Trouble with the joiner

If I am reading this right, I would thinnk that the out feed table is out of alignment/adjustment meaning that as you push the stock through the jointer the the wood comes off of the infeed table and away from the cutter.

-- Brian, Lebanon PA, If you aren’t having fun doing it, find something else to do.

It also sounds like to me that the out feed table is out of alignment and not true to the in feed table. You should be able to adjust the in feed table to zero and lay a straight edge across the out fee and in feed table and there should be no gaps under the straight edge. It should be perfectly flat.

-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT

BY all means check the tables, but I believe 95%+ of jointing problems are a result of technique rather than mis-aligned tables.

First of all, forget the line – the jointer WILL create a straight edge, but not necessarily the one you draw. If it stops cutting halfway thru it’s probably due to the fact that the edge you have on the tables is concave. The front and back ends of the board are on the tables but the center section (concave) has not yet made contact. Keep running it over until it makes contact. This will take more stock off the front edge than the back, but it’s the only way to do it. (this makes the line you drew irrelavent)

Another mistake is exerting too much downward pressure on the board. This can flex the stock. You only need to exert enough pressure to keep the board from hopping. Just the pressure of your thumb, for instance, is enough.

And if I’m understanding you right, there’s a dip in the ends of the boards – the last inch or so is lower than the rest? This is caused by having too much pressure on the end of the board as it passes over the knives. That tips the board down when the trailing end goes off the infeed table, and it goes down on the knives. As you get near the end, move your trailing hand to the center of the board.

The jointer takes more technique than just about any other tool.

I agree with what Boardman posted and most jointer problems are due to technique. The only other thing that I can tell you to check is to make sure that your outfeed table is parallel to the infeed table. The comment above about bringing the two tables together to zero them in is correct but you also need to check that when you lower the infeed table it remains parallel to the outfeed table.

The first jointer I had was a small bench top model and when the two tables were on the same plane everything looked great but when I would adjust the infeed table the outside edge of the infeed table would drop lower creating a slight ramp causing the same result as described above. It probably wouldn’t hurt to consult the owners manual and go through tuning steps again.

But again, technique is crucial with a jointer so i would start with that. If you are a member of a local guild maybe ask a fellow woodworker to give it a spin to see if he produces similar results.

Also, if you are getting more of a convex arch in the side you’re trying to joint, your blades could be set to low in the cutter head. The blades should be a little higher than the cutter head, otherwise the board will ride up on the cutter head as the blades go past top center, and push the wood away from the blades, causing you to loose contact with the rear half of the board, as you shift your pressure to the out feed table.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

If the blades are not adjusted properly you’ll get snipe at the end of your board.

This how I adjust my cutter blades, & you don’t have to buy an expensive device to do the job.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Thanks to all of you for your advice! I suspect this may be a common problem for novices, and hopefully others will benefit as well. I don’t know anyone locally to ask…I’ll check the alignments. Just to clarify: the outfeed table moves, not the infeed. I should let the board ride flat on the outfeed, not push down on the infeed side?
This is such a great site!

If I am reading your comment the way you intended it then you got it wrong. The infeed table moves (adjusts up and down) to increase or decrease the amount of wood being removed, not the outfeed side. The infeed is the table on your right when facing the tool. The outfeed needs to be adjusted so it is perfectly level with the top of the cutters as they pass the top of their arc and then left that way until the cutters are either sharpened or replaced (some let the outfeed sit just a couple thousandths lower than the cutters).

As you feed the work through, transfer the downward force to the part riding on the outfeed side as it gets across the cutters. I use a simple push board to do this.

Note the little lip on the right bottom. This catches the board so it can be pushed through. The downward force can be maintained on the front of the work with the long handle on top. This one is for face jointing. I use a similar though narrower arrangement for edge jointing.

HTH

-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net

Scott – that’s an interesting jig you’ve got there. I’ve never seen one like it. But it makes sense and sure would keep your hands away from the cutters.

-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!

This is how I adjust my out-feed table so it’s even with the blades. First I lower the the out-feed table so it’s below the top of the blades. Next I run a piece of stock through on its edge, just a couple of inches. I shut the machine off, then raise the out-feed table until it just touches the test piece. Probably not the way many of you would do it, but it works for me.
-JJ

-- Make things with wood.