# Old Craftsman jointer restore



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

So I just nabbed my first router this past weekend! It's an old Craftsman 6 inch 113.20680 is the model. Final price was like $50 off Craigslist. And I'm thinking that if I can rehab this thing into decent shape it'll last me longer than a cheap new flimsy aluminum bench top jointer would at 1/5th the price!

So here's the first hurdle I've come across. I started looking at the actual setup. From the pictures you can tell I've already removed the unit from the base so I can start cleaning. And the first step is to see if the tables are flat and co-planer.

Well I dropped my straightedge onto each table making sure I didn't hit any of the blades/cutter head/etc. The outfeed table seems fine, pretty close to dead flat, but the infeed table is bowed/cupped. I didn't take a measurement since I don't have feeler gauges (They'll be here tomorrow though!) but it looks like it's out of whack by about 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch in the middle where it cups down (The ends are higher up).

From here I was going to try and lap the tables but I can't really find any good way on the net to do this.

Sandpaper I'd assume but how would I keep it flat and is it necessary? Kinda hard to sand with glass! I could try and use some marble tiles I have which are close to dead flat and create some weird jig or sanding block I guess. Or should I just do it by hand with my regular sanding block and just keep checking until I get into the finer grits?

I'm trying to avoid taking the plates to a machine shop for now.

Will this really make a huge difference if I can't get it out? I only do this as a hobby when I've got spare time on the weekends in between the two kids and work so I'm not in dire need of a professional grade tool at the moment.

I'm totally open to techniques on how to do this since I've never done it before, and since this is my first tool rehab I'm looking forward to the challenge! Anything else I should be aware of before tackling this project?

Thanks guys!


----------



## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

If you clean it up like it is and reassemble it, it will be a source of heartache in a time and place where you need just the opposite-peace and self satisfaction.

How about a phone call to a machine shop to get a price for what it would cost to get it right? That would give you some data to help out in the decision making.

It's a time to step back and make a careful assessment of what comes next. Even a set of feeler can't help that-only time.

Kindly,

Lee


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

You can flatten it with a file. Anvils get dished and need to be
flattened. Blacksmiths use a file. After you file off the high spots
you move to finer files and sandpaper, if desired.

It would not be that hard to do on a jointer this size.

A cup in the middle of an infeed table actually won't throw
off all jointer work. I had a 12" jointer with cupping in
both tables and managed to do plenty of accurate work 
on it. Flatter would have been better, but I never got 'round
to having the tables ground (or the file method for that 
matter) - and it didn't stop me from making 8 ft. tall
mahogany doors using that machine.


----------



## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

Loren, I yield to your experience! If that worked for you, on that scale, your counsel tips mine off the pier and into the briny deep!

Kindly,

Lee


----------



## Dcase (Jul 7, 2010)

Its funny you mentioned using a tile and sandpaper as a sanding block because I have actually recently done just that. I was recently restoring an old metal hand plane that was 24 inches. The sides of the plane had some deep scratches that I wanted to remove. Due to the size of the plane I found it fastest and easiest to clamp the plane down and use my granite tile with sandpaper on top of it like a big sanding block. It worked out fine but I don't know if its the best way to go for you.

My advice would be to just use a sanding block with 120 or 180 grit paper and sand the top portion that is not dipped. Sand across the grain of the metal. Change grits and work your way up then maybe try the tile towards the end..

As Loren said, a slight dip does not make a huge difference, most may not even be able to tell. I would think if you at least improve it somewhat then its better then nothing but to get it perfect is probably not necessary


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

So it'll be OK to sand the high points with a rubber sanding block to get it down to level with the table. Then when I need to lap it flat I'll find some way to do it with the marble tile.

So you recommend starting with 120 grit? Not lower to remove the material faster and then work my way to the higher grits?

If I was to try and make it as dead flat as possible, what do you recommend to try and do that?


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I think you might be surprised how inexpensive it might be to let a machine shop do it. A friend of mine got one lapped for beer. A large flat piece of granite with sandpaper might work but I personally would avoid trying to hit the high spots with a small block (I tried this with a handplane and never got it right). That being said, I've never heard Loren say anything inaccurate, so files are probably the way to go. Of course, I don't know if purchasing a quality file would cut in to your CL discount. Good luck!


