Moving and/or Splitting a Jet JJP-12HH Jointer Planer

[Charles Curtiss]

The good news is that Jet extended their current 15% off promotion until the end of May. Like others I have space limitation and this will help a lot. I saw enough reviews and videos on this Jet unit that I believe it will work just fine for my home workshop. One of the reasons I chose this unit is that I have a local Jet dealer who will order it without a deposit, deliver it AND place it in my shop, which is a basement walkout albeit some terrain issues, i.e. significant slope. I couldn't handle it myself and both me and my local woodworking friends are retired, older, and would certainly have trouble moving it. Ergo, the local dealer. HOWEVER, the dealer rightfully noticed that this unit is 600# and top heavy and he is trying to get someone at Jet who can advise if this unit's top cast iron tables can be removed for transportation. I think it makes great sense and it "looks" the infeed/outfeed assembly is attached to the base with 6 bolds on the rear hinges (after removing the fence).

In my experience I often find that I've under-estimated what's involved or what can go wrong. I do understand I would probably have to spend some time to fine tune the tables once re-attached.

Before I commit I would dearly appreciate anyone who has either done this or knows the machine enough to say this will work. I have attached a picture of the unit opened up and a detailed picture of the hinges and bolts. Looks easy (ha ha). Thanks in advance for your help!

[David L Morse]

If you have a helper it's not too difficult to remove and replace the tables. I removed the outfeed on mine to add a shim and had SWMBO remove and replace the bolts. It helps if you have a place prepared to put the table after removing it, it's a bit awkward to handle.

[Charles Curtiss]

Thanks for your help!

[Paul F Franklin]

It's very similar to the King Canada unit I have. Just be aware that the setscrews near those bolts (at the rear) are what align the jointer tables on that side. If you get lucky, when you bolt the jointer tables back on they will still be aligned, but I wouldn't count on it. The alignment process is tedious, but manageable. I think you'll want to remove the front pieces that connects the two tables as well because I wouldn't trust that piece to hold the tables together when they are not attached at the rear. It's really only designed to move the two tables as one when converting to planer mode and I don't think it's beefy enough to support the tables when the back hinges are unbolted. That will also allow you to handle the tables one at a time.

[Jim Knishka]

I bought a jjp12hh about four years ago and it was delivered into my basement shop by Woodcraft. Had to take the tables off to negotiate a steep L-shaped staircase. We uncrated it in the garage and moved it and replaced the table, it did not take a lot of time. As I recall we did not separate the tables. Realligning it was a bit tedious - a lot of trial and error. If you're thinking about a mobile base I put mine on a Bora PM3500 and am very happy with it. When I was shopping for one there were questions on the web about the fit of the bow front but it works just fine.

[Brian Behrens]

As an owner of this machine, I strongly recommend not removing the tables unless there is absolutely no alternative.

You will spend hours huddled over the machine with a straight edge and feeler gauges in an attempt to get the tables coplanar. It is an exercise in complete frustration and the biggest downfall of this machine

[Curt Harms]

It's very similar to the King Canada unit I have. Just be aware that the setscrews near those bolts (at the rear) are what align the jointer tables on that side. If you get lucky, when you bolt the jointer tables back on they will still be aligned, but I wouldn't count on it. The alignment process is tedious, but manageable. I think you'll want to remove the front pieces that connects the two tables as well because I wouldn't trust that piece to hold the tables together when they are not attached at the rear. It's really only designed to move the two tables as one when converting to planer mode and I don't think it's beefy enough to support the tables when the back hinges are unbolted. That will also allow you to handle the tables one at a time.

That's what I did with mine. I don't have precision straightedges, just a drywall square, 4' level and feeler gauges. I doubt mine is level and coplaner to within 0.04 gnats eyelashes but I can plane and joint lumber that is straight, flat and square to the tolerances I can measure.

[Charles Curtiss]

Thanks for sharing your experience and the info on the Bora PM3500. I'm looking closely at the PM3550 which as 4 swivel casters.

[Charles Curtiss]

Thanks for the info and the warnings. I too would rather not take it apart if I don't have to. My two choices are 1) 20-30 feet of a double axis 30 degree slope to the side yard leading to the rear walk out, or 2) a traditional Bilco bulkhead. To move it as crated #1 seems risky without some sort of power equipment or crane, and on #2 I can't figure out how to drop the 600# crate/pallet over the opening and down the stairs to the lower level. I welcome any ideas! Absent another idea I think my only option will be to take off the tables.

[Jim Becker]

For the Bilco, you can do as many have done and construct a slide-ramp so the unit can be slid down the ramp into the basement space. Some form of vehicle with a strap or winch is used to keep the movement slow and controlled. You can either leave it in the crate or do the bare machine this way.

