Shopsmith Forums

I have a second joiner that has been sitting in a corner. I cleaned it up and discovered the tables are slightly out of co-plainer. Enough so that on a 3' board you can see the curve when sighting down it's length. Given the design of the tool, does anybody have some ideas on a solution? The indeed table is too low at the knives, or too high at the end depending on how you think about it.

moggymatt wrote:I have a second joiner that has been sitting in a corner. I cleaned it up and discovered the tables are slightly out of co-plainer. Enough so that on a 3' board you can see the curve when sighting down it's length. Given the design of the tool, does anybody have some ideas on a solution? The indeed table is too low at the knives, or too high at the end depending on how you think about it.

The way to 'look at it' is the outfeed table is high at the blade or low at the far end. Only thing I would be suspicious of is the sliding surfaces the outfeed table slides on. There is no way to adjust. The tables are ground as a matched pair.

moggymatt wrote:I have a second joiner that has been sitting in a corner. I cleaned it up and discovered the tables are slightly out of co-plainer. Enough so that on a 3' board you can see the curve when sighting down it's length. Given the design of the tool, does anybody have some ideas on a solution? The indeed table is too low at the knives, or too high at the end depending on how you think about it.

Are we talking about a Shopsmith jointer?

Are you sighting done the edge of a jointed board?

If you lay a reliable straight edge across both the infeed and outfeed tables at several different locations, do the tables appear to be co-planar. Are the tables adjusted to be the same height (zero depth of cut) as the cutter at the top of its arc.

Reliable straight = a good level.
Seriously, don't use a cheap metal ruler for this. The tool has to be absolutely straight.
Bill V

Dusty makes a good point I had not considered.

The 'straight' edge sighting MUST be done with the tables at the same height AT THE BLADE ENDS.

If the outfeed table is 'high', the original description will occur.(outfeed high at blade, low at far end)

When I bought my "used" SS jointer ($75) twenty years ago, I found a sheet metal shim on the ways, when I took it apart for cleaning. When I called SS, I was told they could re-machine it to correct the problem. At that time we had relatives living in Cincinnati, so on a trip to visit, I delivered my jointer to the factory. At that time I was charged $100, which included new blades and the updated dust collector and safety shield over the coupler. It looked like a new when it was shipped to me.

I'll align at the tables at the blades and take a photo of the gap tonight after my daughters softball game.

I was going to do this last night but the kids talked me into watching Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith. Again.

I used a piece of 80/20 that is as straight as anything I have in the shop.
[ATTACH]26616[/ATTACH]

With the outfeed table as the reference, I raised the infeed table until the front edge touches and there is no light at 1st contact.
[ATTACH]26618[/ATTACH]

That gap was 018
[ATTACH]26617[/ATTACH]

I disassembled the joiner and found the bosses lightly rusty and coated with dirt.
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I cleaned them up with a brass brush wheel on my hand drill until they were polished clean and got a gap of 007.
[ATTACH]26620[/ATTACH]

I don't know if that's considered within tolerances but I was surprised by the difference.

Considering it's age, I would accept it as is.

In theory, if one were to drill, tap and put a small set screw in one pair of bosses along the center line, in either the base or in feed table, would that then make the table adjustable?