Replies

1. 
   mlbfreestyle | Dec 25, 2009 12:47am | #1

   This sounds to me as if the infeed and outfeed tables are not co-planer. Specifically, the tables are sloped so as to form a convex hill, rather than inward to form a valley. I used some shim stock to adjust the outfeed and bring its' far end upward on my 8" Grizzly. It doesn't take much to make it cut poorly.

   I have also found that technique can accentuate this problem. If edge jointing, I grab the board about a third of the way back from the leading edge and keep pressure on that point as I follow the board through. I avoid going hand-over-hand to keep pressure at the same point on the outfeed table.

   As for adjusting the outfeed table down from the blades a bit; there might be a connection. My normal method to set the outfeed height after a blade change is as follows:

   I set the newly sharpened blades to be essentially exact with the outfeed surface. I then pass a board edge along the center-line of the bed (jointing it). I check for a small amount of snipe at the trailing edge. If none, I lower the outfeed just a hair at a time until I produce some snipe. I then make successive passes, raising the outfeed in very small increments until no snipe is produced. I have since learned that with sharp blades, at this new position the blades should be essentially dead on level with the outfeed table.

   If your tables are co-planer and you are still having this problem, then the outfeed might be too high.

1. 
   purduedan | Dec 26, 2009 11:09am | #2

   I get this problem when my blades get dull and therefor become a little lower than the outfeed table.

2. 
   forestgirl | Dec 26, 2009 12:14pm | #3

   Jay, if you're a paid
   Jay, if you're a paid subscriber click here for a list of articles and a video or two on jointer tune-up, including shimming. John White's is in there somewhere, an excellent article.

   There's also a pretty good free article here

3. 
   mrossk | Dec 28, 2009 09:27am | #4

   +1 on it sounding like the tables are not coplanar. I had similar issues. You could try deliberately making the tables "V-shaped" to look for different results.

4. 
   JayS | Dec 31, 2009 06:20am | #5

   Forest Girl, I have subscribed to FWW magazine for 20years, but do not subscribe to the on-line version. That free article had excellent illustrations, and I must admit, I've never checked to see if my tables are co-planar, or done anything with shims. Where would you be able to obtain .001 brass shim stock anyway? It sounds like this could take many hours, but I've got to give it a try or my jointer is trash. The only hope I have is that I know that at one time it did work so hopefully I can restore it. Thanks,

   Jay

1. 
   JayS | Dec 31, 2009 06:23am | #6

   Also, although I have never had kickback problems, I am sure my jointer band were raised to achieve parallelism with the outfeed table. As a result of the article I will be lowering the outfeed table and retracting the knives. That sounded like a good safety point.