HELP-Cant set Jointer Outfeed/Infeed Table Heights w/ Tersa Knives

[Sean Moore]

Hi all,

I recently picked up a robland nx410 combo machine, and I have been having a hard time getting the outfeed/infeed tables adjusted.

The machine only seems to have adjustments on the left side of the beds (the side you work on). The other side that swings open to form the planer has no adjustments.

The only way I can get the beds coplanar is if the outfeed table is a bit higher than the knives. From everything ive read, the outfeed table is supposed to be on the same level as the knives, and then the infeed table is set to match. If I get the outfeed table level, the closest I can get the infeed table still leaves me w/ about 1/16" gap at the beginning of the infeed, and no gap at the cutterhead.

Ive had little luck with Roblands customer service and Im getting at my wits end. If they were non tersa knives I could adjust them to be parallel with the outfeed table, but the knives have no adjustment.

Does anybody have any advice? Has anybody dealt with this situation before?

[Steve Jenkins]

Where are you located?

[Sean Moore]

Hi Steve, Im located in Los Angeles.

[Steve Jenkins]

But far for me to swing by. Maybe someone can help

[Erik Loza]

Sean, that sounds just like the Minimax FS30’s. You will want use shims on the hinge side. Not sure about Roblands but FS30’s usually had a few shims from the factory if you happened to remove one of the tables. Any brass shim stock will work. Trim to fit. Hope this helps.

Erik

[Sean Moore]

Hi Eric,

Where exactly would a shim go? Im not sure how to go about inserting a shim here.
IMG_7121.jpg

Adjusting the bolts on the infeed side move the table up and down but not enough to get it coplanar, the best I can get is about 1/16" gap at the infeed edge and flush at the cutterhead.

[Jebediah Eckert]

That looks similar to my FS30. I loosened those 3 black bolts on top of the hinge. Then I just lifted up a bit on the table and put the shims where needed, under the hinge and near a bolt, then tightened them back down. Rechecked the readings and adjusted where needed. Fun......I hope I don’t have to do it again. Lots of trial and error before I got it right.

[Sean Moore]

So if my bed slopes down from the cutterhead as seen in the picture below, I should just add a shim under the lowest bolt? That seems like an awfully large shim to have to insert in there?

IMG_7122.jpg

[Kevin Jenness]

Shims should go under the hinge in your first set of photos. The other side, in the second photo set, should be adjusted with the bolts. I am not seeing a hold-down latch on that side- is there one?

[Sean Moore]

Hey Kevin, the hold down latch is that out of focus handle. My issue is that even with the adjustment bolts, I cant get the bed level enough, there is a consistent down slope from the cutter. I just checked with feeler gauges and it is .080" out. That seems like an awful lot to have to shim?

[Andrew Hughes]

Is the outfeed table fixed ? As in no handle or wheel to move the entire table up or down.

[mreza Salav]

The raise you get at the end of the table (away from the cutter head) will be far more than the thickness of the shim.
If the distance of the two bolts of the hinge is say 8" and you shim under the on away from the cutter head and if the distance of the edge of the table to the other bolt of the hinge is say 24" then you get 3x raise at the end of the table.

[Kevin Jenness]

My issue is that even with the adjustment bolts, I cant get the bed level enough, there is a consistent down slope from the cutter. I just checked with feeler gauges and it is .080" out. That seems like an awful lot to have to shim?

Start by getting the outfeed table parallel to the cutterhead and more or less parallel to the infeed table (lengthwise) when the infeed support bolts are near the center of their adjustment range. This may require shims under the outfeed table hinge. Then get the infeed table parallel to the outfeed in both directions by shimming the hinge and adjusting the bolts on the opposite side. You should not have to shim under the bolts, but if the base is actually out that much readjust the tilt of the outfeed table or buy some longer bolts.. As mreza said, the adjustment at the table supports is a fraction of the overall table misalignment. Just take your time and be systematic.

You will get the best results using an accurate straightedge as long as both tables. You should be able to make one out of wood with your sliding table saw (actually, make two and compare them to confirm straightness).

[Jebediah Eckert]

What Mreza Salav said!

When I did my similar machine there was a bunch of trial and error. Some adjustments left me scratching my head. Finally I stopped getting hung up on that, removed what I did, and tried something else. On the operator side (bolt adjustments) I used blue tape under the bolts and shimmed the hinge side. This allowed me to test out what I thought I should do without losing the factory settings on that side. Hinge side is easy because you can just remove the shim if things go crazy.

My mind says put a shim where I put the red arrow and a couple of pieces of blue tape under the right bolt and see what it does? From memory I think in the end I had to readjust the lock down lever.

35D75178-519D-4A42-80C4-D63573C7919B.jpg

[Jebediah Eckert]

Another thing I did that helped me...

I took a pieces of tape and put it on the front edge of the table breaking it up into quarters. I drew the table out on a piece of paper with those 4 quartering marks. When I made an adjustment I measured at those 4 points on the table, operator side, center, and back. Each time I recorded the gaps. After every adjustment I measured those 12 points again and recorded them under the last. This gave me a good idea what was happening every time I made an adjustment. Sometimes it went in the right direction, sometimes not.......