Aligning the tables on the 8" jointer

[@b1j]

The best visual reference I’ve seen for this process. I’ve been dreading trying to adjust the out feed table with shims, but now I can visualize doing it. Thank you!

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Thanks for that feedback Bob, good to know it was helpful.

[@billystray7007]

i totally agree bob jones i did a search and this video didn't even come up. most videos i found weren't even close to this one in depth. this guy had the balls to completely pull the jointer apart and really dig in thanks down under woodworks 👍

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

@@billystray7007 No worries and my pleasure Billy. Thanks mate.

[@gopherholehotel]

Terry Williams here. Thanks for sharing this video . This was a most timely video as I have a 6" jointer. I am wanting to check the set up of the knives and the bed. My jointer was bought new . A friend gave me a set of the magnets made for the brand jointer that I have. I did not know how they were used so I am happy that you showed how they work. Very good video . Cheers Terry

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Glad to hear that the video helped you out Terry. Cheers.

[@jbratt]

Exactly my jointer problem. I’ll will get on mine first thing in the morning. Thanks for the video 👍

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

No problem mate, good luck with it.

[@privatteer604]

Thanks for this great video. Brought a new Sherwood unit that is extremely similar. Outfeed table is badly tilted away from cutter head. Wasn't even sure if it was the issue let alone confident on fixing before coming across this.

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

shame about the new jointer but glad this video is helpful. good luck with it

[@shanesmith5405]

1/2 hour? Took me bloody hours to get mine adjusted. That's a good solid looking jointer. Top job on the refurb.

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Thanks Shane. Yeah, it is a bit of a beast. Been going really well so far. Cheers mate.

[@adrianhanson9584]

I've just recently done the same thing to my jointer, thankfully I didn't have to do any machining. Very tedious task but very necessary. While I had it apart I put some plastic shrouds around the inside of the cutter to concentrate the suction at the point of cut, made a huge difference. I also changed over to a shelix head, no more setting straight knives👍

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

I've been contemplating a spiral head but the price is a bit scary. How much was the shelix and where did you buy it from?

[@adrianhanson9584]

DownUnderWoodWorks $550 from woodcraft supplies in Qld

[@a1carpenter]

Thanks for this video I have my jointer completely apart now just got it all cleaned up and new bearings with the new helical head

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Good stuff Brian. its always satisfying doing tool upgrades. I'm considering a helical head for mine too.

[@robertcornelius3514]

You did a great job on this video. Thanks.

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Thanks for the feedback Robert.

[@hizo64HH]

I love your channel, very enjoyable to watch!

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Thanks again mate.

[@SimopsAus]

Thanks .......I have similar type of jointer and will have to shim as well as you did. I also found my fence is not flat so will need to look at getting it flattened by someone..... Cheers

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

The shimming process wasn't very difficult and good luck with the fence.

[@NickDV007]

Just seen all the jointer videos, and as I'm about to do the same on one I've just bought, they're just what I need 👍👍👍 Liked and sub'd. Thanks for sharing 😎

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

No worries Nick. All the best mate for your jointer refurb. Thanks.

[@NickDV007]

Your welcome and thanks 😎

[@Warsign01]

I had to shim the out-feed table on my 8" as well, I also shimmed the cutter drum on one end to make it parallel to the tables. I am not sure it was necessary, but it was easy enough to do.

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Good stuff mate. I think I may have shimmed the cutterhed also but I just can't remember now.

[@railerz2000]

Thanks for the video! How did you move the beds high enough to be able to fit the shims in? There’s bugger all play in my beds, even with all the gib screws right out.

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

This may be a dumb question but did you loosen the screws on both sides? I didn't do anything different, my beds had enough play to be able to be shimmed.

[@shenolrdezhebov528]

Hats off for magnetic lessons (:

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

So true mate, love magnets.

