Powermatic 8" jointer co-planar issues

[Mark Evans]

I just received my new 8" Powermatic HH jointer. I was really surprised when I went to check the co-planarality of the in and out feed tables to find them out - by almost 1/8 inch.
I have the outfeed table as high as it will go and the infeed as well. When turning the cutting head, the cutter raise the straight edge, which is not good. You have to take the fence completely off as well as the rabbeting edge to get to the set screws so the outfeed can be raised.
Is this normal for a product costing this much to be so far out? I was told that Powermatic mills the tables out of one piece of material in-place, making them supposedly perfectly aligned. I don't see that.
Am I doing this correctly? Anyone have any experience with these? There really isn't much out there on the web showing this.
Thanks
Mark

[lou Brava]

That doesn't sound right, I just got a new 8" Jet HH & from what I've read there exactly the same as PM (except color) it came perfectly set up & when infeed table is at zero the cutters will not touch a straight edge & out feed table is set perfect to every cutter insert across the head. I believe that outfeed table is supposed to factory set, you really shouldn't have to mess with it. Have you contacted the place where you bought it ? Sorry I can't help with adjustment.

[Andrew Hughes]

There's a video on YouTube Accurately setting your jointer tables.
Popular woodworking put it out.
I think its the best way to set outfeed table height. It's also the method I use on my jointer.
Good Luck

[Michael Burnside]

Doesn’t sound right. I have the 8” parallelogram version and it was dead on out of the box. I had to adjust very little except fence squareness and I had to raise the outfeed ever so slightly.

I’d read through instructions again before I’d touch it just to make sure it isnt something obvious and possible call Powermatic before I got too crazy.

[Richard Coers]

Sounds like the stops on the lift mechanisms are not set correctly. The out feed table has to be a few thousandths of an inch below the edge of the cutters when properly set up.

[Holmes Anderson]

The 60HH or the 882HH? Did you receive it in the factory crate? Lift it by the table ends? It shouldn't be necessary to remove the fence to adjust table height.

[Mark Evans]

It's the 882HH and yes it was from JWC directly. I rented a fork lift and used straps and the lifting bars only.
Placing a straight edge from the outfeed (fully lifted) table across the cutting head when I turn the cutter head, the helical cutters raise the straight edge. There is a cap head screw under the outfeed table that I can loosen and it allows the outfeed table to be lifted higher (supposedly). I've talked wit Powermatic tech and he said on use the set screws messing with the cams as a last resort. That's why you have to remove the fence (to access the set screws).

[Mark Evans]

doesn't really help. It a different jointer with different mechanisms

[Andrew Hughes]

A new powermatic jointer shouldn’t need anything more then the standard up and down table adjustments. Some have a wheel some have a lever. Don’t even think about messing with the coplane of the tables. If they aren’t nearly perfect out if the box send it back.
Good Luck

[Mark Evans]

So I spoke with someone from Powermatic and got the issue fixed. There is a bolt under the outfeed table that I loosened and it allowed the table to raised higher than the handle was allowing. I didn't have to mess with the cams or anything else. The manual is not very clear on this. Also, the handle shown under the outfeed table to help raise it is no longer being shipped with their jointers. You can unscrew the outer handle and use it under the table, but it's not really necessary. I got the outfeed table within 0.005" feeler gauge of the HH cutter.

[glenn bradley]

So I spoke with someone from Powermatic and got the issue fixed. There is a bolt under the outfeed table that I loosened and it allowed the table to raised higher than the handle was allowing. I didn't have to mess with the cams or anything else. The manual is not very clear on this. Also, the handle shown under the outfeed table to help raise it is no longer being shipped with their jointers. You can unscrew the outer handle and use it under the table, but it's not really necessary. I got the outfeed table within 0.005" feeler gauge of the HH cutter.

Glad you got that worked out. I was trying to decide if we were talking about coplaner alignment or height adjustment. Glad it was just a height fix.

[Mike Rambour]

So I spoke with someone from Powermatic and got the issue fixed. There is a bolt under the outfeed table that I loosened and it allowed the table to raised higher than the handle was allowing. I didn't have to mess with the cams or anything else. The manual is not very clear on this.

May I ask where this bolt is ? I am picking up 882HH in a few days.

[Michael Burnside]

May I ask where this bolt is ? I am picking up 882HH in a few days.

Look at the manual. The OP said it wasn't obvious, but on page 22 for outfeed adjustment, at least for the PJ-882H it's pretty obvious where the bolt is and what it is used for. Maybe the non-paralellogram version is less obvious.

[Mark Evans]

Look at the manual. The OP said it wasn't obvious, but on page 22 for outfeed adjustment, at least for the PJ-882H it's pretty obvious where the bolt is and what it is used for. Maybe the non-paralellogram version is less obvious.

what I meant by not obvious was it's not listed under the sections for leveling and co-planar setup. It's off in it's on section. And this is the Parallelogram version (PJ882HHT) Also, the pictures show a handle there but there isn't one on the new versions with Armor glide. I've written many user guides and manuals in my 40+ professional career. They should move from easiest to most difficult steps. This should be the first thing that is checked. Talking about the set screws and cams is the last resort, yet first in the manual.

[Mark Evans]

May I ask where this bolt is ? I am picking up 882HH in a few days.

Yes, me too. If the manual started out this this adjustment, it would have been very easy. The engineer on the phone told me about more steps to do once the outfeed table is at the right height that isn't in the manual per se, such as tightening the "play" set screws right away.

[Michael Burnside]

what I meant by not obvious was it's not listed under the sections for leveling and co-planar setup. It's off in it's on section. Also, the pictures show a handle there but there isn't one on the new versions with Armor glide. I've written many user guides and manuals in my 40+ professional career. They should move from easiest to most difficult steps. This should be the first thing that is checked. Talking about the set screws and cams is the last resort, yet first in the manual.

Hopefully others can learn from this thread then, including Powermatic.

[Mark Evans]

Hopefully others can learn from this thread then, including Powermatic.
I hope so too. I also realized there's a new manual out (9/2023 date) but no real updates.