Replies

1. 
   RW | May 05, 2003 11:20pm | #1

   I can't decide if you're just pulling a gag to see who bites or if you're serious. Kind of like RonT when he was looking for quartersawn dowels. If you put a powerfeed on a jointer, you wont joint much of anything. Might as well put it through a planer - - you're accomplishing exactly the same thing. Banana in, banana out, precisely what a jointer attempts to avoid. But the sentiment I understand. Pushing boards through when you're facing twelve inches at a pass isn't a party. Grab some Gatorade, and put some 60 grit sticky disks on your push blocks. Time for sweatin'.

   "The child is grown / The dream is gone / And I have become / Comfortably numb "      lyrics by Roger Waters

1. 
   AlanTurner | May 05, 2003 11:59pm | #2

   My sense was that it was a serious, and appropriate question, but I could be a gag victim. I do know that on my very old 12" jointer, there are tapped holes, a number of them, and I always thought that they were for mounting a power feeder. With pressure on the outfeed table only, I don't wee why it wouldn't usually work. Were a board bowed too badly, preliminary sniping might be necessaary to get it started correctly.

1. 
   SCFrankland | May 06, 2003 01:16am | #3

   My 8" jointer has the same tapped holes and they are for a sharpening attachment not a power feeder. 

   As for a power feeder on a jointer I think you are wasting your money.  It will never work with any success as already stated "Banana in banana out".Scott C. Frankland

1. 
   AlanTurner | May 06, 2003 06:58pm | #5

   Your reply is to me, but I think unintended.  I am not considering a power feeder, but would were I to acquire a shaper. . . .  It is one tool with which I have no experience, but understand that a power feeder is a godsend.

2. 
   Andrew | May 06, 2003 02:39am | #4

   Well guys, it has been done before, and it does work, provided your board aren't too badly warped. From what I've heard you want to use a belt type powerfeeder, and have it only on the outfeed table. There is a bit of operator judgement necessary in order to get a straight board though, just as if it were being done manually. Even so, if you are fairly skilled with a jointer, you will get better results without the feeder. How big are the boards you work with? The size of stock you're jointing would determine how big a powerfeeder you need. Variable speed is nice, but not really necessary unless you deal with tearout prone woods. I don't have any experience with the asian powerfeeders, but the bigger ones might be worth a look. Watch out for poor adjustment mechanisms, (you don't want to have to wrestle with one) and cheap wheels, or in your case a belt. If the rubber is too hard it won't grip properly.

   Hope this helps

3. 
   jase | May 06, 2003 10:33pm | #6

   If you were jointing a 12" or wider board longer than the bed of the jointer, I could see how a feeder might be useful. But that isn't going ot happen often, is it?

   Jase--Is there a better way?
4. 
   JPGrout | May 07, 2003 06:42am | #7

   Well Barry contrary to what has beeen stated above this is a very viable and effective and fast way to flatten boards, within reason. I have ran literally thousnds of feet of lumber to flatten it using a power feeder.

   I have a three wheel PF ,3/4 HP and it does the job just fine, but I could see the advantage to a track driven feeder too.

   And you do not end up with bananas as long as the stock is reasonably straight to begin with. I set up the PF with only one wheel on the infeed table and with only enough pressure on that wheel to get the board started into the knives. The other two are on the outfeed table with enough pressure to keep the board tight to the table.

   As I run stock I look at each board prior to running it and if it does not meet in my judgement, good enough to flatten in two passes, I set it aside and run it by hand after everything else has been run.

   As for a brand I think that the Asian ones are fine for the money. I have a Maggi (Italian)that is very similar to Delta's three wheel machine. I paid 500 for this one on ebay and occasionally you can pick one up there if you look. I have run PF from Delta, Felder, Maggi, CoMatic, Grizzly with one to six wheels and have not ever really seen many differences other than color and thead designs (fine or acme) and price. Find one you can afford and go for it. I assume you have three phase with a jointer that big, but if not make sure you are not buying a three phase PF They make them and they will ruin your day if you don't have three phase.

   Hope this helps Joe

1. 
   DJK | May 07, 2003 10:07pm | #8

   Barry:

   How is the Torit DC running? I know a guy in Texas that has a feeder for sale that is made for use on jointers. I know your in BC so shipping is a problem.

   Dave Koury