----------



## JohnnyQ (Oct 20, 2009)

An expert tool and die guy i used to work with (made his on EDM machine and could heat treat to a specific RC by color) once told me the file is the most accurate tool a machinst posseses. That said, I would second Bertha. If your a home hobbiest a many machinists will try to help you out without braking the bank. At work they call these G jobs as in "I am doing work for the government".


----------



## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

Wait and see what the feeler gauge says. If the cup is less than 1/16, I'd roll with it as is. If its truly 1/8th, I'd cut my losses and move on. If its 1/16, thats a fielder's choice. The good news is the motor by itself is probably worth $50. Take it from a guy that has a garage full of restored tools…..vintage tools can be a real money pit. Its easy to get carried away and spend mucho bucks trying to fix a tool thats better off on the scrap heap.


----------



## Camper (Jul 31, 2010)

If the dip is as large as 1/8" or anything beyond what you can live with for that matter, I personally would cut my loses and either look for another jointer or look for an infeed table to replace this one. I regularly see these jointers on CL for around the price you paid.

Actually the motor and the stand is probably worth more than that..nice score


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Ok so before everyone here tells me I need glasses or something, the actual amount it cups by is 11/1000ths!

Finally got off work and snuck the Feeler gauges in the gap between the straight edge and the table and that's the snug fitting one!

So I guess the consensus would be to just lap the surface smooth with high grit paper on a normal sanding block and call it a day? Or should I try and use a dead flat surface like the marble? Anything else I should do while I'm at it? Lube the motor? Anything?

The motor is noisy as hell too! Anything I can do to prolong the life of this machine?


----------



## EEngineer (Jul 4, 2008)

Hmmm, given that 1/32" is about 30 thou, I'm not sure how much I would worry about this. Assuming the cup is dead center, calcs show that .011" over 3" results in a difference of .2 degrees from a perfect right angle (for edge jointing).

On the other hand, taking out .011" with sandpaper shouldn't take long at all. I would use the marble block and fairly fine sandpaper (120 or 180 might even be too coarse) but I don't have any idea how much cast iron gets removed this way. As I recall on these machines, the infeed table is fixed while the outfeed is adjustable. Once you get done, you will have to set the knives to the infeed table and then make sure the outfeed table is planar to the infeed table.

I am a little more concerned about the noisy motor. Does it sound like bearing noise? You might need a new set of motor bearings. I've heard people suggest that the bearings should be replaced even if they sound OK because the grease in sealed bearings has a limited life.

Good luck! And pictures, more pictures!


----------



## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

Noisy motor huh? Well then I take back what I said about the motor being worth $50. LOL.

What kind of noise does it make? Was the motor connected to the jointer when you ran it?
How long have you run the motor so far? My vintage jointer motor had been sitting idle for over a decade when I bought it. It made a nasty rackett for the first 60 seconds or so after I turned it on. I assume some internal corrosion probably froze things up a bit and the bearing grease had solidified to some degree. A minute or two of exercise is all she needed to stat purring like a kitten. If the noise would have persisted, I was prepared to crack open the motor and replace the bearings.

I wouldn't sweat the dip in the table. Definitely not at this stage. I see more potential for harm than good by trying to correct it. And I doubt that small of a dip would affect your outcome.
Once you get everything back together, run some lumber through the jointer and evaluate the results. If the results are unsatisfactory, and you feel the dip is the culprit, then I'd rec'd lapping. For now, just clean up the table really well and apply some wax. It would surely suck to spend a couple hours sanding and buffing the tables, only to realize that the motor is unusable or some other condition exsists that you didn't notice yet.

Does the cutterhead and table adjustment chasis all move freely? If the motor begins to run well and nothing else on the tool is royally messed up, I'd drop $15-20 on a set of Freud blades off Amazon. Then I'd put everything back together and see how it does on some 2×4s. If that checks OK, then I might work on applying some paint and shine.

If you haven't visited vintagemachinery.com, you haven't yet seen the Mecca of old tool expertise, knowledge, and resources.


----------



## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

Sorry if I'm discouraging you here. Definitely not my intent. Its actually an enjoyable process taking an old beater, and pumping a few more years of service out of it. Here's a before/after pic of my Craftsman/King Seely 4 3/8" 
I could have gone to a lot more trouble and made it look nicer. But my goal was to stop the rust and return the tool to fully functional status. Oh and about the (lack of) blade guard. Its uhhhhhhhhh on backorder. Yeah, thats it, on backorder :lol: In all seriousness, I actually do look around for a replacement on CL and at Vintagemachinery. The tool would be more fun to use if I had one less thing to worry about. But I digress.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

So last night I started cleanup.

