Delta DJ-15 Replacement Lip Suggestions or Ideas

[Luke Bergin]

I've been lurking and reading for a while but could use a little help if any of you fine gentlemen have any bright ideas. Recently back into woodworking and picking up tools as I come across deals. Picked up a clean Delta DJ-15 jointer recently for $200 bucks and it's working like a champ after a little elbow grease. Really the only issue with it was a little surface rust and the aluminum table lips were damaged and not flat (kind of important for a jointer.) Not sure how something like this happened, but after inspecting, the machine worked great except for the lips. Figured it would be no big deal and I'd just buy replacements. Come to find out its not that easy and that part is discontinued and pretty much impossible to get. Tried to flatten them some with sandpaper and it works ok, but does leave "lines" similar to minor chips in a blade, so I would like to try to fix it. Any ideas on a fix for this? Best I can come up with is take them to a machine shop and have some replicated. Though if any of you wiser than myself had any ideas I'd be all ears. If not, I'll go that route. Appreciate it.

[lowell holmes]

I think you have answered your own question. Can you make new steel lips rather than aluminum?

My Jet has all steel tables.

[Cary Falk]

The Grizzly G0604 is a 6" parallelogram jointer. It is discontinued but it looks like you can still buy the lips, part P0604080, for $5 a piece. I think I would give that a try. If it is not an exact fit you might be able to make it work. Seems cheap enough to give a shot.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/g0604/parts

[Wayne Lomman]

The grooves on the aluminium don't matter as long as there is nothing protruding above the main surface. I tend to use a new flat smooth file for this. It will cut any high spots off the aluminium. Only use light pressure on the file. Lines like this are caused by someone planing nails and rocks. Cheers

[Jeff Duncan]

Wayne has it right, those aren't going to bother anything unless they stick up too high. I'd hazard a guess if you already sanded them a bit, the lines your seeing are coming from your knives. If not and your positive they're coming from the lips just file them out a bit more. My inserts are far, far worse than yours look and they still do their job just fine. They're far too short to have any affect on flattening stock, so unless you just want new ones for the sake of having new ones.....your fine just using the machine for it's intended purpose

good luck,
JeffD

[Matt Day]

As stated, as long as there is nothing protruding up don't worry about it. But I'd try the grizzly ones as a first step if I was going to try Anything.

[Luke Bergin]

Wayne has it right, those aren't going to bother anything unless they stick up too high. I'd hazard a guess if you already sanded them a bit, the lines your seeing are coming from your knives. If not and your positive they're coming from the lips just file them out a bit more. My inserts are far, far worse than yours look and they still do their job just fine. They're far too short to have any affect on flattening stock, so unless you just want new ones for the sake of having new ones.....your fine just using the machine for it's intended purpose


good luck,
JeffD

I figured it was the knives too, but they are new. I ran my finger nail across them all just to make sure their wasn't any little nicks in them and they felt good. Sounds like I really just need to do a little more flattening and am worrying about it too much. I'll give that a go and if still not satisfied I'll go the Grizzly route. Appreciate all the suggestions and help.

[Luke Bergin]

For what it is worth to anyone in the future who is in need of replacements, the Grizzly part P0604080 as suggested above is an (as far as I can tell) exact replacement for the DJ-15 aluminum lips. Lined up perfectly. FYI.

[Cary Falk]

Thanks for the update. I'm sure that info will be very helpful in the future.