[@grahamditchfield4522]

I was so happy to find this vid, particularly since the jointer is nearly identical to mine. When new I had to re surface the fence as it was warped. Now you have enlightened me to the in feed table being a problem regarding flatness as is the case with mine but not as severe as yours. Anyway I thought I had the table alignment licked thanks to you however as I adjust for depth, using the in feed table of course, the problem returns. The table does not lower and keep the surface parallel to the out feed side. I am really frustrated now. Do you have any tricks up your sleeve for this. Thank you so much.

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Hi Graham, interesting problem. Check the infeed dovetail runners on the main body section. The infeed table should raise and lower in the same plane if there is no warping or buckling of the runners. Other than that i'm not sure without seeing the problem. It might sound obvious but don't shim the infeed table as it is the one that is always moved. Hope i'm on the right track with my answer Graham.

[@grahamditchfield4522]

Thank you for your reply and prior to that decided to go the exact same direction you did by removing the out feed table, cleaning all the machined surfaces and voila.....success. Thanks again down under form up over in Ottawa.

[@oscarlaraozuna9774]

Very Very Very Good, Dios te Bendiga

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Thank you! You too!

[@brentnicol6391]

Now I know what I have been doing wrong. Thank you for this video.

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Glad it helped Brent, good luck with it.

[@JohnDoe-kp3sw]

Perfectly instructed

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Thanks John, great feedback.

[@Paul-uh9kp]

Great video. A question if I may. When pushing wood through the jointer, do you apply downward pressure on the in-feed or out-feed bed? Or do you apply pressure to the timber on both beds. This is where I seam to have problems. Thanking you in advance.

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Hey Paul, I've only just seen your comment. so sorry about that. When you start moving the piece over the cutterhead have both hands on the infeed side. once the board moves over the cutters move one hand to the outfeed side and as soon as you have enough space place both hands on the outfeed side.

[@oscarlaraozuna9774]

Very gooooood gracias

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Thank you Oscar

[@gvmout]

Hi , I did the same with mine last week seems be be the same as yours, but my beds are flat. Less then .001" and did not need any shims, well coke can shim was too much. the branding on mine is invicta-delta made in Brazil. My question is what size blades/knives are in yours they should be 203mm x3.2 x 25 or 8 1/6 " x 1" x 1/8". I have seen people use 8" x 3/4" x 1/8" but don't know if that would be safe. Great vids thanks

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Sorry i took so long to get back to you mate. Just measured the knives on my machine, they are 210mm long and 22.5 mm wide. Sorry i don't do imperial. I didn't measure the thickness but i'd say they are 3mm or 1/8". That's what came with the machine but can't be sure they are original.

[@maryannewyatt2435]

Hi I have just bought the identical planer, and need to adjust the in feed and out feed tables. Unfortunately when I turn the wheels at either end of the planer, the tables do not move. What do I need to do to correct this. Any suggestions are welcome.

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Well that’s not good mate. On the end of each screw is a threaded block that’s locks into the underside of each bed. Perhaps these have come loose or broken off. I would strip the machine down to its individual parts and have a good look. It’s pretty easy to do, they’re not complicated

[@burnu2240]

hey mate, i have a small cup on either end of both infeed and outfeed tables about 0.16mm, do i need to get it resurfaced if so where would i go to get that done?

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

That doesn’t sound like very much. It’s only a problem if it’s affecting the finish you’re getting off it. If your boards still come out flat I wouldn’t worry about it. To get it done you would have to go to a metal fabrication/machining shop I think. Cheers mate

[@alanroach3692]

Thank You!!

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

No problem Alan, you're welcome!

[@mattg6262]

What level should the infeed table be set to when you align the outfeed table to it?

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Matt, the outfeed table is set first because typically it doesn't move. The knives are set to the outfield table and the infeed table is set to be parallel and level with the outfeed.

[@corren234]

Thanks man!!

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

No problem mate, hope it helps

[@matteoscalon2337]

Probably vibration due to unbalanced bearings and maybe loose fence

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Maybe Matteo, also over time the tables do wear out and sag.