I'll post some pics as I go. Mostly just took apart some of the outside pieces, on/off switch, side rail, etc to get the gunk off.

As for the motor, after cleaning up the base and readjustings the wheels (They had been pushed in, bad design where the castors sit) I plugged it in and let it run without the jointer/belt for a few mins and the noise slowly subsided. I assume it was just old and needed to get it's legs back 

I tested everything out before I bought the thing. Ran a 2×4 accross it a couple times and everything seemed to be in working order (At least enough to get a flat side so I can run it through the planer!). I'll have to get everything put back together and see how it runs.

If I'm going to have issues with the edge jointing because of the cup, then it's probably back to the table saw and my jointing jig. I've been using that since I started so I can always fall back on that if needed.

One other thing of note is that the table I've been talking about is more of a bow than a cup. So it spans from side to side with the discrepancy. I was planning to take some high grit to get the rust/polish the surface, but I can always hit it with lower grit at the high points and get it down at least closer to where I need to be! At least until I decide it's not enough and I have to take it to get the top reground! I'm just looking for the best process to do this.

Tedstor, what process did you use to get the table back into such shiny and great condition!


----------



## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

Hmm. Forget the cupped infeed table. It won't matter. It's the outfeed that's important. The edge of the infeed that is nearest the blade is really the part that sets the edge of the wood up to hit the blade. The outfeed is what you press on after the wood gets to it with the correct amount of wood being shaved at the blade. The infeed isn't even needed after the wood moves to the outfeed.

Also, I've got this same unit in my shop. Had it since.. I don't know the early mid 80's I think??? It has jointed a forest of wood. I rarely buy my wood pre-planed. Tons of mostly oak have gone through it. It does the job. And if you've got the original blades, their tough. You get a long long time between sharpenings. For the price it's worth the restoration.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Found some great stuff over on the OWWM wiki page, took me a few days to find it.

I'm going to probably dive into the disassembly tonight. I'll take some pictures and whatnot.

Do I need to strip the old paint off or can I just do a coat of primer then paint over top of the old? Looking into some different rust removal techniques for the rest of the unit.

Any opinions on polishing the tables so they are nice and shiny?


----------



## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

It's inside. I'd just take the rusty areas off and use some dark grey rustoleum spray paint. If you want you can use their spray primer first but in my experience that's just needed when something is going to be in the weather.

The bed was never shiny. It was smooth and flat but not shiny so you probably don't have to get it that way. I use evaporust. It's non toxic and does a great job. google it or look for it in big box stores.. sometimes they have it.

And since we have the same jointer I'd like to give you a tip. I don't know if this works for everyones jointer or just this one but I use some small toggle clamps to clamp a large trash bag at 4 points on the frame of the stand right underneath the blade. Almost all of the wood chips will end up in the bag, no kidding. When the bag is full and I empty it.. nearly 30 gallons I usually have just a dustpan full of chips on the floor. It's the cleanest large chip making tool in my shop.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Thanks for the tip!

I think I'm actually going to find a way to hookup my shop vac to it. I'm sure rockler or amazon sells a dust chute I can mod to fit.


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I'm thinking that if a plastic bad & some clamps catch 99% of it, a 4" port big gulp will probably get all of it! I think it's a cool little jointer and even if I dropped some money into it, the charm is worth it to me.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Ok I've gotten this thing stripped down except removing the cutter head (Need to get a pair of retaining clip pliers).

More parts than I thought! Everything seems to be in working order besides to stupid bowed table…










The good news is that it looks like the previous owner had already replaced the blades with some Freud ones! Guess I'll be taking these to the sharpener instead of buying new ones!










Next step is cleanup of all the nuts and bolts, stripping and priming all the parts to get paint, and finally putting some fresh paint on there.

I've also got to check the motor bearing and the cutter head bearings. At least that's what I read. When I was testing out the jointer after the initial cleaning, everything seemed to be working smoothly (Except my jointing technique which was just awful and resulted in nothing but boards that look like they took a ride on the derailed snipe train) so I may not need to, guess I'll reevaluate them once I find out how to strip down the motor and eventually get the cutter head off. Might just need some fresh grease in there.

