Installing jointer knives - Help - Old 4in. - Woodworking Talk

Joe Lyddon · 10-16-2007, 05:58 PM

I inherited an old Rockwell, Delta Tool Div. 4" jointer and had to get the knives sharpened. I thought I had noted their current positions, etc. before I removed them, so I could get them back with no problems.

Good plan... Bad results...

I have both feed tables coplanar and equal to each other. (Infeed may be a tad 1/32" lower)

I have tried rare earth magnets on top of some clear plexiglass to hold it down onto the outfeed and hanging over the knife holder.

I placed each knife so the flat end of the cutter was flush with the plexiglass & tightened them down... Had a problem... they were not perfectly horizontal (one end was lower than the other).

I've tried it again and again MULTIPLE times, each time thinking I've done it... Only to find out... NO CIGAR!! It seems I'm always getting snipe now... Going back to check, with the plxiglass in place & turning the cutters, the knives hit the plexiglass ever so slightly messing everything up.

I've tried the same approach but changing what part of knives just touches the plexiglass... I thought getting just the Tip of the knives to barely touch the plexiglass was the objective... NO LUCK!

I feel like I'm now going in circles... chasing my tail... getting nowhere!!

I have tried to describe what I've been doing...

Can anyone NOW give me some real SIMPLE directions?
I know they are going to be simple instructions... I've seen them before... thought I understood... I'm missing something!!

Help!

Thank you!

jimmiet. · 10-18-2007, 01:02 AM

i saw a neat article in fine wood working where you take two pieces of wood abour 8 or so inches long by 4 inches tall x 3/4 inch, glue a magnet on each end of one edge, the magnets are sold at radio shack or saw some at lowes they are 3/4 wide x about 1 1/2 long . set one piece at each side over the blade , holds it at the same level as out feed table. You have to watch the blades as you tighten them some times the rotation of the set screws will pull the blade up or down. make sure every thing is clean/ with a little lube also use a clear silacone to as the glue. my spelling sucks

Joe Lyddon · 10-18-2007, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmiet.

i saw a neat article in fine wood working where you take two pieces of wood abour 8 or so inches long by 4 inches tall x 3/4 inch, glue a magnet on each end of one edge, the magnets are sold at radio shack or saw some at lowes they are 3/4 wide x about 1 1/2 long . set one piece at each side over the blade , holds it at the same level as out feed table. You have to watch the blades as you tighten them some times the rotation of the set screws will pull the blade up or down. make sure every thing is clean/ with a little lube also use a clear silacone to as the glue. my spelling sucks

I made a jig using some 5/8" x 1/8" rare earth magnets I had on hand... used some Cherry scraps... similar to this...

http://www.grizzly.com/products/g3360

I got them nice and Horiz. at just a uniform tad high (less than 1/64")... adjusted the outfeed to get perfect...

Tried it out... WALLA!! Worked like a charm!!

Thank you very much for your help.

jimmiet. · 10-19-2007, 10:47 PM

glad it worked for you, i built some several months ago worked well for me. jt

Tweegs · 10-20-2007, 05:18 PM

Man I'm glad someone brought this up.
Mine are in bad need of a sharpening but I've been terrified to take them out

.

Joe Lyddon · 10-20-2007, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tweegs

Man I'm glad someone brought this up.
Mine are in bad need of a sharpening but I've been terrified to take them out

.

BEFORE removing them, I'd make more MARKS here & there to indicate where the blade high points are... rotational position, etc.

Mine had 3 blades... I marked each blade and the rotator for each blade... I should have marked more... it would have helped more to see where they had been before.

Good luck...

hcbph · 10-21-2007, 09:30 PM

Here's what I did when I had my 4". Took a piece of ply and clamped it to the infeed table, close to the head. Took a horseshoe magnet any layed it across the cutterhead. Slip in the knife, jibs etc and put it so the knives contact the magnet. Mark the magnet and tighten the knife in. Do it with the other 2 knives

Paul

Joe Lyddon · 10-21-2007, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hcbph

Here's what I did when I had my 4". Took a piece of ply and clamped it to the infeed table, close to the head. Took a horseshoe magnet any layed it across the cutterhead. Slip in the knife, jibs etc and put it so the knives contact the magnet. Mark the magnet and tighten the knife in. Do it with the other 2 knives

Paul

Hi Paul,

Thank you for the rundown...

With this jig, it's almost like your procedure... instead of a horseshoe magnet, which I don't have, I used some rare earth magnets, I did have.

In each strip of 3/4 x 3/4 x 6 there are three 5/8 x 1/8 rare earth magnets.
2 about 3" apart at one end and 1 close to the other end.
I ran 1/4 metal rod between them... they slide easily.

I placed it on the Outfeed side with the magnets, closest to the ends, until they were right over the main cutting area; the other magnets held it tight to the table.

Removed the blade holders, brushed out the debris, etc. & placed them back.

Inserted a knife, rotated til in good position and attracted to the magnets. Carefully tightened the middle screw then the screws at each end. My knives ended up about 1/64" too high.

Did that for all 3 knives.

Then, I raised the outfeed table just enough to get it in perfect position.

Bingo, end of job.

Works really N I C E.

Thanks again...