Delta DJ-20 Jointer Restoration

This Delta DJ-20 is an 8" woodworking jointer that I picked up at a local auction. And although its not all that old (1991) this thing looked like it had been put through the ringer. I was sitting in a leaky barn on an old mans property and my assumption is that it hadn't run in a few years. Being over 300 Lbs and looking like it had been lubricated with maple syrup its whole life I knew i could get this machine for pennys on the dollar.. And I did.
This restoration really didn't take a whole lot other than bottles of wd-40 and a lot of elbow grease, you can see by the thumbnail that the outfeed handle was busted (Luckily they still make parts) but other than that it was just the usual tune up, new Blades and Bearings.
I appreciate you watching if you wanna check out whats coming up check out my IG
/ samfergyferg

[@woody1320]

Always great to see a workhorse like this brought back to life. I wish I had the space for a machine like this.Congrats!

[@israelcharo1563]

I've had a DJ-20 since 1988...great machine. Beautiful job on the restoration! A few years ago I changed the cutter to a Shelix and it's been a great improvement,.,.,. quieter and clean cuts regardless of grain direction.

[@olebiker]

There is a special place in Heaven for folks that take on a project like this.

[@sashakraus671]

the colour you get when you mix all the leftover paint in the shop

[@chandarussell]

Terrible colour.

[@paulbirkpowlly]

Great Machine. Have a Delta saw for 25 years and still works great as the day I got her.

[@vincentfay6509]

Bravo. Great to see a great tool come back to life.

[@1960fusion]

Delta DJ-20, great machine and worth restoring...great job, I hope you enjoy it for many years.

[@tpobrienjr]

Most excellent, fitting treatment for a good old machine.

[@thomasconetsco361]

Nice to see it got restored and not trashed👍

[@Cortlandt_Cash]

Absolutely love the color combo.

[@walterplummer3808]

Nice work. Totally worth the effort to save the old machines.

[@samferguson1091]

I couldn’t agree more

[@gregorymacneil2836]

Very nice work. I have a DJ 15 that I restored - both the DJ20 and DJ15 are wonderful machines - you are going to love your jointer. The table adjustments are so nice on those Delta machines - shame Delta tripped and never got back up!

[@daveclemens4141]

Absolutely Amazing Job!

[@marshallbrummel1860]

Thank you for saving an awesome piece of machinery.

[@samferguson1091]

Thank you for watching! There will be plenty more in the future!

[@samspade4634]

Well done! You put a lot of work in to that beautiful tool. Not crazy about the color, but that doesn't take away from a job well done. Thanks for sharing.

[@acusticsix]

nice job bringing that back to life! long live the beast

[@anands6127]

I was waiting to see it in action after restoration...

[@mariohenriquez4339]

Me too!

[@colt4667]

I was waiting to see it painted electric blue - hoping the brown paint was just primer.

[@DBKING04020]

What a let down :(

[@81Logansk]

Me too

[@jeffreyglass5995]

Same here!

[@SkipGiles]

Purchased a Steel City 40605 8" jointer back in early 2000 from Wood Crafters in San Antonio. It was a close out special. I did not fully understand the complicated inner workings of a large industrial jointer. Plugged it in and started cutting. Ooops. Lived with it for several years. Shelix came out with an aftermarket cutter head so installed that. Double ooops. At that point I was the proud owner of the most expensive boat anchor ever owned. I made every mistake that could be made in installing the Shelix. Surprise, surprise. At best I didn't cut a finger off or drop that heavy thing on my leg. Year 2024 rolls around and I stumble on to Sam's DJ-20 Restoration KZbin. 2 Weeks later learning has occurred. Sam mentioned that the DJ20 and the Grizzly GO490 parts are interchangeable (also the Steel City 40605). I assume when one tool manufacture quits another picks it up? I took Sam's advice and contacted Grizzly. There I dealt with Gwen. I didn't bore her with my details but did learn that Sam's warning that prats delivery could take several months is a real concern. Highly recommend Grizzly parts. Gwen sent me an owners manual PDF. Off to the races. Several hours of studying the manual it immediately became apparent just how ignorant I was. Tore it all down to bare parts, cleaned them up, and reassembled as instructed by the manual. Adjusting the Parallelism is the hot tip. Take the time, bite the bullet and be patient. Be careful, that thing is heavy. It will workout. I don't know how Sam lifted all those heavy tables. I have a chain fall hooked up to a truss and used that. Be very careful. Thank you Sam Skip

[@willaiml]

Absolutely beautiful craftsmanship

[@samferguson1091]

Thanks William! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@christophermascelli1692]

Awesome restoration!!