[@brianminghella3312]

It is a little known fact that back in the day, quality makers of machinery would season their castings by leaving them out in the rain and weather for a couple of years ! Before machining them. Cast iron takes time to stabilise. These cheap machines are machined without seasoning the castings. Thats why everyone complains about warped fences and tables. Nowadays castings are seasoned by heat treating and cycling them to reduce lead time, at least by the pro quality machinery makers. But you cant beat the old school machinery. Another little known fact is that quality machines had their working surfaces case hardened, especially thicknesser beds and surface joiner tables. Modern cast tables are soft and scratch/wear. Wedge beds are the worst offenders because you cannot adjust them easily. Post production re surfacing may fix it but removing stock often releases tension in the casting and it will warp again. They sell cheap for a reason. My advice sadly would be to avoid them. Go with parallelogram height adjusting tables. At least then you can easily get the tables plane to each other in both axis. I once spent a week trying to make a wedge bed accurate but it was a hopeless cause. Once the dovetailed base warps you are flogging a dead horse.

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Yes mate, unfortunately you're right. But quality machines come at a price usually out of the reach of most hobby woodworkers (who are not overtly sponsored by big name machine companies). its all about having the machine that suit your type of work and being able to get the best out of them. I do hope to buy a new jointer one day.

[@brianminghella3312]

DownUnderWoodWorks. The hobby wood working business is big and growing. Unfortunately there are a lot of unscrupulous people exploiting that dollar. All i can tell you as a pro who has been in this biz for over thirty five years is this. The joiner is the one machine that really needs to be accurate if you want to get the job done. If it does not flatten and straighten your stock the thicknesser will not fix that for you. There are some tools where you have to get decent quality gear or you may as well not bother. The sad truth is that wood needs a lot of tools to work. The best advice i can give is try before you buy and take an engineers straight edge to any joiner you look at. If the beds are not co planar in both axis dont buy it. Especially if its a wedge bed. If you want to dimension timber you can’t cheat on this one and you cant make a silk purse out of a sows ear. Trust me, i have tried fixing these bombs when working for shops big and small. My advice to anyone is this. Never risk buying a wedge bed, even new. Buy a parallelogram/eccentric cam adjusted one. At least then you have a fighting chance of adjusting both beds to co planar. Before eccentric cams the old machines had adjustable inclined plane blocks to do the same thing. They worked really well and still do. Many hand tools you can make yourself or buy used i know most of mine are. Woodworking can never hope to be a really cheap hobby to get in to. Thicknessers you can get at bunnings and they work ok to get started. Table saws are fairly simple and cost effective too. The wedge bed is common because its cheap to manufacture but fatally flawed technically speaking, even the old big ones. Seen it many times. When you get a good jointer that does the job right you will fall in love with it because it makes the rest of the job so much easier. A bad one will make every other process a compromise because inaccuracy accumulates.

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Thanks for that experienced insight Brian. I would definitely be aiming for the better design if and when the time comes that I want to upgrade.

[@djagg3855]

i was taught to adjust from the outfeed table not the infeed table most youtube videos adjust from the outfeed

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

I'm not quite sure what you're referring to, sorry. In the video I adjusted the outfeed table with shims to match the infeed table. For sliding dovetail type jointers the outfeed table never really gets moved once set and its the infeed table that is always moving. You can't really shim an infeed table that is always being adjusted for depth. Here are a couple of other videos that show the outfeed table being shimmed. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYKslH-Nhdl5mdk and kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZTEqYmnq5h5r7c

[@augustwest8559]

Why do woodworkers find the dirtiest nasty piece of wood to test on freshly sharpened knives. And wonder why they don’t last. Mind boggling

[@DownUnderWoodWorks]

Dirty nasty pieces of wood don’t dull blades, embedded metal objects do.the jointer is made for cleaning up and flattening rough wood

[@augustwest8559]

I disagree. Dont feel bad alot of new woodworkers test nasty scraps woods. Bandsaw blades to jointer everything in between.