What is the primary object of this exercise? Isn't it to get the knives installed into the cutter bar so that all knives are at the "same height" (just below the lower surface of the jig). If the ruler (steel bar, piece of wood) moves is not the point. The point is that all three move the same amount.
If they don't move at all - well - you really don't know. Except, with the magnets and the glass the knives are all pulled up against the exact same surface (the bottom surface of a piece of glass).
When aligned using the glass, the ruler most likely won't move. The blades at their highest point are at the "exact same" level as the lower surface of the glass (the surface level of the outfeed table).
If the last statement is true - we have actually succeeded in aligning all three blades so that they all cut to the same depth. How deep? Don't know.
Adjust the depth control for whatever you want and check your work.
For those who attended the Traveling Academy this week there were drawings of the jig in the handout, about page 10. I will try to attach a scan of it to this reply. Let me know if the attached image came through.
batg4 wrote:You could put a piece of wax paper under the jig like you do when you hone the knives.
Well that's a nice simple solution. thanks.
I'm always trying to understand WHY. So I asked the woodcraft store guy why bring the knives slightly ABOVE the outfeed table as the SS manual calls for with the metal rule technique. (BTW, he's not SS owner but uses that metal rule method himself.) He said it's a careful adjustment to minimize snipe. On other jointers apparently there is an adjustment on the outfeed table that helps him fine tune it. I still don't understand it but....I'll now let my subconscious work on it.
On glass and rare earth magnet diy device. Where do you get the magnets and what size? The Radio Shack catalog shows 1/8" diameter ones, but that seems mighty small for this application.
Found the rare earth magnets in both my WOODCRAFT and Lee Valley/Veritas catalogs.
If you have nevr played with these things, you are in for a real surprise. Just the 1/4" are rated for 2 1/2#. My neighbor, a retired machinist made his own custom planer knife jig using these.
The 1" are rated for 30#....Watch where you stick these.....The Lee Valley catalog talks about filing slots in the mounting cups so you are able to pry them off. Trust me....these are very powerful little buggers.
Radio Shack is closest, and the magnets are cheap. So I'll try those 1/8" diameter ones first. I'm going to use the glass with the magnets on top configuration. If the RS 1/8" diameter aren't strong enough to hold through the glass, I'll get the slightly larger ones at WC. I'm sure I'll be at the local store all too soon.
If this works, this is going to be a whole bunch less expensive than the $45 woodcraft Magna jig.
I am new to this forum. I am getting ready to change the jointer blades and was looking for guage or method that a simple person like myself could follow. This seems to fill the bill. thanks, haymaker
___________________
