Time for new jointer blades, need advice

[Jeff Monson]

Its time for new jointer blades on my 6" delta x5, I purchased the blades yesterday and was wondering a couple of things,

1st is there a website or a good link on a tutorial on how to do it

2nd how much time does it usually take to change them out?

3rd do I need any special tools to accomplish it

thanks as usual !!!

[Don Henthorn Smithville, TX]

Jeff, when I needed new blades I bought them from Freud and they were better than the originals. There are several methods of setting the blades into the head. I prefer the one using a straight stick 16" or so long. Put one of the blades in the slot and lightly tighten the gib screws. With the infeed and outfeed tables at the same height lay the stick across the cutter head opening on one end of the blade. Make a pencil tik mark on the stick at the exact left end of the cutterhead opening. Now by hand slowly rotate the cutter head to right. The blade should grab the stick and move it ahead just a little. Make a second pencil mark on the stick at the exact left end of the cutterhead opening. Next move the stick to the other end of the balde and line up the first tik mark with the exact left side of the cutterhead opening. Again slowly rotate the cutterhead to the right and see if the second tik winds up at the exact left end of the cutterhead opening. If it doesn't, move the end of the blade up or down as required to get the tik mark to line up with the exact end of the cutterhead opening. After it is ligned up, recheck both ends of the blade to be sure they are both the same. Then tighten the gib screws in increments until they are secure. Recheck the blade position and if it is still correct move on to the second blade and do the same. After the blades are correctly installed, it is time to adjust the ourfeed table.

Lower the outdeed table just a little and run a two foot piece of scrap through the jointer. You should find a little snipe on the trailing end of the scrap. Begin raising the outfeed table in VERY small increments and run the piece through the jointer. When the snipe completely disappears tighten the table locking screw and then check flatness by running two pieces of wood on edge through the jointer and lay them on a flat table and check that there are no gaps between them. This is the way I do it. With a little practice I can do it in about fifteen minutes. Once set there is ususally no need to change it until the blades need to be sharpened.

Hope this helps.