I have set/adjusted many sets of joiner knives without using any jig. It takes me about 3-5 minutes to do all 3 knives. My method is very simple to me. You will need a 12" straight edge steel ruler. I get mine from a sliding 45/90 combination square and ruler. Any joiner I get, I remove the knives, sharpen them, remove the cutter head and clean it with a wire brush. I set the 2 adjustment screws all the way down before cleaning. I replace the bearings and reinstall the cutter head with no knives. I end up with many small cuts when installing the knives if I am not careful.

Then I set the first knife into the cutter head (knife edge toward input side) and install the wedge and the 3 #10-32 screws with #10 S/S lockwashers ( I really like using these lockwashers). The knife extends about a 1/16" out from the edge of the outfeed table (I use the thickness of my 12" straight edge steel ruler againest the edge of the outfeed table to set this) for the rabbet cut capability. I just snug the wedge screws down. When I snug down the wedge before adjusting the height, I hold the T-handle hex wrench by the shaft with 2 fingers and turn the screws down until I cannot turn the wrench shaft with my 2 fingers not touching the T-handle. I set the steel ruler on edge on the output table extending over the knife at one end of the knife. I use the 5/32" T-handle hex wrench in the adjusting screw on that end and start raising the knife ( very slow when the knife is getting close to the ruler) while rocking the cutter head back and forth with the hex wrench watching for the knife to contact the ruler. The ruler is always on the outside of the hex wrench. The ruler may fall over a few times until you get the hang of it. I am only touching the T-handle on the hex wrench as I rock it back and forth about 10 degrees on either side of top dead center for the cutter head blade and slowing raising the blade at the same time until the blade just touches/raises the straight edge ruler. You will hear and see the ruler lift slightly when this happens. Stop. Now I switch to the other end of the cutter head. Do the same thing stopping when the ruler is just rising off the table. The ruler should slide very little (I go for a 1/8” movement of the ruler) toward the end that you are rocking the cutter toward. You will hear when this happens. You need to have your eyes at the table level to see the ruler being raised at first. Now I go by sound mostly. Now go back to the original side you started from and repeat the same action for that side. It will only take a very small adjustment for this side. Until you get the hang of it, you may want to check both sides for the same amount of movement Once this side is done again, tighten each wedge lock screw a little starting in the middle and rotating the tightening until all screws are tight and go to the next knife.

If the knives are raised too high, you must remove the wedge, reset the adjustment screws down and start over. This happen the first few times I did it years ago so now I just lift the ruler about a dollar bill high (.002-.0025) and a 1/8” slide. The knives must be only a slight bit higher (.001-.003") than the output table to really cut cleanly. Whatever I set the first knife, and then I set the other 2 knives the same. Remember, a little bit will do.

I got a listing of this procedure from a Harvey Smith's post http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticle...justment.shtml. His drawings are excellant for showing what I am doing. I simplify it for myself. I do not use pencil marks like he did as I do not have the fence mounted while adjusting the knives.