Shopsmith Forums

I'm having a problem where my knives are way too high and everything I understand about how to adjust these things makes me *almost* think these are the wrong knives. Another person had a similar issue viewtopic.php?t=20697 but they realized they were measuring wrong, which if I also am I haven't figure that out yet.

Here are a couple pictures and I've triple checked that the adjustment bolts are lowered all the way down (they are actually quite a bit lower than the channel surface). Measuring 7/16th from the bottom corner, and rotating the blades from below that mark, I couldn't even get the blades to clear that bottom corner at all, let alone 7/16ths up. I also tried 7/16ths from the top and it actually does almost reach but barely and I'm pretty sure that is the wrong way to line this up.

About these being the wrong blades, well this is a restoration and these are the blades I got with it, so who knows. However, they are 12" planer blades that do say shopsmith right on the side. So that makes me think I'm doing something wrong. In a shopsmith video on adjusting planer knives, they guys says they are supposed to rise above the cutterhead by only about 1/32 or something very small (which if the mark were at 1/16 from the bottom is maybe about right). Did he misspeak? My blades stick out at least 5/8".

(note: the tape mark that is on there is not 7/16 from anywhere, just a place I put it to mark where adjusting was even possible.)

Anyway see pictures below and thanks in advance for any help at all!

What you show in the photos appear to be correct. Why do you believe the blades are too high? Too high with reference to what?

dusty wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 3:58 pm What you show in the photos appear to be correct. Why do you believe the blades are too high? Too high with reference to what?

My understanding was that the mark should be 7/16 from the bottom corner but if I put the tape there, I only have about 1/16 of clearance, so the blades sticking up 1/2" is way too much. Am I thinking about that wrong and the tape actually is about where it should be?

This is the diagram I was going off of. If I put the line where that diagram indicates, I only have < 1/16" of clearance. Although that diagram also suggests I should have way more than 1/16" of clearance. Is that diagram not to scale or did I reassemble this thing wrong?? I don't think so (not sure how I could have messed this particular part up) but I'm obviously mixing something up.

When blade depth is set correctly, the sharp edge of the blade should just "kiss" the gauge at the mark when rotated. If the blade does not kiss the gauge or when the blade lifts the gauge, blade height is incorrect.

dusty wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 5:25 pm When blade depth is set correctly, the sharp edge of the blade should just "kiss" the gauge at the mark when rotated. If the blade does not kiss the gauge or when the blade lifts the gauge, blade height is incorrect.

Yeah but the issue is that it only kisses the gauge if I put the mark at around 3/4" from the bottom corner. If I put it where it is shown in the diagram, it lifts the gauge about 1/2" up.

eagspoo wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 5:48 pm If I put it where it is shown in the diagram, it lifts the gauge about 1/2" up.

So you need to adjust the knife down, using the 7/16" measurement.

beeg wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 5:55 pm

eagspoo wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 5:48 pm If I put it where it is shown in the diagram, it lifts the gauge about 1/2" up.

So you need to adjust the knife down, using the 7/16" measurement.

The screws are in all the way and I can visually see they are actually lower than the bottom of channel the knives sit in. They can't go any lower.

Start with the knife above the zero line and rotate it down to the line. The knife edge should just touch the gauge when it meets the zero line. Rotating the knife further than the line in that direction will raise the gauge (as I remember). The point is that when the edge of the knife is in line with the zero mark it just touches the gauge. No other position maters.

1) how wide(height) is the blade(bottom edge to cutting edge)?

2) the gauge is used by having the blade in position above the index mark where there is more clearance. The blade height is correct IF when rotated towards the index mark, is touches the gauge at the index mark.

3) the gauge Will RISE IF THE BLADE IS ROTATED PAST THE INDEX MARK.

4) I DO NOT UNDERSTAND 5/8"

5) I DO NOT UNDERSTAND 1/16" OF CLEARANCE