I'll keep posting updates in case anyone is interested!


----------



## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

Wow, when you say restore you really mean it. I would have cleaned it up, maybe painted it and then sharpened the blades. then fired it up to listen and see if the bearings sounded right. Looking at that array of parts I hope you took notes!


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

I took pictures at every step of the way!

Best way to clean all the little stuff is to get it all out!


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

I'm pumped about this project. I would never have been as ambitious as you. I can't wait to see the results.


----------



## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

Looking forward to seeing this one back in use. I see a LOT of these old Sears Jointers on the used market, and wondered if they were worth bothering with. I have seen them anywhere from $50.00 to $300.00 for the same model, in roughly the same condition (go figure…).

Good to see you got new knives with it as well.


----------



## EEngineer (Jul 4, 2008)

I wonder about them knives…

Why are they all different heights? In fact, the first one (has 1/2 of the Freud logo ground off) looks to be getting too short to trust in the gibs of the jointer!

Personal opinion, take it as you will.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

@EEngineer, They're all the same size, I just took the photo at an angle. I think the worn logos are just from the tool. The blade guards were practically stuck to the blades, I had to leverage them out with the hex key!

Update:

Decided to go with the Rustoleum 'Hammered' look in what I'm going to call Craftsman Black ha ha! Should help keep the older look of the tool but give it a fresh look. I took a ROS sander with some 80 grit for good measure/paint adhesion.










Going to do the cutter guard in a contrasting red, just for a more visible safety purpose. It also matches the 'Craftsman red'!










Soaking all the piles or parts in some Evaporust. Figured the rest of the table is pretty clean and I'll be able to get the remaining rust off with some WD40 and elbow grease.










These little bastards were the WORST part to get out…they were jammed in there pretty good. Had to go buy pliers to remove the stupid retaining rings! Then had to use a rubber hammer to tap them out! And i still managed to ding their casing! Everything seems to be in working order still. Now I've got to figure out how to open them up and check the bearings and see if they need to be re-greased!










Tomorrow I hope to get the rust off everything, the paint on, and get the garage cleaned up before I have to go on a week long work trip!


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

And I just learned what a sealed bearing is….Ha!

Guess it's late on a Saturday night….

Well, from here it's either shove those stupid things back in or grab a couple replacements while I've got the thing stripped down….might make more sense to put fresh bearings int here to ease my mind…


----------



## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

You know, I almost replied to your last post when you talked about removing the cutterhead and bearings. I was going to mention that virtually all machines post 1950 use sealed bearings . I got distracted and forgot. 
I personally see no compelling reason to reinstall bearings of unknown age and condition. Bearings are cheap, especially in the garden variety size in these machines. I definitely wouldn't use that dinged bearing in the picture above. If you decide to replace them, I have two pieces of advice:
1- Don't use Sears as your source. I've been burned twice by Sears when ordering bearings. Both times I received notices 4-5 days after placing an order that they did not have the parts in stock. 4-5 days wasted. 
2- Save the old bearings. You might need to use them as a punch to install the new bearings.

Project looks like its going well. I'm really looking forward to seeing the final product. Makes me want to start another restore project.


----------



## Chipy (Apr 20, 2011)

I have found bearings for old motor cycles,machines,every time I thought they will never have the bearing i need the guy comes out from the back counter and says here you go!Thash thoes bearings and get NEW ONES you have come this far!


----------



## Camper (Jul 31, 2010)

I am with Tedstor. It is worth looking into some new bearings instead of re-greasing them. Accurate bearings is a good source. They will be no more than $10 shipped probably. Good Luck.


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Oh - BTW, WD-40 dissolves the grease in bearings… which is bad, so 
while WD-40 is useful stuff, don't squirt in in motors and at ball bearings.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Thanks for the info. I was going to order from Accurate Bearings to replace the two cutter head bearings. I haven't looked into tearing down the motor so I'm not going to replace those yet. A project for another day!

So I went on starting to scrub down and clean the fence today and realized there are some dark 'stains' that won't come out with scrubbing/WD40. I'll post pictures later. Any idea how to get that out or what it could be?

