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Thread: Setting Joiner Blades

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    183

    Setting Joiner Blades

    Hi, Had to change the blades in my 8 inch Pioneer joiner. I've changed them before and did it the same way that I've always done it. I first level the tables (make them even with each other). Bring the cutter head to 90* before I start.Then I have a magnet setup to hold them in place. Set the first two then set the third one and it wouldn't clear the out feed table. The first two cleared the out feed table just fine.I ended up slipping a shim between the magnet and the blade. Had to go back and do the same thing to the rest of the blades. Seems to have fixed the problem. These were new blades not resharpened. I'm thinking that the one blade was just slightly bigger than the rest. Maybe a couple of thousandths. Jim

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,876
    You do not set the blades at 90. You set them so the knife edge is as high as it can be. You need to level the tables to the blade height before removing them. Sounds to me like your blades are sticking out too far from the head.
    A simple dial indicator setup can see if the knives are level with the table. The holder can be made of wood. A "dial test indicator" is designed for that job. Use a mushroom tip to make it easier
    Bill D
    Last edited by Bill Dufour; 06-25-2022 at 9:32 AM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Lake Gaston, Henrico, NC
    Posts
    8,973
    I set them by feel with a strip of the hardest wood I have on hand (Boxwood). When you can feel the knife rubbing on the wood without lifting it, that's good. I take the jack screws and springs out the first time I change knives on one. I use the wrench to rotate the head back and forth. The knife is put in just snug enough so you can push it down with the strip of wood. Keeping the other end of the wood on the outfeed table eliminates the possibility of pushing one down too far. Takes about 20 seconds per blade-longer to type out than to do it.

    I have all sorts of dial indicators, and do use magnetic jigs for planer knives, but all that is unnecessary, and takes too long for a jointer. I use the same method for handheld power planers.

    Picture of board edge is morning window light reflecting off Cypress that was run by the knives set in the other pictures. If you can enlarge the picture, you can see the scallop marks from the cutterhead, but you have to look closely.

    Tools needed are in the first picture. The right angle pick is to pull a knife up if needed to start with. The hard part is setting the gib screws just tight enough to hold the knife, but allow you to move it. Only take the slack out of the outer two. This works for any size straight knife jointer.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Tom M King; 06-25-2022 at 12:05 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Peoria, IL
    Posts
    4,443
    I set mine so it lifts the wood and moves it 1/8" forward. This gives me the sprung joint I prefer, but still makes a very flat face on the stock.

  5. #5
    Bob Vaughan past has a past you tube that is pretty complete and accurate approach.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2021
    Location
    Spartanburg South Carolina
    Posts
    386
    For me I struggled with the moving the piece of wood method. After someone else showed me a 123 block with a dial indicator bolted into it that they use, I made one. I could get the top of the knives dead even with the outfeed table and never had trouble again.

  7. #7
    This comes from over 50 years of building tooling and special machines for industry. Please read everything carefully 1 and maybe 2 ore times before responding. Please make sure you understand what I am saying before responding.

    A datum is a surface, plane, line, or feature assumed to be prefect. It does not carry a tolerance but all dimensions are referenced from it. A good example is the footings on a house. If the footing are out of level then even if all 4 walls are perfectly parallel, they will not be level. And every floor after that will also be not level. If the footing are out of square the whole structure remains out of square.

    Now a jointer, as far as I know has only 2 purposes. One is to flatten and the other is to edge. I do not know about you but I was taught the square off from the largest surface. And other pieces of equipment can be used besides the jointer to edge a board so in my way of thinking, the #1 purpose of a jointer is to flatten a board. If it was to edge then James wouldn't have spent the money for a 8 inch jointer.

    Please stay with me here. When flattening a board on a jointer the wood is placed on the infeed table and after the cut is made partway on the board, the feeding force is then transferred from the infeed table to the out feed table. THEREFORE, the outfeed table is the datum surface. The infeed table has to be lower than the outfeed table and it does not need to be even on the same plane as the out feed table. Really think about it.

    I would not try to shim the outfeed table in any way shape or form, The Datum surface is assumed to be prefect. and the infeed table doesn't really mater so leave it alone.

    Now the cutter head needs to be parallel to the out feed table and not the other way around. Which is one of the reasons I do not have carbide cutter head. Due to metal movement and machining tolerances the cutter head may or may not be parallel to the out feed table. Another other reason is nothing is prefect, except for a datum and that is assumed, so all of the pockets on the cutter head will not be prefect. wear in machine slides and cutting tool wear will make changes in pocket depth. An imperfect surface really shows up when milling metal with an inserted cutter. If I was to buy an inserted cutter head, then I would have to check and see if the cutting edges of the insert cutter were parallel with the out feed table.

    If the cutting edges are not parallel with the outfeed table then I would have to shim the cutter head parallel with the outfeed table and not the other way around.

    The out feed table is the datum which is assumed to be prefect, not the cutter head or the infeed table. The fence should be is set square to the outfeed table but the cut is determined by the cutter so if when you move the fence forward or backwards and your wood goes out of square it is because of the cutter head is not parallel with the out feet table.

    And the fourth reason I will not switch to an inserted cutter head is I that have used my jointer for well one over forty years. (Long before inserted cutter heads) and I am comfortable with it. And since I am on a fixed income, $400- $500 is a lot of money.
    I have been married to the same woman for 53 years and I see no need to switch to a different model now either. Did I mention than high speed cutters are sharper than carbide inserts.

    My disclaimer is there is a difference between need and want and if you want an inserted cutter head and have the money, by all means go for it. To stay with steel knives is my choice, for me and me alone and not part of the reason for writing other than to say I would check and see if the cutter head is parallel to the outfeed table.

    I have a lot more to say about datums so come back and check out what I am saying. I think I can save you some money down the line.

    Also latter this afternoon I will get some pictures taken you you can see how to fix cutter problems.
    Last edited by Tom Bussey; 06-26-2022 at 10:44 AM.
    Tom

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