Shopsmith Forums

mountainbreeze wrote:I did a lot more investigating and found the problem. The answer to my original question seems to be:

You have probably set your jointer knives a little too low. Try raising them by about 0.005" and see if that helps.

My jointer knives were set to between 0.000" and 0.002" above the outfeed table. I reset them to be 0.005" above the outfeed and the tapering problem went away.

Thanks again to all for the helpful posts. They inspired me to figure this out.

HHHHMMMM!

Quite counter intuitive!

Methinks too much pressure too long on the infeed end is a more likely 'culprit'.

Your 'solution' seems a good recipe for trailing end snipe.

???????

I be interested how you made those measurements, and if a straight workpiece held tightly to the outfeed table would touch the knives when pushed back toward them(rotate the knives by hand while pushing back).

JPG40504 wrote:HHHHMMMM!

Quite counter intuitive!

Methinks too much pressure too long on the infeed end is a more likely 'culprit'.

Your 'solution' seems a good recipe for trailing end snipe.

???????

I be interested how you made those measurements, and if a straight workpiece held tightly to the outfeed table would touch the knives when pushed back toward them(rotate the knives by hand while pushing back).

If I lay a straight edge on the outfeed table and extend it out over the cutterhead, I can just barely feel the blades when I rotate them (BY HAND) as they touch the edge of the straight edge.

This would be considerably less than .005".

I am sorry to say this but - I don't believe you have resolved the going in problem. If anything, it seems to me that it would be worse.

dusty wrote:If I lay a straight edge on the outfeed table and extend it out over the cutterhead, I can just barely feel the blades when I rotate them (BY HAND) as they touch the edge of the straight edge.

This would be considerably less than .005".

I am sorry to say this but - I don't believe you have resolved the going in problem. If anything, it seems to me that it would be worse.

PTL!!!! ABP!!! whatever suits yer belief!!!

Dusty and JPG have a common 'disagreement'. Wonder what Ed in Tampa will have to say re this reported 'solution'

P.S. I have some reservations re the move the straight edge x distance method. I have done that, but feel just perceptible touching is a better goal).

JPG40504 wrote:PTL!!!! ABP!!! whatever suits yer belief!!!

Dusty and JPG have a common 'disagreement'. Wonder what Ed in Tampa will have to say re this reported 'solution'

P.S. I have some reservations re the move the straight edge x distance method. I have done that, but feel just perceptible touching is a better goal).

I don't know that we have a 'disagreement' HERE. In what manner do we disagree on jointer table alignment?

From the linked to procedure by Dusty

1. All that remains is to set the outfeed table level with the knives. If you don't, then you will gouge board ends or taper the edges. Worse, you may get convex or concave profiles. Use the ruler for this. Adjust the outfeed table until it just barely contacts each knife across its length. If it doesn't do this just right, then re-adjust that knife. And don't be frustrated, you'll get it. This method of adjustment is what the pros do, and it will eventually take you 15 minutes. The glass-smooth cuts you will make will justify all the time you took to get it right.
2. I have no experience with non-adjustable outfeed tables, like some Craftsman models. I can only suggest you try the following: The knives are set slightly above the outfeed table with these jointers, like 0.002 to 0.003 inch. Purchase two sets of feeler gauges from any autoparts store. Remove the appropriate gauges and lay them on the far ends of tables. Make sure each has the identical thickness measurement. Place an aluminum straight edge carefully along the feeler gauges across the cutter head (no knife exposed). Use wood blocks to keep it vertical. Roll the cutter head forward until the knife contacts the ruler. Move the knife up or down until you can move the cutterhead so that the knife just barely touches the ruler. Gently tighten the gib screw or nut at the ruler position. This is now the reference height. Return to step 4 and omit step 7.

These two statements seem to me to be a contradiction. I do not understand the logic of the second(blades set above the outfeed table).

I totally agree with the first.

In our case that is the goal of each blade.(set to coincide with surface plane of outfeed table).

Realize that this will disappear with blade wear and require sooner readjusting or sharpening or both!

In the case of those adjustable outfeed tables, dropping the outfeed table compensates(up to the gross need to resharpen).

dusty wrote:I don't know that we have a 'disagreement' HERE. In what manner do we disagree on jointer table alignment?

WE BOTH disagree that setting the blades ABOVE the outfeed table was a solution to Mountainbreeze's 'issue'.

i.e. We AGREE. We BOTH think the 'solution' is faulty!

I think we see the alignment goal the same and how to get there very similarly.

Now about the gentleman from Tampa, time will tell!!!

From the linked to procedure by Dusty
1.All that remains is to set the outfeed table level with the knives. If you don't, then you will gouge board ends or taper the edges. Worse, you may get convex or concave profiles. Use the ruler for this. Adjust the outfeed table until it just barely contacts each knife across its length. If it doesn't do this just right, then re-adjust that knife. And don't be frustrated, you'll get it. This method of adjustment is what the pros do, and it will eventually take you 15 minutes. The glass-smooth cuts you will make will justify all the time you took to get it right.
2.I have no experience with non-adjustable outfeed tables, like some Craftsman models. I can only suggest you try the following: The knives are set slightly above the outfeed table with these jointers, like 0.002 to 0.003 inch. Purchase two sets of feeler gauges from any autoparts store. Remove the appropriate gauges and lay them on the far ends of tables. Make sure each has the identical thickness measurement. Place an aluminum straight edge carefully along the feeler gauges across the cutter head (no knife exposed). Use wood blocks to keep it vertical. Roll the cutter head forward until the knife contacts the ruler. Move the knife up or down until you can move the cutterhead so that the knife just barely touches the ruler. Gently tighten the gib screw or nut at the ruler position. This is now the reference height. Return to step 4 and omit step 7.

I find that everyone is real close to saying the same thing. Just different words for the same action. I find #2 is the correct height for the knives above the outfeed table if you use feeler gauges. I sold all my various knife setting jigs as the below method was the quickest and most accurate for me.

I use a 12" straight edge set on edge at both ends of each knive (outside the 5/32" allen wrench). I find the straight edge will actually slide about 1/16" (.0015")-1/8" (.003") as the knife edge scraps by the straight edge. Whatever I set the slide for the first knife, I set the other two knives for the same slide distance. I actually can hear a different sounds depending on the heightof the knife. I find the sound made by the knife on the straight edge is actually accurate for me. I have set many dozens of joiner knives in the past 9 years. Quickest measured time was less the 2 minutes but the average yime for me is 4-5 minute for all 3 knives.

This is the source http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/k ... ment.shtml where I found a file with pictures that explains this method. The wrong file was attached.

JPG40504 wrote: Methinks too much pressure too long on the infeed end is a more likely 'culprit'.

Your 'solution' seems a good recipe for trailing end snipe.

It seems to me that pressure on the infeed table too long would cause more to be cut from the trailing edge. This is opposite of what I was experiencing. Also, no trailing edge snipe here.

dusty wrote:
This would be considerably less than .005".

Using that write-up as a guide would indicate my knives are still a bit too low. Using the ruler method, mine advances only about 1/4" for each blade. The write-up indicates it should move 1".

mountainbreeze wrote:Using that write-up as a guide would indicate my knives are still a bit too low. Using the ruler method, mine advances only about 1/4" for each blade. The write-up indicates it should move 1".

I guess I should have gone to the shop and performed the procedure myself before I referenced it. My BAD.

Like I said, when I do mine, the blade touching the ruler can just barely be felt. It definitely does not pick up and move the ruler an inch or more.