Hello to all,
When setting up the knifes on my General 8″ jointer, I don’t always get the 3 knifes set exactly the same height.
I have one of those jigs which lay flat on the out feed table and then it’s magnetics hold the knifes in place. I don’t get perfect results with this jig as if all 3 knifes aren’t being held at the exact top of their arc, I get one knife out of whack.
I get better results using a metal ruler but as I tap the blade down over it’s length, I can still get a higher or lower spot due to the blade moving.
Should I be using a dial indicator on a magnetic base?
Can anyone help me out will a method that is fool proof and works ever time?
It seems so straight forward to set these knife’s up. I hope this question isn’t to stupid!!
Thanks for any help,
Vance
Replies
The procedure described in the link below is easy, foolproof and accurate. I had one of the magnetic jigs and after I used the stick method of setting jointer knives I never used the jig again. Also, when tightening the screws start with minimum torque and gradually tighten each screw in sequence with a little more torque each time.
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=61
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans.
When your ship comes in... make sure you are not at the airport.
Thanks Jerry,
I'll try this with a piece of wood and also ruler with marks on it, and see which works better. I think another piece of wood could be set up as a stop block on the in feed side so the height of the blade could be set with more accuracy.
Thank you for the fast response to my question!!!Vance
You do not need another block on the in feed side. The stick will just move when the blade is at TDC. You want the blades level with the out feed table. If your out feed table is not flat the stick method or a gauge will not get you to zero. If you must get a gauge I would highly recommend the Oneway Multi-Gauge. It is on sale for $72 in the link below.
http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/12705
Edit: The most important thing is to get all the knives the same height. After the knives are adjusted you can then move your out feed table up or down just a hair for perfect jointing.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans.
When your ship comes in... make sure you are not at the airport.
Edited 3/21/2009 2:40 pm ET by JerryPacMan
Thanks Jerry,I used the Stick Method and it worked not too bad. It was still hard to get all 3 blades to just move the stick, under the 1/8" rule.I'm going to buy that Oneway item next week!thanks for your help!Vancep.s. It's cutting almost perfect with the Stick setup!
I see that you are located in Canada. Maybe you can get a better price on the Oneway Multi-Gauge as it is made in Canada.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans.
When your ship comes in... make sure you are not at the airport.
Edited 3/21/2009 5:48 pm ET by JerryPacMan
Jerry,
Oneway's web site lists this at $93.95 USD. Hartville tool $72.00 USD?Yep the economy is really screwed up when you can buy something in another county for cheaper than in the country it is made.
I'll call them Monday a.m. to make sure! Thanks for your concern,Vance
You can buy an indicator from http://www.use-enco.com for around $8 and a 1/2" flat tip with a block of hardwood.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=356&PMITEM=327-2904
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INSRAR2&PMAKA=605-4080&PMPXNO=1645544
I use this its a digital height gauge I picked up from peachtree woodworking. Photo is what it is but it measures to .001 the base is magnetic and it will measure down (negative a bit). I use it when I set my router along with setting jointer and Planer blades. The are the ones that make or market the Digital protractor and magnetic TS setup guage.. I use them all to check my jigs for square. Its like $49.95 or so US.Capt. Rich Clark
--DUCT Tape is the "force"... It has a Light side and a Dark side and it binds the universe together
An alternative to the Oneway is the Rotacator.
................................................
Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.~ Denis Diderot
Thanks for the link but I find Multi-Gauge is excellent for setting up jointer and planer knives because it does not have a magnetic base. It is very heavy and stays in place. It is easy to just slide it on the table and measure whatever you are setting up.
I did use the stick method when I had a jointer with knives and it worked well for me. I did not have the Multi-Gauge then. Now I have a Grizzly jointer with a spiral cutter head.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans.
When your ship comes in... make sure you are not at the airport.
Vance,
I have had excellent results using a magnetic jig to position the blades, but you have to use them with care, which is true of all the techniques for installing blades.
1. First of all are the blades themselves straight? Poorly sharpened blades are common.
2. Is the jig clean? A metal chip stuck to one of the magnets will throw things way off. Use a piece of masking tape to remove the chips. Some of the plastic jigs are fairly light weight, make sure the jigs haven't warped.
