Jointer Alignment

[Dennis McDonaugh]

What causes my jointer to put a convex edge on a board?

[David DeCristoforo]

The outfeed table is not perfectly tangent to the cutting circle.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

That's what I was thinking, that the end away from the cutter was drooping. I guess I'll have to get some shim stock and have a go at it. Now I wish I'd bought a parallelagram jointer. I don't think I've ever adjusted the outfeed table, I just aligned the cutting blades to the outfield table height.

[Chuck Wintle]

That's what I was thinking, that the end away from the cutter was drooping. I guess I'll have to get some shim stock and have a go at it. Now I wish I'd bought a parallelagram jointer. I don't think I've ever adjusted the outfeed table, I just aligned the cutting blades to the outfield table height.

Do you have a good straight edge to check the alignment? :D

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Do you have a good straight edge to check the alignment? :D

I have a supposedly straight Starrett I've never used. I guess I'll find out now.

[Rick Lizek]

The most common cause of this is the knives are slightly lower than the outfeed table. A few thousandths lower will cause this and if it were even more than a few tousandths ithe board would stop dead from hitting the outfeed table. The other cause would be one of your tables is anglew up at the end. Dipped tables would cause the board to be concave.

Your saying you just aligned the cutter head to the outfeed table points to the first cause. Drop the table until you have snipe and raise it slowly until the snipe is gone. You will have to do this several times to get the hang of it.

[Al Willits]

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Now I wish I'd bought a parallelogram jointer
"""""""

Not so sure on that, I bought my York with out a parallelogram table as I liked the York Jointer and the fact it had 4 blades, and a bit cheaper, my thoughts were if it took an afternoon to adjust so be it, shouldn't have to touch it again for a long time if at all.
You need to use that adjustment on a regular basis I'd say you have more problems that just the method of adjustment.

I don't have a lot of time on jointer adjustments, but it can't be much different than milling machines and such.
But ya never know...:)

Al

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I've had the jointer six years and changed the blades twice in that time. Both times it was a piece of cake, set the blade height then set the outfeed table to the same height as the blades. I haven't messed with the outfeed or infeed table for that matter in over a year. It made very straight edges even on long boards and now it makes 3' board convex. I need to change the blades again so I'll do that then check the table alignment.

[David DeCristoforo]

I have a supposedly straight Starrett I've never used. I guess I'll find out now.

It's time to use it. Set it on edge on the outfeed table so that it extends past the cutter head. Rotate the cutter head by hand and adjust the outfeed table so that the knives just barely "kiss" the bottom of the straight edge. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway) the guard should be removed for this and the plug should be in your other hand, not in the outlet!!!

[Eddie Darby]

If you store stuff on you planer arms, then you can induce some sag in them. I have a 6" jointer that I've kept the tables free of stuff and it is as straight today as it was when I got it 10 years ago.

Just because people see a machine that does most of the work, the operator is still paramount in getting the most out of that machine, so operator technique is important.

I use a straight edge on the boards, and winding sticks, before I plane them, so I can plan an attack that will accomplish my goal. In other words, one can't park their brain at the door, even though it is a machine.