Another question too, after strippin the rust off all the small parts today I realized had no idea how to protect that many small pieces against future rust! Ideas/Thoughts?


----------



## Camper (Jul 31, 2010)

For the dark spots, soak a rag with evaporust, place it on the spot and wrap it up with a plastic bag or saran wrap. Let it sit for 1/2 hr (longer if necessary but not over night…don't ask how I know ). It should help.

For protection from future rust a coat of WD40 or if you let them air dry after evaporust bath, it is supposed offer some protection.

Also, you may try a scrubbing pad with WD40, under a 1/3 or 1/4 sheet size sander and give it a go with that. I find that, the sander method makes short work of cleaning machines surfaces and may clean out those stains.


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

I have 2 of these jointers in my shop. They are pretty good. I have said before longer beds make straighter boards but I don't have a long bed jointer….I have 2 of these. I actually like them pretty well. I have had one since it was new in about 1976 or 77. An uncle gave me the other when he was getting out of the woodworking hobby. I use them all the time. I would go with new bearings. I live in a town of 25,000 people. We have a bearing store. They sell bearings and retaining snap rings and that kind of thing. Those bearings are available in a store like that. I would only use the old bearings if I couldn't buy new ones. There are screws under the infeed table to adjust it planar to the outfeed table. I wouldn't worry about the cup in the table. Cast iron is soft enough it could have been caused by running a lot of rough oak over it with the fence in the center portion of the table. That wouldn't bother me. I hope you enjoy this jointer as much as I have enjoyed mine. Good luck.

BTW be careful with those little spring clips that hold the belt guard over the motor. Those are $10 each at Sears. I don't know of another place to get them. I am sure someone out there makes them but I don't know who they are.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Ok back at it!

I finished most of the paint, I've got to repaint the top of the blade guard because I didn't give ample time to dry before trying to add a second coat…










Last parts have been taped and painted.










Finished base with new paint and assembled.










Remaining parts clear of rust!

I'm ordering the bearings this week and taking the blades to be resharpened. Hopefully I'll be able to get everything back together this weekend!!!

More pictures to come!


----------



## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

A little thing I noticed.

The original base had legs that were angled out a bit, like mine is. We have the same jointer. But the new assembled one looks like the legs are vertical. Did you modify the base?


----------



## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

Replace those bearings. You have dented the seal already. They may run for short time, the seal will eventually seperate , dust and moisture will get in and you will have to replace them . Re-Greasing them is only short term fix. NEW one are cheap.
I have used that same jointer since 1978 when I started my cabinet business. Treat is right and it will last you a long time.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

@ Craftsman on the lake, nope it's the angled base like yours. It was probably just a crappy angle that makes it look like it's straight.

I planned on replacing the bearings, I had to look up the size/type but plan on giving accurate bearings a call today for replacements!


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Started reassembly tonight. I got the infeed table all reattached, although now I need to take the time to do setup on in. I've got to get some T9 on there along with some wax as well…BUT…

Anyone know how to remove these spots….? I tried scrubbing with WD40 and a abrasive pad to no avail. I tried Mineral Spirits too, again with an abrasive pad, and again to no avail. After all the time I've taken to restore this machine, I'd like to have a somewhat clean table/fence in front of me!










And here's a decent picture with the paint done, and the tables installed and not covered in tape!










Oh and here's what happens when you don't wait for paint to cure to do a second coat….!










I ordered bearings today, so those will be here hopefully by the weekend if they go out tomorrow, if not well I can wait till the following weekend.

The next decision is should I replace the blades or get them resharpened. They're HSS so replacements are about $22 on Amazon, and I bet it's similar to what it would cost to have them sharpened again…thoughts?


----------



## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

The cost to resharpen jointer blades varies greatly from place to place. When I looked into getting my 4" blades resharpened, I was quoted $4-6 per blade. Amazon sold brand new Freud blades for $16 a set. 
Buying new blades, seemed like the clear winning move. By the time shipping was factored, it was actually cheaper to buy new.

About the spots. I'm surprised the mineral spirits didn't work. I use powdered "bar keepers friend" to clean and polish machine tops and hardware. For those spots, I'd make a thick, dry paste with the BKF and scrub away. If that doesn't do it, I'm thinking mechanical means would be your only option (which I don't recommend).

the restore is looking great BTW.