3. Are the gib screw heads smooth and concentric and do they thread easily into the gib bar? Are the gib bars and the slots clean? Problems with the screws and bars will move the knives as you lock them in place.
4. Tighten the screws gently at first then go back and snug them up in steps, you are less likely to shift the knife out of position that way. Don't get heavy handed with the screws they only need to be firmly tightened.
5. I use a small wood wedge, pressed into the gap between the edge of the infeed table and the surface of the cutter head to keep the head from rolling out of the TDC position while I'm working.
6. If your machine has jack screws or springs behind the blades they aren't needed and will only cause problems, remove them.
Hope this helps.
John White
Shop Manager for FWW, 1999-2007
John, thanks for all of your info and experience.I just printed out your guidelines and am heading out to the shop soon to look at all of this.
I have a General International 15" planer (about 2 years old) with the motor under the table. This unit has knifes sharpened on both sides and I need to turn them around and set it up. It came with a bar/jig from the factory to use to set up it's knifes.Can I pick your brain on the best method to set up planer blades also?I'm always blown away from the response I get when using this Forum and from the quality of the people who are always willing to help other people out.
Here is a couple of pic's of a Walnut desk, I just finished making for a Client, now friend!Vance
Vance,Nice desk, I like simple lines in furniture.With planers you have to use a jig that sits right on the head to set the knives, so you don't have a lot of options. Most of the Asian machines use a pair of positioners that are mounted on the ends of a steel bar. To use the jig you have to press the knives into place against springs while tightening up the lock screws, an annoying process that really requires three or four hands.I have used Planer Pals, magnetic blade positioners that I bought from Grizzly, and found that they were much easier to use than the factory jig. All of the recommendations I made about installing jointer blades apply to installing planer blades also.John W.
John,I just finished trying the stick method. It works ok but there is still to much room for error as the leading edge of the Out Feed table isn't machined square. It's really frustrating when pushing lightly down on one end of the blade also affects the other end!!!
I put an engineers square on the Out Feed's table, outside edge and drew a line across but who knows if the out side edge is square? The few machines I've dealt with, never have the cast edges been machined square.The magnetic system I have is the "V" type. It seems after looking at the pictures from the Planer Pal site, that the "H" bar system would hold each end of the blade better.Sir, what type of dial indicator system (or brand) have you found works the best?
I see now without one of these, nothing else will get me really close to "0".My Jointer seems to be cutting quite nice after using a combination of the Stick Method and using a metal straight edge. The sound coming off of the blades is quite uniform and the wood has a nice cut look to it.thanks again to all,Vance
The shape of the tightening wrench is important. Most open end wrenchs have to be ground so that the wrench does not bottom out in the gib slot and raise the knife when tightening.
Don,
I'm using the small wrench supplied with the unit. I never though of this. I will grind the edges off this morning!!thanks a lot,Vance
I know that there are people who set up jointer with a stick and those magnetic deals but I and a bunch of my viewers just never had as good of luck with them as with a good dial indicator. I get enough email on this that I wrote a story (with photos and video..) of how I go about it. It works for me and a bunch of others. maybe it will for you if the other stuff doesn't.
http://www.newwoodworker.com/setjntknives.html
Tom Hintz
Because there is always more to learn!
Tom,Excellent, Excellent to see the Video in action!
I will order one of these next week!thank you for your time and helping me out,Vance
I use a dial indicator. The first few times I used the method as described by Bob Vaughn in and old issue of FWW it took me maybe over 2 hours. Now I can do it in maybe 30 minutes.
Why don't more companies make knives foolproof to set? On my Inca jointer, I simply slide the blades in and turn it on. Presto, the blades are set! Yes, they are disposable blades.
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
(soon to be www.flairwoodworks.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
You have a Tersa style head and I'm willing to bet it's a cost factor. You can retrofit an Esta Dispoza Knive to standard heads or change to an insert head. Cost is another reason American jointers come with the standard pork chop guard. The Euro guards are much better bit cost more. It all comes down to cost!
Darn that cost. I just gat a quote for a Felder sliding tablesaw, so I understand that issue quite well.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com(soon to be http://www.flairwoodworks.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
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