Aligning Jointer beds

[John Harden]

Anyone got a good method to align jointer beds to ensure they are completely true and level? In the past, I used a method posted in FWW where you make a very long jointer test bar out of MDF. Actually, you make three and by putting three screws into each and making adjustments that follow the directions, you wind up with a dead flat and true plane to check everything.

This takes awhile and I was wondering if anyone out there had a quicker method.

I have a 36" and 48" machined straight edges, so that's not a problem. My jointer is an 8" model with a 72" bed.

Thanks!!!!

John

[tod evans]

john, if you go to the borg and grab a 6` level off the shelf, any one, and check it against your straight edge it`s very unlikely you`ll see any daylight. i`ve got a 20yo sands aluminum job that`s been kicked around jobsites for years and when i scrape the burrs off the corners it still checks flat enough where i can`t fit a feeler guage anywhere along the length.....plenty good enough for a jointer...02 tod