Help removing jammed DJ20 cutter guard post

[Nick Jackiw]

I recently purchased an old DJ20 at auction and am excited to get it back into shape. This is a new activity for me -- don't have a lot of experience fixing up old machine tools beyond sharpening and polishing...

There's been some obvious prior damage to the guard, where the red "pork chop" has been crudely welded back together after something dire happened to it. It still swings well and I can successfully adjust the spring, tighten the swing, all that. However, it occasionally just grazes the outfeed table and I would like to raise it 1/16" or 1/8". My reading (Delta but better, Grizzly G0490 manuals) is I should remove the guard, then loosen the setscrew on the front of the jointer face, raising the post into which the guard is pinned slightly, retightening. (See photo.) But this isn't working for me. I loosen (or remove) the setscrew and can then rotate the post in its socket -- not particularly easily but enough to twist in either direction past the "flat part" which has to face the screw before retightening -- but I can't for the life of me raise that post at all from its socket. I assume whatever terrible thing happened to the guard perhaps bent this post a bit and it's not a smooth fit. I have tried lots of WD-40 and liquid wrench and a variety of ways of grasping the mushroom cap to "lift," but wondered if you had any advice about budging it vertically without risking bending it further. The bolt is captive in the cast iron jointer base so I doesn't seem like I can access it anywhere except from the top.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Nick

ps. Separate request -- reading old DJ20 posts I see repeated mention to a supplemental Delta technical document on adjusting table parallelism, but all of the links to it (direct to Delta or to third party) are now obsolete. Does anyone have this document who might share an electronic copy with me? The Grizzly manual covers the procedure and may be superior, but I'd like to cross-reference it against Delta's description if possible. Thank you!

DJ20_guard_post.jpg

[Bill Dufour]

I would use a pickle fork and a light tap. Or drill a 1/4" hole from the bottom and a 1/4" punch.
Is that post threaded internally. Do you have bolt that fits. Easy same idea as pulling a internal threaded taper pin. Stack of big washers then one or two small washers under the bolt head and tighten the bolt.
Bill D

[Andrew Hughes]

Don’t mess with the table alignment unless you absolutely sure you have to. Most problems with cutting flat surfaces or edges with a jointer is a simple height adjustment of the outfeed.
Precision inspection equipment is need to adjust or determine table alignment problems $$$.
Good Luck with your pork chop

[Nick Jackiw]

Bill, thanks for the great suggestions. I haven't found a pickle fork that's near slim enough but love your idea of extracting it by bolt threaded into the post. No sure I understand your washer arrangement but can imagine building a scrap deck beneath the bolt-head with some clearance beneath to help extract it. Will try next time I'm back at my (island) shop.

Andrew -- caution noted and I'm not done fiddling with easier fiddlables! Would still appreciate the Delta tech doc though if anyone has it -- the primary DJ-20 manual is almost useless beyond general assembly --

[glenn bradley]

Don’t mess with the table alignment unless you absolutely sure you have to. Most problems with cutting flat surfaces or edges with a jointer is a simple height adjustment of the outfeed.
Precision inspection equipment is need to adjust or determine table alignment problems $$$.
Good Luck with your pork chop

Definitely this. Too many posts about jointer adjustment processes that shouldn't have been started. The Grizzly G0490 manual will very likely match your DJ-20 for alignment procedures if required.

G0490 Table Align.pdf

[Cameron Wood]

You might be able to lift it with a bearing separator.

[Bill Dufour]

It may be metric threaded. Put in a bolt and use a slide hammer. another method below

Put a deep? socket over it that clears the major diameter. Then a washer or two as big around or bigger then the sockets square drive socket hole 3/8 or 1/2. Next run a bolt down the washers and socket and thread it into the pin. If you did the math correctly the pin will be pulled up before the bolt bottoms out in the pin's hole. If not slack off a bit and pry with a screwdriver under the washers.
Bill D

[Bill Dufour]

You might be able to lift it with a bearing separator.

Sounds like a good idea. For most here no need for bigger then 1-2 inch max size a bearing splitter. Do not apply to much torque on the splitter bolts.

[David Stone (CT)]

I have the DJ-20 alignment document you're seeking, in PDF form. If you PM me your email address, I will send it to you.