Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | May 09, 2007 09:12pm | #1

   This article (click) goes through the whole process of jointer tune-up including shimming.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   
1. 
   heron | May 09, 2007 09:21pm | #2

   Thanks for the Tip, I had already read this article, at you suggestion in "TUNEUP JOINTER".

   I am trying to get detailed information of the DJ-20 as it is not obvious to me what and where the adjustments are to be made - and I do not want to make things worse.

    

   Tony

1. 
   RickL | May 09, 2007 09:28pm | #4

   That article will give some basics but the DJ20 is much simpler to adjust. You can't really adjust much for non-coplaner on a dovetailed ways. Mostly you can adjust for parallel. The parallelogram jointer can truly be adjusted for both coplanr and parallel.

1. 
   forestgirl | May 09, 2007 10:44pm | #7

   Rick, I'm having a brain freeze here.  I totally do not understand the use of the term "parallel" when talking about jointer tables (in/out).  Co-planer makes compete sense to me (the two tables being in the same plane when everythings set at zero), not dipping down or humping up.   Buut parallel I think of as running next to each other.  The only two lines that come to mind in this foggy mental state are the edges of each where they meet to the cutterhead (the crosswise edges).  Help.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   RickL | May 10, 2007 02:28pm | #8

   I don't ususally have to worry about descriptions when it's off, I just fix it. Going by the article non-coplanar is a twist of sorts.

   http://www.rd.com/americanwoodworker/article.do?siteId=2222&categoryId=7002&contentId=1041&pageNo=2

   A sagging table is shown to be out of parallel.

   http://www.rd.com/americanwoodworker/article.do?siteId=2222&categoryId=7002&contentId=1041&pageNo=3

   So if you if you extend the lines of the tables out they are on different planes and an angle with each other.

    If the tables are lined up as they should be and say you dropped the infeed table down to remove 1/16" of wood.  If you extended the tables you would find them to be parallel to each other but spaced apart by 1/16".

   It's far more complicated to verbally describe events without pictures and even tougher when the nomenclature isn't really known or understood by all parties.

   When working on a machine I just know how to fix it. To explain how is much more involved. Once had a teacher who dared everyone to do a descriptive passage of how to change a tire including all finger movements, etc. Basically it be like programming a CNC person. No one ever took him up on it.

2. 
   forestgirl | May 10, 2007 07:09pm | #9

   "When working on a machine I just know how to fix it."  Sounds good to me!  Thanks, Rick.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

2. 
   RickL | May 09, 2007 09:23pm | #3

   Delta service is quite good. I assume you e-mailed them and that's not neraly as good as a phone call. In the states I get a callb ack in an hour. There is a link on the Delta site. I've seen the instructions but can't put my finger on it at the moment.

   I used to work as a tech for a dealer and know the process well. The only way to measure this is with a machined straight edge 2/3 the length of the bed.  If it's truly off you need to loosen the setscrews that lock the cams. There are two setscrews in each hole. The top one must be entirely removed to loosen the locking one. Then it's a matter of tweaking the cams to level it off. When you move one corner you will move the opposite corner the other way. A feeler gauge is a must with a straight edge. A dial indicator is nice to keep the table alighned with the head but not critical. A pin punch is all you need to move the cam. It will take you an afternoon the first time you do it. Get it close then move the table up and down through the entire range and check it with the straight edge. You may have to tweak it a bit more then it will stay.

   In my experience Delta is "usually" quite helpful and I've been dealign woth them for 25 years at different levels from enduser to independent tech.

   Had no idea they were selling to Finland. Don't you have other places you could buy more locally produced machines. Not really a big deal. I've got some Euro machines I can't get stuff for anymore but I know how to get around it.

1. 
   heron | May 09, 2007 09:40pm | #5

   Thanks for the insight into the problem; I'll give it a try in the morning - 9:40 pm here at the moment.<!----><!----><!---->

   Delta do not sell directly to Finland, but I bought their equipment upon recommendation, through a 3rd party.  All the problems appear to have started when De-Walt / Black & Decker took over.  Even the dealer I bought the equipment from was surprised at the drop in service – still that’s another story – Generally I am very Happy with the equipment and it performance.<!----><!---->

   As to Euro Machines – TOO EXPENSIVE and not necessarily better quality.  Do you know it cheaper to buy some Euro machines in the USA and ship them back to Europe, than to by them directly in Europe CRAZY but True.<!----><!---->

   <!----> <!---->

   Anyway thanks again<!----><!---->

1. 
   RickL | May 09, 2007 10:05pm | #6

   I've heard in Germany there is no discount shopping like in the states.

   Besides the Eruro machines you have the Czech and Portugese lines. The lightweights like Kity and such are lesser grade but most of the Euro stuff I've seen is better. Any US stuff is a copy. Euro parallelgrams are what Delta copied in the firat place.  There is a okd style jointer bed in the US made by the old Oliver and Crescent which is better than the paralelogram design so newer isn't always better.

1. 
   heron | May 10, 2007 07:44pm | #10

   Hi Rick

   Thanks for the pointers yesterday.  It took me about 30 minutes to move and align the out-feed table.  It is now as sweet as you could want, with absolutely NO bow in the finished item.

   With regards to Germany.  up to about 5 years ago it was against the law to get into discount shopping.  they changed the law and up till when I left there 3 years ago - you still did not get any real competitive pricing.

   A colleague once said to me, they have the principle that the more they pay, the better the quality - so a $50,000 Mercedes must be better than a $45,000 version of the same car. "One Up-manship" or "Keeping upwith the Jones" is big thing over there, especially in Munich, where I was. 

   The good quality Euro stuff is GOOD quality and EXPENSIVE.  The cheaper Euro stuff is on the whole not so good, but for occasional use where precision is not a factor, it can be better.  Use it, destroy it, throw it away and buy another one - it can be cheaper than getting the spare parts for a higher quality tool.

   Again thanks for the support - Tony