----------



## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

Those spots might be pitting from rust. If you leave cast iron long enough it pits in some areas sometimes. The only way would be to take the metal down to those spots. I'd live with it if that were the case.


----------



## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

Looking good so far. And yeah, what he said above… If it's pitted, just live with it. Better than having the thing re-milled…

If I were you, I wouldn't re use those bearings after you bent the cage like that though. Scrounge up some good new bearings for it. Those look unsafe the way they are.


----------



## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Guess I'll have to start on mine , now…









Table on this one runs downhill, the Gib next to the cutter head needs adjusted up.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Nice! I'm not alone! You're looks to be a little bit of a different model, but very similar. If you want I can post all the pics of the tear down once I'm done. I didn't want to barrage everyone with all those pics.

It took me a while to do all the work but once this thing is in better shape, it'll be worth it.

I'm hoping for the bearings to be here tomorrow or Saturday. I'm going to probably toss the old blades back in, or maybe try to sharpen these myself while I wait for replacement blades.

This could all be finished by Sunday!!!


----------



## cupcake (Apr 28, 2011)

I bought the same model from a neighbor for $100. It works great and was easy to set up using the instructions. I bought New blades from Sears parts. And I 've had it about 5 months and put a lot of wood through it. It does not like Spotted Gum but everything goes through. However I may have a problem it that the out side edge cuts deeper that the inside but you only see it on stock 5" wide or more. Going to reset the blades [ knives ] and try it again. after that I could use some ideas.


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

The infeed table has to be adjusted to be co-planar with the outfeed table. Look under it and see if you have some adjusting bolts under there. Mine does. The knives are adjusted to the outfeed table. the outfeed table is not adjustable if it is like mine. Look under there and see if you have those adjusting bolts.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Bearings didn't show up yesterday, and my backyard remodel took more time and priority on me finishing more detail work.

I did get some assembly done though. got the fence back together and gave up on the dark spots after trying the bar keeper's friend. Got the electrical back in and the motor mounted back up.

I also got the tables aligned, setup, and co-planar.

Pretty much the remaining parts need the bearings/cutter-head installed. Well except the blade guard and that's a mess of paint at the moment and I haven't been able to really peel off the bad spots and get into it because of time constraints lately.

Here's a semi-assembled pic. Hoping to finish next weekend….


----------



## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Friggin awesome.


----------



## vcooney (Jan 4, 2009)

Hey Socaldj
How difficult was it to align the in feed table? 
I have the same jointer and i can't get my table to align. I'll align one edge of the table then jump over to the other edge then recheck the first edge and it will be off. Is there a trick to it?


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

The best tip I can offer? Patience!

I had multiple problems getting mine aligned, and even when I got everything all aligned and tightened it up, it would fall out of alignment by some degree.

Other than that I can say use feeler gauges and work things down slowly. For me I had to adjust caddy corner. I had to align opposite corners at the same time, make small adjustments go back, remeasure, and then keep going.

Grab a beer, turn on some music and sit down and take your time.

Once I got down to about .0005 of misalignment, I decided that was good enough for my needs.

There's a great video over on www.thewoodwhisperer.com that specifically shows how to setup a jointer, that was what I based mine off of.

Good luck!


----------



## vcooney (Jan 4, 2009)

Well I finally got it aligned, I took the infeed table off cleaned and lubed it and after another 30 minutes or so it finally lined up. By making small adjustment on each screw seem to do the trick.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Nice!

Make sure when your tightening it back down that you do it very carefully. The screws used to tighten the table easily move the leveling screws as well. Remeasure before you put it back on the table stand too!


----------



## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

Nice looking jointer.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Ok got the bearings….quick question. How did you get them in!!!

They're a tight fit and I've got the old ones so I could use those to tap them in bu I read a few techniques over on the OWWM forums and wondered if anyone else had suggestions.


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Pull them in with an all thread and some nuts. This is slow and easy with no sharp blows like from a hammer.


----------



## vcooney (Jan 4, 2009)

If you can get some washers that are the same size as the bearing to go along with the all thread and nuts or even sockets will work.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Ok I ended up cutting a piece of scrap to the exact dimensions and used that to tap the bearings in place along with the freezing method to get everything in.

Cutterhead, bearings and arbor are back in with fresh snap rings and ready to go!

Still didn't get to finish though….

Hopefully over the next few days. Need to readjust a few things and I'll be good to go.

