grizzly 9860zx jointer out of wack?

[Jim Barstow]

I've got a new grizzly 9860zx 12" jointer with the spiral heads and it is making every board convex. (A bulge out in the middle.) I have a 36" heavy steel straightedge and the outfeed table seems to be parallel to the infeed table. The outfeed table is set even to the knives.

Are there any explanations other than the outfeed and infeed tables are not parallel? If not, how do I adjust the tables? The only way I can see is a huge nut inside the machine and I can't imagine getting the necessary wrench in there.

[Shiraz Balolia]

I have the same jointer in my shop.

1) You will need a good quality, long straight edge, like Starrett, to set the tables accurately.

2) The machine comes with an excellent manual that explains how to adjust the tables. However, very quickly, you have adjustment eccentric bolts/nuts on each side (front and back) that allow you to move the tables in different angles. This is not a two minute job to get perfect. You have to remove the long cover on the front and two covers in the back to get at the eccentric nuts.

3) Get your outfeed table perfectly square with the cutterhead first (using a long straight edge). Then raise the outfeed table to be higher than the cutterhead and adjust the infeed table to match (using the long straight edge). I use a 60" Starrett, but you can get away with a 48".

I set mine 6 years ago and haven't touched the adjustments since. Still makes dead flat perfect cuts.

[Jim Barstow]

One of the reasons I decided to get a grizzly instead of felder jointer is that the head of grizzly is so involved with the product...

Good news and bad news.

The good news is that I rechecked the tables using my straightedge (a veriitas 36") to convince myself that the tables where parallel. I then decided that perhaps the problem was simplier and that perhaps I didn't hae the outfeed table set right. (I set it up according to the manual.) I tried changing the height in small increments and with just a small change in height the problem went away. I am now getting nice smooth cuts with no snipe.

The bad news is that there is nothing in the manual about setting the plane of the tables and nothing that mentions these eccentric nuts. I downloaded the manual on the 9860zx page in case I was sent and older manual and it didn't have it either.

Is there some update to the manual that isn't out yet? I hope I won't need to ever set the tables but it would be nice to have the information.

[Shiraz Balolia]

I thought I had seen an update. I will check with the tech dept. Monday.

The nuts are part 308 on the parts list "bed pivot nut".

[Shiraz Balolia]

I thought I had seen an update. I will check with the tech dept. Monday.

I knew I had seen it! It was done on the bigger brother of that machine and never updated on the 12" version. Here it is attached:


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=96457&stc=1&d=1220889630

Sorry for the inconvenience.

[alex grams]

Ok, if this isn't customer service, I don't know what is.