# Jet jointer



## sven6 (Apr 8, 2014)

I bought a used Jet JJ-6 jointer. 
I'm a bit of a novice at this jointer business. Anyway, for some reason, when I run a board through, the tail end never gets trimmed. There's always a gap between the board and the blades, making the end of the board wider than front. I turn the board around and the same thing happens. Any ideas? 
Sven


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## SamuraiSaw (Jan 8, 2013)

A couple of things to look at:

First, bring the infeed table up flush with the outfeed table. Take a straight edge (4' level perhaps) and lay across the tables. Make sure they are parallel.

If the tables are even, lover the infeed 1/16" and start to joint a board. The outfeed table should be at the exact height of the knives. Lower the outfeed if the board hits the edge of the table or raise it if there is any gap.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

Two things come to mind…
1. Jointer setup. Learn how to set your tables coplanar and how to set your knives. The Woodwhisperer and Fine Woodworking have great videos on this topic.
2. Technique. Always joint a board with the concave side down. This is true for face jointing, and it is true for edge jointing. If you run the board through concave side up, it may not have two good points of contact with the jointer bed. The board can rock back and forth. Sending a board through the joiner this way can result in only milling the leading half of the board. Worse yet, it may rock during milling, and you will never get it flat.

Good luck with it. The Jet 6" was my first jointer, and it was a good machine. It's only limitations are the length of lumber it can mill. As you approach 6' boards it gets a little sketchy.


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## WhyMe (Feb 15, 2014)

As said, make sure the tables are on the same plane when set level to each other. And the blades are set at the right height to be even with the out feed table.


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## sven6 (Apr 8, 2014)

Thanks for your feedback. I'll check the level of the tables.
Much appreciated.


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## TheWoodenOyster (Feb 6, 2013)

Sven,

Jointers are pretty indispensable, BUT they are pretty difficult to get set up and not exactly a treat to use either. I use my Jet 6" jointer all the time, but it took some time to learn to use it. I'd suggest watching some jointer set up and operation videos like the ones on woodwhisperer.com. Videos help make sense of it a little bit.

As far as milling stock goes, give the boards some passes with a handplane first if you have one to get them flatter. It is a lot easier to mill something that is close to where it needs to be. I always put the cup side down as well.

And BE CAREFUL. In my book, the jointer is the most dangerous tool in the shop. Way worse than the tablesaw.

It'll take a while to learn how to use it, but be patient. It is a great tool


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## sven6 (Apr 8, 2014)

Thanks for your advice Wood Oyster. I'll check out the video


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## MikeThrockmorton (Nov 4, 2013)

Leaving aside all of the equipment adjustment issues, which others are handling nobly, as a noob, it's better for me to let others tell you how to use jointers correctly. I can however give you tips on how to screw up.

To screw up (not an exhaustive list, just a couple high points):

1) push as hard as you can on the boards when feeding them across the tables and cutter head.
This will forcibly deform the board so that you in fact enhance any not flattnesses the board
already has. If the board is bowed in the middle and you push down hard enough to hand
flatten the board onto the jointer cutter, you simply maintain the bow and make the board
thinner.

2) think that the jointer will just do the work for you if you just mindlessly shove the boards
across. Nope. You have to know what you want the jointer to correct and help it along.
Look carefully at the board to see how it is deformed so you can adjust your feed appropriately.
Twist is especially tricky.

Getting by these two blunders on my part resulted in a much better jointing experience.

Probably everybody but me found these errors obvious and never made them. But just in case…..


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