Tony Sade
06-08-2004, 12:11 PM
All of a sudden, I can't get a tight joint using my 8" Grizzly long bed jointer, and I can't figure out what I am (or the jointer is) doing wrong. I'm milling some 4' white oak for a table top and the boards meet in the middle but not at the ends. I'm getting a gap, when I press the pieces together on one end, of about 3/32".
First let me say that while I've been ww'ing for a while, I'm still a very part time hobbyist and thus consider myself only a step (maybe a step and a half) up from a novice. I've used a jointer a fair amount, though, both a Jet 6" and the Grizzly. I've never had this problem before. I'm using what I've always thought is the proper technique-transfer pressure to the outfeed side when the board's about 6-8" past the cutter head, keeping steady even pressure. I usually set the tables to take off 1/32" per pass. That's always worked for me in the past.
I suspect something's outta whack on the machine, but I can't find it. I've checked and the beds seem flat, level and co-planar. I only have a 40" straight edge that used to be sold by Lee Valley and that's supposed to be accurate to +/- .003, but as near as I can tell everything's as it should be. (I realize 40" is a bit short to check level over 6', but by holding it tight to one side and sliding it out over the other table, I should be able to spot any noticable change in the gap and I don't.) Using a feeler guage and manipulating both tables this way and that, I see nothing that looks misaligned. Logic tell me that the likely culprit is tables that are up at the ends,(the opposite of what I understand usually happens to tables-they sag at the ends, right?) but I don't find that to be the case.
I'm stumped. Help would be appreciated. Thanks,
First let me say that while I've been ww'ing for a while, I'm still a very part time hobbyist and thus consider myself only a step (maybe a step and a half) up from a novice. I've used a jointer a fair amount, though, both a Jet 6" and the Grizzly. I've never had this problem before. I'm using what I've always thought is the proper technique-transfer pressure to the outfeed side when the board's about 6-8" past the cutter head, keeping steady even pressure. I usually set the tables to take off 1/32" per pass. That's always worked for me in the past.
I suspect something's outta whack on the machine, but I can't find it. I've checked and the beds seem flat, level and co-planar. I only have a 40" straight edge that used to be sold by Lee Valley and that's supposed to be accurate to +/- .003, but as near as I can tell everything's as it should be. (I realize 40" is a bit short to check level over 6', but by holding it tight to one side and sliding it out over the other table, I should be able to spot any noticable change in the gap and I don't.) Using a feeler guage and manipulating both tables this way and that, I see nothing that looks misaligned. Logic tell me that the likely culprit is tables that are up at the ends,(the opposite of what I understand usually happens to tables-they sag at the ends, right?) but I don't find that to be the case.
I'm stumped. Help would be appreciated. Thanks,