goes across the hole, look at the bottom of the pork chop post for the slot.
Line the two up and drop the pork chop in place completely down on the jointer bed.
Then turn it counterclockwise feeling the spring pressure build
Then slide the fence back in position.
good luck
ron

[Dave Sabo]

Fellas , I think y’all need to take a closer look at the pics. Don’t think the guard is going to lower any more than it is now.

Seems to me that the designer deliberately chose to have that space under the guard. A bit like a euro guard.

Look at the nubbin/shoulder highlighted in blue, and tell me where that’s going to recess into.

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[John Strong]

Look at the nubbin/shoulder highlighted in blue, and tell me where that’s going to recess into.

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Hi Dave, thanks for pointing that out on the original picture. It actually confirms both what Mike and Ron were saying inadvertently. When I took off the guard to de-rust the table top/ lubricate the moving components to get it to swing smoothly, I didn't get it back down properly. (Not even to the top of the nub.) But looking at the original photo, it is clear that before I removed all the components, it was possible to get the nub flush with the infeed table top, so the problem should be fixable without modification of any kind.

Best,
John

[Dave Sabo]

Now I’m totally flummoxed.

If the frost pic was before up you touched it , then it doesn’t seem possible to accomplish what they are saying.

But, the pic is fuzzy and I can’t see if there’s a recess in the bed to accommodate the guard’s shoulder. Look at Charlie’s woodtek guard. It has no shoulder and will sit almost flat on the bed. I don’t think yours will do that.

staying tuned though.

p.s. Looked at your other image - it ain’t happening.

the red lines indicate the “slack” the fellas were talking about. The green lines represent what I think you’ll never get rid of.

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