Are Magna-Set and Jointer Pal the same thing? Also, I saw this tool in another post:
http://www.shop.com/op/~Oneway_Multi_Gauge-prod-10987174
I can understand it being more accurate, but what holds the knife in place while you measure?
Lastly, any tricks for making sure that all three knives were at the same top dead center when being set?
Replies
Since setting jointer knives with a dial indicator take place at TDC; here's one way to establish that point.
At 2" from the end,layout a squared line, across the face and continuing down the edge of a foot long, parallel sided 1x4.
Lay the stick contacting the fence and the jointer blade, aligning the stick's edge mark to the knife's edge.
Rotating the cutterhead by hand will move the stick a tad.
When the stick stops traveling, make a tick mark on the jointer fence; repeat for the other direction.
Dividing the distance between these two marks will give you TDC.
If you are returning the same knives to the head, they will be "LOW" due to sharpening. Turning the jackscrews will elevate them into position. The securing bolts should be torqued just enough so the knife can raise and lower by it's own weight.
To keep the cutterhead steady while making the height adjustments, put a spring clamp onto the belt, very close to the pulley.
Note: When using the magnetic "setters" that touch the cutterhead, these are establishing the blade height relative to the cutterhead; using a dial indicator establishes the relationship of the knife's edge relative to the outfeed table.
There's no point in marking any lines, on the outfeed table, parallel to the TDC point, since each time the dial indicator is assembled onto the base the previous base/plunger length is different. I knocked together a plate for the base to slide along, but that's another story.
Practice...'till you can do it right the first time.
Anybody ever used one of these?
Before you go off and buy something expensive, see if you can find Mike's(?) post explaining the glass-and-magnet approach for installing jointer knives. I have it bookmarked at home, but I'm at work right now.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I found an earlier post with a reference to that approach, but nothing with a play-by-play. If you have it and can pass it on, I'd be most grateful. I think I get the gist of it, but the devil is often in the details.
Sheesh, I have it, but the only reason I do is because I printed it out. The entire original discussion seems to have been deleted! Let me find out why before I re-type what Mike posted. Can't imagine, but don't want to hex this thread, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
OK, Mark found it for me. I will be so glad when we get down to 2 forums instead of 6!!
Here's the link:
http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages/?msg=33444.10
Now, on to figure out why it was so hard to find with a search....<!----><!----><!---->forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Forest girl, I was just about to repost the glass and magnet method for you. Then read your last post that Mark found it for you. This may be the same Mark I referred to who had the original idea.
Mark if you read this post, I have changed joiners knives a number of times since your post. Thanks again for invaluable advice.
mike
That was Mark at Sysop. The problem I had searching was related to the necessity of search the exact forum the original post was in. If you can't remember which forum it was posted in, it's a pain.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Mike, I posted a couple of questions to you in the original thread:
http://forums.taunton.com/fw-knots/messages?msg=33444.18
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Looks like that's going to beat a dial indicator and bad language all hollow.Thanks, Jamie.Leon
Hi
I Googled Magneset and Jointer Pal and it seems they are the same.
But, it seems to me "jointerpal" is what the photo posted earlier shows.
Depending on the jointer you have the knives may have jack screws that hold the blade in position while you measure, and are used to set the height. Or there may be springs under the blades.
If you could buy or borrow from the library John White's book, "Care and Repair of Shop Machines, Taunton, you will find the information you need.
Ken
I just did a 6" from scratch with the old silent room and straightedge method. Works like a champ. The tool would be easier, but might not be worth it for folks who don't wear out their knives frequently.
Pete
By silent room method, you mean you got the place quiet and listened for the knife to just touch the straightedge?
Yup. Assuming a good straightedge, this method is quite accurate. A little intuition and trig shows why. You can't hear the blade if it only touches the straightedge at top dead center. It's going to have to drag across the straitedge for some small distance. You might think that this would cause the blade height to be inaccurate. However, the blade only has to touch the cutterhead for a very short distance, probably less than an eighth. Near top dead center, the blade doesn't go down much as it goes back and forth. If you can keep it within 1/4 of an inch (1/8 on each side of TDC), I calculate less than 3 thousandths of height difference for my 2 13/16 blade circle. In practice, the blade ticks the straightedge over less than an eigth, which puts the total height error less than a thousandth.Of course, a properly designed dial indicator setup could be a lot quicker. Still, it shows the low tech methods are absolutely serviceable.Pete
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