I have a brand new <cough> Harbor Freight <cough> jointer that I am having trouble with. It joints short pieces fine, but once the length of the stock gets over 16″, it develops a 1/64″ inward deflection in the center once it is joined. I’ve since dialed the jointer down to 0″, and put a four foot ruler across, to ensure that everything was coplanar. What I found is that both the infeed and outfeed tables are .01″ high in the center. In other words, neither table is perfectly flat, and I can fit a feeler gauge under both at multiple points.
So, is .01″ enough to cause a problem with a jointer? Also, can this be fixed? I have lapped a plane smooth using a sheet of glass and auto body sandpaper, but these tables are considerably larger than what I worked with before. Also, the tables are aluminum, rather than steel. It might be easier to remove material, but also easier to really screw things up.
I know that Harbor Freight is the cheapest of the cheap tools out there, but it was the best I can afford. If I had thought about it, I would have sprung for a Rigid from Home Depot…
Edited 7/24/2009 4:47 pm ET by WanderingOak
Replies
WO,
Did you check the knives set ?
Could need adjustment When the outfeed table is up all the way the knives should be just proud for starters .
happy jointing
and regards dusty
There is no adjustment for the outfeed table on this joiner. When the infeed table is set to zero, the blades barely touch it. That table adjusts outward, widening the blade opening as it lowers. I have checked both tables independently with a straight-edge and both are warped. It could be that this jointer is really only intended for small projects.I went to look at the Ridgid jointer at HD, but that beast is a bit too big. I need something that I can move outside and edge-join an 8' long rough-sawn plank with (working out of a one car garage). If there was a herc-u-lift base available for the jointer like the one for my Ridgid tablesaw, it would be a different story. As it is, it weighs at least 200 pounds, and is quite immobile. There is a benchtop Delta jointer available at Lowes, and the floor model looks square enough at least.Edited 7/24/2009 5:07 pm ET by WanderingOak
Edited 7/24/2009 6:00 pm ET by WanderingOak
WO,
With a fixed outfeed table your knives should be set to just proud of flush to the outfeed side .
Try checking it with a 12" steel straight edge barely hanging over towards the knives and while unplugged rotate the cutter head to check the setting .
regards dusty
[shoot, I started this a couple hours ago and didn't get it posted!]
I'll link you to two of John White's jointer articles below, but first -- it could be that you just need a minor adjustment to get the right results. Remember, though, that technique is very important with the jointing process.
OK, a kernel from one of John's articles:
John White's major jointer tune-up article, Jointer Tune-Up: Table realignment and knife adjustments made easy using shopmade tools.
[PS: those are subscriber-only links]
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 7/24/2009 10:03 pm by forestgirl
Thanks, I'll try that in the morning. This joiner is only 28" long, so I hope I'm not limited to 14" stock...
No, not limited to that length. But you need about that much (proportional to your particular jointer) to get a good test. (Was that clear as mud? Hope so!)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Okay, I downloaded and printed out the articles, and after some work on the jointer, I discovered that this is going to be a lot harder than I originally thought. The outfeed table is static. In fact, it is part of a single aluminum casting that forms the jointer base and holds the blades. There is no gib or dovetail for the infeed table, so of course, there are no adjustment screws or areas to shim. The infeed table is connected to the base by two bolts along the centerline, and is adjusted by a worm screw at one end. It looks like it relies on gravity and the weight of the infeed table to increase the cutting depth. The table rides in a track along the center of the base. There might be a way for me to put a shim on one end of the track, so the table rides higher than it does now, but it will be difficult.Now that I have the infeed table off, I have another option. I could take some valve lapping compound, and lap the two tables against each other until they are both flat.As far as the blade setting goes, when I turn the blades by hand, they just barely stick up over the outfeed table, as they head over the top. I am guessing that is what is meant by 'proud'. Right now, I am going to see if the Delta benchtop jointer that Lowes caries has adjustable tables, or if it came off of the same assembly line that the Harbor Freight one did...
Edited 7/25/2009 3:01 pm ET by WanderingOak
The Delta benchtop jointer doesn't look to be as fully adjustable as a full-sized jointer either. However, it looks as if both tables are removable (without completely dismantling the tool) and can probably be shimmed easily. The Ridgid jointer looks to be fully adjustable with a gib and set screws, etc. However, I'm not sure if I have the space or the budget for that model.
The just barely sticking up knives ,,, could need to go down but still be proud , we are talking thousandths , though I have never measured .
So too high of knives can make it hard to joint straight also .
This may be contributing to your problem if it is not the problem.
Take a relatively straight edged board and see what type of edge you get. All this is based on the assumption the knives and machine are new and sharp and you are making reasonable passes .
regards dusty
Edited 7/25/2009 7:57 pm ET by oldusty
Oak, before you go lapping the surface or some other modification of the brand-new jointer, is it possible to step back for a moment? What if you could get a much better quality jointer for approximately the same price?
If you got the Harbor Freight jointer I'm guessing you did, it was around $280, is this close? It's brand new, so you could perhaps return it? Looking at the Seattle-Tacoma Craig's List, I see a Ridgid for $290 and a Delta for $350. I see another Delta for $225, but it looks hokey, probably doesn't have adjustable tables.
Your profile has no information in it, so obviously the Seattle opportunities may not apply where you live, but if you do live near a major metro area there's a decent chance you could get a used jointer at a decent price.
Just a thought.......
I've already begun the lapping process, and am more than halfway done. My neighbor bought this jointer new a few years ago, paying about $200.00 + shipping. It's been gathering dust up in his attic, since he didn't have the space to set it up. I told him that it could go in my garage, if I could use it as well. Even through it only came out of the box a few days ago, the warranty is long gone. In order to find the receipt, he'd need a grant from the Smithsonian to sponsor an archeological expedition. So, no matter what, we are stuck with this lemon. Now, if I can get this beast to work, then we will have a functioning portable jointer, with only the additional investment of some elbow grease and some valve grinding compound.If this doesn't work, then I might take a look a Craigs list, or just get the Delta benchtop from Lowes.
"In order to find the receipt, he'd need a grant from the Smithsonian to sponsor an archeological expedition." Too funny! I get the picture now, best of luck!
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled