Jointer help please.

[Nick Clayton]

Hi all,

This is my first post here as I only found the site a couple weeks ago. I am a new woodworker hobbiest (about 4 hours a week if I'm lucky). I've been picking up tools here and there and most recently purchased a very well maintained Delta 37-190 6" jointer from a very nice older gentleman. The jointer is 10 years old, but it looks brand new.

So my question to all of you is whether there is a good source online for learning proper jointing technique. I went through all my knives with a dial indicator and read three articles, as well as the owners manual, on setting knives so I believe I'm set up properly. However I'm obsesive compulsive and want to joint boards properly. On top of that I've never been good at the trial and error thing, I find it frustrating when I know there are so many knowledgable people to learn from.

Also, if there is anyone just West of Boston that would be comfortable with showing a budding woodworker the ropes of jointing I would be greatful.

Thank you for your answers in advance. You have a great website and I look forward to tapping into your collective knowledge for years.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nick......first...........Welcome to the Creek! From beginner to pro they're all here willing to exchange information or lend an opinion! You might check the sticky "mentor list". There are a number of people who have volunteered to show we beginners the ropes! Again........Welcome!

[tod evans]

nick, welcome! i`m a long way from you and don`t use a jointer so i`ll be of little help. sorry....02 tod

[Anthony Anderson]

Nick, Welcome to SMC. As far as jointing goes it is pretty straight forward.
First, start with good, sharp knives. If yours are shot, the other day I saw that Amazon has a replacement set for ~$17, these are Freud. That is a pretty good price.

Second, make sure the outfeed table is (raised or lowered) even with the knives and also the knives need to be parallel to the outfeed table.

Third, set the fence 90 degrees to the infeed/outfeed tables.

You are ready to run your board through.

Get a good set of blocks and push sticks that feel comfortable to you, and that keep your hands away from the cutterhead when pushing wood through.

If a cut starts to go bad, let it go bad, JUST KEEP YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM THE CUTTERHEAD! Wood is replaceable...fingers are not. I know this sounds intuitive, but we forget in moments of haste.

Don't be too obsessive compulsive, just do it. BUT BE SAFE DOING IT.

Good Luck, Bill

[Dave Bonde]

First welcome Nick - If you were closer to Iowa I would be glad to help you out :) here is an article that might get you started. Dave http://www.woodworking.com/article_archive.cfm?section=6&article=1507

[Nick Clayton]

Thank you all for your answers and welcoming me to sawmillcreek. Ken, I checked the mentor list and keeping with our closed-off yankee ways there was no one in the Massachusetts-Southern New Hampshire-Northern Connecticut area listed. In fact the only person in all of New England on the mentor list was Andy Hoyt up in Maine. For those of you in the rest of the country we are actually very nice people up here;)

Anthony I checked out the Freud knives on Amazon you mentioned, but they were 6 1/8 x 5/8 x 1/8 and the Delta knives are 6 1/8 x 5/8 x 3/32. Would the difference of 1/32 make a difference in regards to fit or cutterhead stability? I know Freud makes different quality saw blades for particular price points, are their jointer knives good quality?

Also, the jointer is well tuned. I went through it like a child with a new toy on Christmas and tuned everything. The tables and blades are all within 0.001" of each other; like I mentioned before I'm obsessive.

I belive that the jointer is working well, but that I may lack the proper know how. I have no problems with shorter boards (<4'), but I would like to know how to edge joint longer boards. I know that there are certain rules that people find after using a machine for years that I would like to find out sooner than later to both speed the learning curve and not waste stock.

Dave thanks for the article!

Cheers,
Nick

[CPeter James]

I am a member of the Guild Of New Hampshire Woodworkers and we have several members that are from your area. We have a meeting coming up Saturday the18th of this month in Newmarket, NH. Why don't you come and check us out and maybe meet up with some members from your area that could get you started.

This is our web site.
www.gnhw.org

CPeter

[Dev Emch]

I love jointers. I also own enough large jointers to land half the navy fleet on these.:D Call me Dr. Jointer.

First of all, you have an early stick jointer. Not having the catalog in front of me, I dont which jointer exactly you have based on part numbers. Sorry, I am more the oliver and porter type. At any rate, they are all about the same anyway in terms of getting them dialed in. Is your jointer a wedge bed or a DJ-15? Norm used a DJ-15 and DJ-20 in his TV show.

At any rate, the key to jointers and jointing is prep prep prep. Most issues are caused more by improper dial in than technique. Jointers, esp. stick jointers, are really easy to use.

A few items for use. First of all, the jointer feeds from the infeed to the outfeed table. As you begin the joint, guide the board onto the outfeed table and then maintain a light but firm down pressure on the board a few inches back from the cutter head. DO not put the down pressure on the infeed side as its not needed if your riding flat on the outfeed table. Next listen to the knives and the cut. If you hear something like a corn cob going through a garbage disposal, STOP! You either have issues with your knives or most likely your jointing against the grain and your getting bad blow out. Reverse the board and try again. A good joint makes a distinct sound and you will know it when you hear it.

Start by face jointing one side of a board to get it nice and flat. Then use your fence to edge joint an edge and make sure to use the fence to get it perfectly square. Mark this face and this edge. These are your reference faces. The other two will parallel these two. I only do two edges on the jointer. Some folks with S4S on a jointer but I dont. I disagree with this approach. That is why you have a planer!

That is about all you need to know. Forget about the dado ledger. Nobody uses that anyway. Once your dialed in for the joint you need, why bogger up your setup when you can use other more effective dado cutting methods?

Now, should you have issues with uneven cuts, tearout, board tapers and snipe, you will need to revisit your dial-in or tune up. One or more items are not set up correctly.

Good Luck...

[Michael Adelong]

I know that there are certain rules that people find after using a machine for years that I would like to find out sooner than later to both speed the learning curve and not waste stock.

I suggest that you go to the BORG. There, you will have no problem finding twisted, cupped, bowed, crooked, or winy (sp?) lumber. :rolleyes:

Pine is pretty cheap. Buy a few boards and waste away. Pick up some turpentine to clean up your blades afterwards.

You'll learn pretty quickly.

Michael

[Josh Goldsmith]

How often do you clean your jointer blades? I also am new to using a jointer. Thanks

[Jarrod Nelson]

I suggest that you go to the BORG. There, you will have no problem finding twisted, cupped, bowed, crooked, or winy (sp?) lumber. :rolleyes:

Pine is pretty cheap. Buy a few boards and waste away. Pick up some turpentine to clean up your blades afterwards.

You'll learn pretty quickly.

Michael

Menards usually has a fine selection of twisted and warped 2x4s that would be ok to practice on. :D

[Andy Fox]

If the > 4' boards are too heavy to safely or smoothly edge joint free hand, both ends of the board will want to jump off the table as they approach the cutterhead. Rig, build, or buy infeed and outfeed supports. I just use a small plywood table or sawhorses for support. A roller stand would probably be ideal, but my budget always seems to have other priorities.

Thankfully, most of the time I don't really need to run long unmanageable boards through the jointer, as I crosscut rough stock with a circular saw or miter saw to within 2" or so of the final length before doing any surfacing.

[Nick Clayton]

Well yesterday afternoon I found a jointer/thickness planer class athat was going on at WoodCraft in Woburn. The gentleman who ran the class, Micheal Wheeler, was very helpful. I would recommend it to anyone in the area with jointer blues. Thank you all for your help and suggestions, I'm trying to incorporate them all.

Cheers,
Nick