Rob Burch
08-27-2021, 8:32 PM
Greeting folks
I have made the decision to upgrade my PJ882 to a shelix head. A nicked set of knives helped me make that call. OK.... gave me the excuse I was looking for to change to a shelix head. At any rate...its on its way.
Now I have a question on setting up the jointer with it. I have watched the Woodwhisperer's video on installing which is straightforward enough as well as his video on setting up the jointer, including getting the tables co-planner. Again, I understand that process.
One thing still isn't clear to me is: How do I get the top dead center of the cutter even with the outfeed table.
In a straight knife head the blades are set to the outfeed table. I use a dial indicator and check at three points across the table with a dial indicator and adjustments are made by moving the knife in the head with the jack screws.
With a carbide cutter the cutting edges are fixed to the head so to get the table in line it would seem you have to move the table, by tiny amounts.
I am also concerned a bit that if the outfeed table is not in plane with the cutters you would have to adjust the outfeed table to the head first.
With knives I would:
1. Adjust the tables to be co-planner (if necessary)
2. Set all knives to the outfeed table
With the Shelix head my guess would be that the process would look like
1. Install the head with cutters installed
2. Set the outfeed table to the cutters. If there is a difference between the cutter head and the table from the fence to the outside (across the outfeed table meaning the outfeed and the cutter are not parallel) you would have to adjust the outfeed table to be parallel to the cutter and then adjust the Outfeed table height to the cutters.
3. From there you would remove a row or two of cutters for straight edge clearance and then set the infeed table to be co-planer with the outfeed table
4. reinstall removed cutters
Perhaps I am overthinking it and the likelihood of the cutter head and outfeed table not being parallel is low but I if its possible, I will be THAT GUY.
For those that have made this upgrade to the PJ882 or any other jointer.....does this sound like the right process.
Thanks for any advice.
Rob
I have made the decision to upgrade my PJ882 to a shelix head. A nicked set of knives helped me make that call. OK.... gave me the excuse I was looking for to change to a shelix head. At any rate...its on its way.
Now I have a question on setting up the jointer with it. I have watched the Woodwhisperer's video on installing which is straightforward enough as well as his video on setting up the jointer, including getting the tables co-planner. Again, I understand that process.
One thing still isn't clear to me is: How do I get the top dead center of the cutter even with the outfeed table.
In a straight knife head the blades are set to the outfeed table. I use a dial indicator and check at three points across the table with a dial indicator and adjustments are made by moving the knife in the head with the jack screws.
With a carbide cutter the cutting edges are fixed to the head so to get the table in line it would seem you have to move the table, by tiny amounts.
I am also concerned a bit that if the outfeed table is not in plane with the cutters you would have to adjust the outfeed table to the head first.
With knives I would:
1. Adjust the tables to be co-planner (if necessary)
2. Set all knives to the outfeed table
With the Shelix head my guess would be that the process would look like
1. Install the head with cutters installed
2. Set the outfeed table to the cutters. If there is a difference between the cutter head and the table from the fence to the outside (across the outfeed table meaning the outfeed and the cutter are not parallel) you would have to adjust the outfeed table to be parallel to the cutter and then adjust the Outfeed table height to the cutters.
3. From there you would remove a row or two of cutters for straight edge clearance and then set the infeed table to be co-planer with the outfeed table
4. reinstall removed cutters
Perhaps I am overthinking it and the likelihood of the cutter head and outfeed table not being parallel is low but I if its possible, I will be THAT GUY.
For those that have made this upgrade to the PJ882 or any other jointer.....does this sound like the right process.
Thanks for any advice.
Rob