[David M Peters]

Charles, I have the Rikon 25-210H which is the same machine. After you own the machine few a few years you'll have to get good at recalibrating it anyway, so don't be too afraid to dismantle it for the move. The tables are positioned via small set screws which dig into the hinge base, throwing off the tables' alignment. Having two 36"+ straightedges makes the process a lot easier, the aluminum ones from Peachtree are a good value. Starting with the tables off, my general procedure is:

Outfeed
* Back off the setscrews
* Attach the table
* Use the swing stop bolts to get the table in line with the cutter

Infeed
* Back off the setscrews
* Attach the table
* Use the swing stop bolts to get the table in line with the cutterhead
* Use the set screws to get the infeed table in line with the outfeed. You'll have to iterate a bunch between this step and the previous

[Paul F Franklin]

I have a bilco door and have gotten pretty good at moving heavy stuff down into my basement shop. Here's what I do. First, because of the slope of my lot, my bilco door stairs end up about a foot above grade at the end. I built a roughly 3x3 level platform that butts against the end of the stairs. It's just a layer of exterior plywood with 4x6 legs at the 4 corners and a couple of 2x4s joining the legs to further support the plywood top. I back my trailer or truck up close to the platform and muscle the item off the trailer onto the platform. Even with my j/p this wasn't too hard to manage by myself. Then I can pivot the item so the narrow dimension faces the correct direction.

Now I lay a strip of 1/2" plywood on the steps (actually two strips since the stairs are longer than 8', I just have a little blocking to join the two strips). The plywood stops one step short of the bottom and I have a couple of pieces of blocking that prevent it from sliding down. The reason for this will be apparent later. If the unit is on a pallet (usual case), I loop a lifting strap through the pallet. If the pallet looks marginal, I will reinforce it with a couple of pieces of 2x4 along the edges.

Now I back my truck up behind the platform so the hitch is aligned with the center of the stairs. I purchased an inexpensive 12volt winch that can hook over the hitch ball. The winch cable attaches to the lifting straps.

I pay out a little slack from the winch and shove the item over the edge. Pay out a little more slack, shove the item. Eventually the item will start to tip into the stairway. At this point no more shoving is necessary, you just slowly pay out the winch cable until the item is flat on the ramp. Now I slowly lower the item toward the bottom.

At the bottom, I have placed a rolling furniture dolly (the kind with 4 casters and carpet covered rails) so that the leading edge of the item will land on the dolly. As you continue to lower the item, the front edge will roll out into the basement on the dolly. Once the item is in far enough, I slide a second dolly underneath the item and continue lowering it until it is all the way down and resting on the two dollys. I roll it into the shop and am good to go.

I have a fashioned an anchor point for the winch in my shop so I can use the winch to lift items off the dolly and also stand items (like a bandsaw) up, or place them on mobile stands.

I've gotten a bandsaw, jointer/planer, and sawstop down the stairs and into the shop using this method, and it's taken the "excitement" out of getting big heavy things down there. For the bandsaw, I had a bunch of help and we did it without the winch, but the winch makes it much easier and I did the j/p and saw by myself.

[Keith Pitman]

My shop is at ground level, but I have moved heavy equipment into it from a traIler or the back of my pickup, including my JJP-12. I would leave the machine In the crate for moving. Drive the truck or trailer as close to your Bilco as possible and move it in the crate to your shop. Place sheets of plywood over the stairs and use a come-along or electric winch to slide the machine down the ramp. I lowered my Sawstop out of my pickup and down a plywood ramp using an old climbing rope and a climber’s figure 8 ring by myself. Nerve wracking, but not difficult. You’ll need to recalibrate the machine when you get it in position regardless. Look for a guide to doing so on this forum. Good luck.

[John Rambizzle]

I'm also an owner and can confirm. This machine had me in tears over the course of two days setting the tables coplaner.

Somewhat Ironically - I found this forum trying to find info to help me in the process.

[andrew whicker]

For the Bilco, you can do as many have done and construct a slide-ramp so the unit can be slid down the ramp into the basement space. Some form of vehicle with a strap or winch is used to keep the movement slow and controlled. You can either leave it in the crate or do the bare machine this way.

Seconded. I helped move a very heavy gun safe down stairs using two ropes (we are all rock climbers). Took the ropes under and then over the safe.. one on each side. The rope under it was anchored to a truck. The rope over the top went to a Gri Gri that was anchored as well. Just have to let it down slowly. It worked super well and was very controlled. (We used a climbing rope because we had that on hand, but you could use a generic rope for this application).

You could do this with straps instead of ropes although I think it might be a bit harder to release a tie down strap at a slow rate. We used Gri Gri's to let the rope down... not sure what you would use with tie down straps.

Gri Gri: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuHm2LTsl_0

You could also use these (much cheaper, just takes a bit more attention to what you're doing): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvKxofD9n-0