Powermatic jointer not collecting wood chips?

[Travis Conner]

So my dust collector isn't collecting wood chips from the dust port. My dust collector is a powermatic 1300tx When you run a board through it just spits the wood chips back out onto the infeed table.

[Kevin Jenness]

a. the chip chute is blocked

b. the filter is clogged

c. you are taking deep cuts on something like pine that produces big fluffy shavings (see a)

[glenn bradley]

Did it used to? If so, look for blockage.

It never has? Check for an open-top chute design and enclose it.

[Thomas Wilson]

If you run the jointer without the dust collector turned on, it plugs pretty quickly. My Powermatic 6” jointer has a plastic 4” adapter over the chute. Take it off to get a better look up the chute. If your plug is like mine, it will be up near the cutter head.

[Richard Coers]

Some wood species will produce really wide curls off a straight blade head. Run a 6" wide piece of poplar, and you can get 6" curls off it. That will give evidence to poorly designed chip removal really quickly. Too much corrugated flex hose is always a concern, too many 90 degree elbows hurt, and a 4" adapter on a 6" wide chute could be the biggest issue.

[Ralph Okonieski]

Some curly maple was run through mine once for a real small project. It was a nightmare dust collection wise. Could be type of wood you are milling.

[Travis Conner]

Did it used to? If so, look for blockage.

It never has? Check for an open-top chute design and enclose it.

I'm not sure. I only ever used it on the side of the board. I jointer the face of a board the other day and I think that's when it must have clogged up. There was a bunch of wood chips piled up at the bottom of the chute so I guess the dust collector isn't creating enough suction. I'll take the hood off and make sure it's not all clogged under the head.

[Jim Becker]

Flattening a face generates a lot more material than just doing edges and depending on the species, it can be "fluffy" and prone to clogging if you do not have enough "real" CFM from the collection system. Some jointer ports are poorly designed, too.

[Travis Conner]

Flattening a face generates a lot more material than just doing edges and depending on the species, it can be "fluffy" and prone to clogging if you do not have enough "real" CFM from the collection system. Some jointer ports are poorly designed, too.

That's what I'm saying. The issue wasn't noticeable until I planed the face of a board.

[John Gustafson]

Sounds like a clog in the jointer BUT if it is, pull the inlet of of the DC housing and check that. There usually is a grate of some sort in front of the fan inlet. It's there to protect the fan from big "chunks". You may find a clog formed on that grid partially or completely blocking air flow. Long stringy cuttings from a jointer can wrap around the members of the grid and build a clog there over time. That cuts the flow down and will get you a clog in the jointer.

[Travis Conner]

Okay. There is a rubber flap way up there that I jiggled and the entire hon of wood chips came down from just under the cutterhead. Why is that flap even there? If it wasn't it would just be a direct drop into the chute. Also why don't they close off the top part that's totally open to get more suction? $6k machine and I have to modify it?

[Travis Conner]

Looks I like can reach in and wiggle that flap next time without taking the chute off this time. I just took it off this time to see what the other poster was talking about. He was right.....

[Bill Space]

Okay. There is a rubber flap way up there that I jiggled and the entire hon of wood chips came down from just under the cutterhead. Why is that flap even there? If it wasn't it would just be a direct drop into the chute. Also why don't they close off the top part that's totally open to get more suction? $6k machine and I have to modify it?

It’s not suction, but actually the velocity of the air flow that carries the chips away. Closing things up totally would reduce air flow, which would hurt rather than help.

[Dave Sabo]

Why is that flap even there?

safety - of course. ��

[Travis Conner]

It’s not suction, but actually the velocity of the air flow that carries the chips away. Closing things up totally would reduce air flow, which would hurt rather than help.

As volume goes up speed decreases. Close it off and you get less volume and more speed. We need air speed in this case. Close it off and your forcing all the air to be sucked from in between the cutterhead where the chips are created. Problem solved.

[Travis Conner]

Safety for what? Some idiot sticking their hand up there when it's on and the dust chute is off?

[Jim Becker]

Safety for what? Some idiot sticking their hand up there when it's on and the dust chute is off?
Yup. Stranger things have happened I'm sure...

[Travis Conner]

clogged solid.

[Bill Space]

As volume goes up speed decreases. Close it off and you get less volume and more speed. We need air speed in this case. Close it off and your forcing all the air to be sucked from in between the cutterhead where the chips are created. Problem solved.

If this is the case why are 4 & 6 inch ductwork used in shop dust collector systems, rather than 3”? Close things up too much and air flow drops off, rather than increases. The fan is not a constant volume air mover…

Glad you found the blockage and your jointer sucks again! :D

[Travis Conner]

It's a balancing act bill space.....