More pics to come!


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

Well bad news. By the time I managed to get all the parts I needed to finish this restore it was 100 outside, much different than the low 70s I was working with earlier in the project.

As a result the arbor no longer fits the pulley wheel or cutter head.

I managed to jam the cutter head on, but the pulley wheel was to no avail.

I tried to cool down the arbor with a bag of ice and heat up the wheel in my gas fireplace, but well that didn't work either and in fact melted the wheel. So after already needing a replacement cutter head and the hassle it took to get one, I just decided to bite the bullet and buy another jointer.

Ended up grabbing a decent older Bridgewood 6" jointer. Nice solid construction and I got it at $200 off Craigslist. Started my first project with it today, some speaker stands for my living room!

So far so good. fairly easy setup, and the blades I bought for the craftsman popped right in!

If anyone needs parts for the craftsman (Except a pulley wheel LOL) let me know. I'll be stripping it down into parts.


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Get the pulley you need and sell the jointer as a whole. This is too good to trash or part out. You have too much work in this and these are decent jointers.


----------



## SoCalDJ (Feb 21, 2011)

True, but tracking down that pulley is going to be a nightmare.


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

What is the diameter and the shaft size. I assume the old one was aluminum.


----------



## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Those are 2-1/2 dia with a 5/8 bore. I think all craftsman tools use one of those. The best is to get a machined steel sheave and it will run smoother and better. they sell them at any store that has sheaves for V-belts. If you can't find one locally check with Harry Brown Sales in Duncan Oklahoma. they have the largest selection of sheaves, sprockets and belts in the central U.S. and no I don't have any interest in that store. 
580-255-8173 I am guessing the last one I bought was around $15 dollars


----------



## okwoodshop (Sep 15, 2009)

I was looking for bearings for a jointer just like this and came across this post,WHAT EVER HAPPENED, I am going to replace the bearings in my jointer and just wondered if you got it up and running???


----------



## WoodenUnion (Aug 6, 2012)

I think a small part of me died when I got to the bottom of this and saw you never finished the restoration.


----------



## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

Ack! Replacement machined pulleys are like $10. E.g. at Grizzly.


----------



## muleskinner (Sep 24, 2011)

Adam and Ian - I'm with you. I'd be the last one to say I don't have some unfinished projects gathering dust but after all that and giving it up because of a pulley! Damn.


----------



## jtpryan (Apr 17, 2011)

I believe I have the same machine. Where do you get your blades? I'm also missing the handguard if you have any leads on that.

Nice job rebuilding it.

-Jim


> Sorry if I m discouraging you here. Definitely not my intent. Its actually an enjoyable process taking an old beater, and pumping a few more years of service out of it. Here s a before/after pic of my Craftsman/King Seely 4 3/8"
> I could have gone to a lot more trouble and made it look nicer. But my goal was to stop the rust and return the tool to fully functional status. Oh and about the (lack of) blade guard. Its uhhhhhhhhh on backorder. Yeah, thats it, on backorder :lol: In all seriousness, I actually do look around for a replacement on CL and at Vintagemachinery. The tool would be more fun to use if I had one less thing to worry about. But I digress.
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## B4B (Sep 6, 2014)

> I think a small part of me died when I got to the bottom of this and saw you never finished the restoration.
> 
> - Adam Baird


Yes, me too.


----------



## TheWoodRaccoon (Nov 9, 2015)

> I think a small part of me died when I got to the bottom of this and saw you never finished the restoration.
> 
> - Adam Baird
> 
> ...


Me three….


----------



## TheWoodRaccoon (Nov 9, 2015)

Whoops, this is an old thread…my bad!


----------



## TiggerWood (Jan 1, 2014)

> Whoops, this is an old thread…my bad!
> 
> - TheWoodRaccoon


That's alright, I just finished reading this thread and am devastated by the unfinished restore. Something doesn't seem right about that. What happened to SoCalDJ?


----------



## TheWoodRaccoon (Nov 9, 2015)

> Whoops, this is an old thread…my bad!
> 
> - TheWoodRaccoon
> 
> ...


I don't know, but hopefully he finished it. I'd be a shame to abandon it after all that work, just for a missing pulley.

Funny, I'm actually looking at the exact same jointer,minus the motor and stand, on eBay.


----------

