Jointer Bearing Replacement

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:01 pm

I have a question for anyone who can answer or has had the pleasure of changing bearings in the jointer.

I use my jointer nearly every day but all of a sudden, yesterday when I turned it on the bearings were noticeably noisier than before. They are not screaming but if they get much worse they will be.

Has anyone changed jointer bearings? It looks to be simple but simple tasks tend to reach out and grab the unexpecting.

Is there a procedure for doing the bearing change?

While just looking at it laying on its side on the bench I noticed one thing (actually three things) to be considered. The cutter blades.

I don't want to pull the blades from the cutter head but I am almost certain there is no safe way to change the bearings without pulling the blades first.

In puts please.

ldh · Post by **ldh** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:48 pm

dusty wrote:I have a question for anyone who can answer or has had the pleasure of changing bearings in the jointer.

I use my jointer nearly every day but all of a sudden, yesterday when I turned it on the bearings were noticeably noisier than before. They are not screaming but if they get much worse they will be.

Has anyone changed jointer bearings? It looks to be simple but simple tasks tend to reach out and grab the unexpecting.

Is there a procedure for doing the bearing change?

While just looking at it laying on its side on the bench I noticed one thing (actually three things) to be considered. The cutter blades.

I don't want to pull the blades from the cutter head but I am almost certain there is no safe way to change the bearings without pulling the blades first.

In puts please.

Dusty,
Replacing the jointer bearings on the SS jointer is a fairly quick and easy task.
You need access to a small bearing puller and a bearing press. Remove the fence and blade guard from the unit and place it upside down on a sound work surface and remove the drive hub and the chip collector. Remove the two bolts that hold the cutter head in and work the head out. If I don't intend to replace the blades I leave them in (just use your head and work carefully) if they need sharpening then remove them. Carefully remove the bearing caps from the cutter head and remove the bearings with the bearing knife. Replace with ½"x1-1/8", R8-Z bearings using the bearing press. Re-assemble and put cutter head back into jointer. Make sure the cutter head is parallel to the lip of the out-feed table and don't over tighten the bolts securing the cutter head. Use a good quality C3 bearing and clean things up as you go along. I have been getting my bearings from Bob Hill, but have not been able to find his eBay store recently. If you happen to be up this way I will be happy to remove and press on the bearings for you. Have fun with it.
ldh

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:49 pm

REMOVE the CUTTER BLADES Dusty. I'm SURPRIZED you even THOUGHT of doing it without removing them.

Here's the part # for the bearing. 502898

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:27 pm

Hi Dusty! I have had the pleasure of which you speak. After removing the cutter head it is fairly easy to remove the bearings. Whether or not to remove the knives is a personal choice. (Tell ya why, later)

On my jointer there were no special or new noises. However the resulting jointed surfaces were rough and the cutter head shaft (the one connecting to the coupler) was loose and could be lifted and wiggled. When I removed the bearing on that side, I found the previous bearing had frozen and the inner race ground away at the cutter head shaft.

As you can guess, the new bearing was also loose, and the same symptoms existed. So-- In order to fix my jointer, I had to buy a whole new cutter head assembly (517363). When it came, I was surprised to find the assembly contained all of the parts I had removed from the old head. - Including NEW KNIVES that were all adjusted. All I had to do was to install the new cutter head assembly, knives and all, and the unit was ready to run. And it did.

I had removed the knives and all connecting hardware from the old cutter head before removing it from the jointer. Just seemed more prudent. I really didn't have to do that as shown by the total assembly being easy to install.

So If you want you can leave the knives mounted in your unit while you do the needed bearing maintenance. I'd want to wrap a paper towel around the knives just so they don't get chipped.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:44 am

I have dismantled the jointer and decided to do a bearing replacement. While getting to this point, I took the fence off and a part fell out. I don't think this has ever happened before but maybe.

My question: the little crescent shaped part - is it supposed to somehow be retained in the quadrant.

I think I know where the part belongs but I can not located it in the exploded views.

[ATTACH]3929[/ATTACH][ATTACH]3930[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]3931[/ATTACH][ATTACH]3932[/ATTACH]

ldh · Post by **ldh** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:43 pm

Dusty,
Do a complete inventory of the the parts on your jointer against the parts diagram. I don't recall a crescent part, but it may be part of a broken part not seen yet. Your local bearing supplier should have the bearings as they a very common and usually can be had for 2-4 bucks each.
ldh

ldh · Post by **ldh** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:06 pm

Dusty,
I just took a look at my fence and quadrant on my jointer and I think the crescent is part of those assemblies. I think the quadrant moves on that crescent. I don't see it in the parts diagram so it may be part of the fence. Are there any holes in the crescent to attach it with bolts? Take the quadrant off the rail and check it.
ldh

RobertTaylor · Post by **RobertTaylor** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:09 pm

bob hill can be found at

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/BEARING-BAR ... QQ_armrsZ1

ldh · Post by **ldh** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:46 pm

bettyt44720 wrote:bob hill can be found at

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/BEARING-BAR ... QQ_armrsZ1

Have you been able to get any bearings from him? I think he is having some problems due to an accident in December and I think his store appears closed?

ldh

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 5:12 pm

Dusty - At first, I thought your crescent shaped part was broken from somewhere. However the two holes indicate it is not broken, but has come loose from somewhere.

I have never run across a part looking like that anywhere except at a place completely different than Shopsmith tools. It looks to me that it could be a heel or toe tap for ladies shoes or cowboy boots.

Another thought is it may belong to one of your power stands. If you ever find that it belongs on the jointer, I'm going to wonder if I have one.