[coxhaus]

I have been fiddling with my jointer trying to get another set of blades installed for my wife's project coming up in a couple days. I just need to buy the wood. I thought I had the blades set right but the top was off. Turns out the top was right and the blades were off. I bought some Fein vac bags the other day for my vac which were the wrong ones so I took them back to Woodcraft and while I was there I bought a jointer gauge called the Oneway Multi-gauge. What a great tool. I figured out I was trying to set the jointer blades without it and I was all wrong. I previously hated to change jointer blades. That is all gone now with this new gauge. This is going to be quite a time saver. And I know it is done right.

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

Lee the gauge will give an idea of how much knife there should be exposed above the head but in the end the primary adjustment is having the blades level to the outfeed table. I lay a flat piece of hardwood on the outfeed table and tighten the blades to it so that I just touch the hardwood without moving it ahead as I rotate.

 

[coxhaus]

Using the gauge you can measure the outfeed table and set as 0. I then move the gauge over the blades and set them at 0 also. With the base still on the outfeed table, I then pulled the base and gauge from one side to the other so I could read across the knife edge to make sure the whole blade was 0. I was within .002. One of the blades was .000 across the whole blade to the outfeed table. I found that I was not able to be this precise using a board or ruler. The gauge gives me confidence and precision for the setup. I think it is a lot faster than using feeler gauges. The trouble I had with feeler gauges is you are using a flat piece of steel on a round object the cutter head which seemed to cause me problems. On my jointer the outfeed table needs to be .060 above the cutter head so you need to adjust the outfeed table. There were many times when I tightened the blades down and I would be .010 or more out on one end. I would then loosen the blade and start over. It took me a couple of hours to get the blades set right.

The first thing I tested was to make sure the outfeed table and the infeed table were coplanar. I used a 48 inch straight edge, level, to make sure the tables were flat to each other across the whole length of the planer and to make sure I did not have any high corners. I then set my 0 mark on the scale and set the maximum up device.

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

Sorry Lee, I didn't look closely enough at the photo. That gauge should zero out the blades relative to the out feed table. All the gauges that came with my planing type heads are a U shape and just set the blades relative to the head itself. I use the hardwood board setting method and it may be necessary to raise the outfeed a couple of thou after to compensate for the compression of the blades against the wood. If set perfectly a board when half jointed should set flat on both infeeds and outfeeds with no gaps at either end or the next to the blades.

 

[coxhaus]

Yea, the gauge is really nice. The more I looked at it the more I realized how nice it is. I hate messing with jointers. They just don't seem intuitive to me.

I am going to resaw some aromatic cedar to line my wife's drawers bottoms. I would like to joint the board before I resaw them to get a flat side.

Besides I had a refund on my shop vac bags at Woodcraft with nothing to buy.

 

[tomp913]

This video shows a home-made jig for setting jointer blades, total cost about $10.

Jointer Knife-Setting Jig - FineWoodworking

I have one of the commercial versions with the magnetic bars joined by rods which works very well, probably paid $20 or so for it a few years back.

 

[DaninVan]

Thanks, Tom! That couldn't be easier.

 

[coxhaus]

The magnetics look like a good idea especially for the Powermatic planers which have the springs under the blades. Have you ever put a gauge on them after setting up the blades?

How do you set your cutter head to the outfeed table?

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

You level the table to the cutter. You just have to make sure the blades are co planar with the table and not low or high on either corner.

 

[coxhaus]

My Delta manual has you test the distance from the cutter head not the blade to the outfeed table. Maybe so the blade is not sticking out too far from the cutter head to break off. I don't know why. Maybe some of the experts know.

 

[Cherryville Chuck]

You wouldn't want too much blade sticking out because the farther it sticks out of the head the more leverage on them. That's what the U shaped gauges that come with jointers and planers are good for. However, they don't guarantee that the blades are co planar with the the jointer or planer tables. Your gauge would do a better job of that. If the outfeed table is already set properly for the old blades and you don't move it then the hardwood board method I use or your gauge or those magnetic setters will give you the same exposure of blade to head ratio as before within a few thou. It may still be necessary to make a fine adjustment after to get the jointer working correctly. As I said, it is an absolute must that the outfeed table is level with the blades when done. It's also a good idea every so often to raise the infeed table level with the outfeed table and make sure they are level all the way across. If not then they need to be adjusted first. Your gauge is perfect to check to see if the out feed table is level at each side with the blade head which it should be, at least within a few thou.

 

[coxhaus]

My gauge will also reach across from the outfeed table to the infeed table so you can zero both. It does not check for co-planer. You need a long straight edge for that.

 

[coxhaus]

I setup my fence and boy am I living right. Check the picture. It is a perfect 90 degrees.

 

[RÖENTGEEP]

Thanks, Tom! That couldn't be easier.

+1 :smile:

 

[coxhaus]

Tom's method does seem simple. I guess I am a gauge guy.

The jointer works great now. I am jointing some 2x4 ruff aromatic cedar lumber for my wife which I bought from the mill by my house. I am going to use the bandsaw to resaw to 1/8 inch boards to line the bottom of my wife's dresser drawers.