[@marcioantoniodasilva8713]

Great job! Congratulations!

[@firatgolebatmaz8986]

You are doing a really good restoration, I wish you continued success.

[@samferguson1091]

Thank you! And thanks for watching!

[@DavidGarcia-sx8th]

Wow...just great time and great work for a great machine that is going to be enjoyed in many work projects...well done....

[@samferguson1091]

Thank you! It seems like a great machine, and it will definitely outlast me. Thanks for watching!

[@christopherhachet5184]

Looks fantastic done.

[@longfinger]

Such a beautiful restoration! Nice work!!

[@samferguson1091]

Thanks! And thanks for watching!

[@erickuehne4194]

Very nice work. One thing I did when I bought mine is to relocate the power switch to the back and top of the machine by installing a square tube on the rear cover and mounting a switch box on top. I also replaced the switch with a modern paddle emo type. I really like it.

[@samferguson1091]

Yes I noticed that the newer grizzlys moved the switch there too. That’s definitely something I’m going to consider, I’ll do that when I get a helical cutter head. Thanks for the suggestion, and I’m glad you enjoyed the video!

[@MrLnorber]

Extraordinario trabajo Sam, felicitaciones, gracias por compartirlo y Saludos desde Colombia!

[@gartenheim6431]

You did a very accurate and precise job! 👍 Congratulations and greetings from Germany... ✌️

[@samferguson1091]

I get it from my German roots! Thank you, and thanks for watching!

[@philthompson]

There’s nothing more beautiful than indeed and outfeed tables being adjusted on a parallelogram jointer. You’ve made a subscriber out of me, excellent restoration!

[@samferguson1091]

Yeah it’s painstaking getting it dialled in perfectly but man is it satisfying getting a perfect board in the end. I’m glad you enjoyed it! Lots more to come!

[@markgibney4835]

Very well made video and a great restoration. Hope you have years of good woodworking using it.

[@samferguson1091]

Thanks Mark! I’ll try to take better care of it than the last guy did haha

[@davidmarusa9833]

I have a DJ-20 and love it. I dare say that it is perfect. I will refurbish it someday when I run out of things on my todo list.

[@richardbenedict8355]

Great video. Great hands and smart movement of those heavy pieces.

[@snoopyslr]

Great find and great restoration. I like how easy the cutter head comes out of that model.

[@samferguson1091]

Yeah it’s super easy to change out, 4 bolts and a pulley. Thanks for watching!

[@josepcb2882]

FELICIDADES Sam... Una restauración Perfecta. Saludos desde Barcelona Catalonia.👍👏🥇🍾🥂

[@dougrobison1156]

Sweet! Looks great!

[@samferguson1091]

Thanks Doug! Glad you liked it

[@ScottESchmidt]

The old stuff is still the best.

[@mriggsdesign]

Thanks for posting this! I picked one up and began adjusting the cams. The cams actually pushed into the casting as I adjusted them. I planned on flipping it over to push them back out so it was nice seeing what’s under the hood with your video. Your cams appear to have a flange that keeps them from doing what mine did.

[@samferguson1091]

Ohh interesting, yeah mine were flanged. If yours is pretty close to co-planer I recommend marking the cam bushing and the casting before starting. It takes the smallest adjustments because the beds are so long and Its pretty easy to get carried away with your adjustments. Ask me how I know... haha it was a long 5 or 6 hours getting it back to perfect. If you have any questions shoot me a message. Thanks for watching!

[@marcuscicero9587]

man you tore into that machine almost like you knew what you were doin! nice work brother and thanks for the vid

[@SuperBardley]

18 minutes of taking apart, cleaning, painting, and finally reassembly? I waded through this hoping to see material on tuning it … nothing. You didn’t even turn it on or run a piece of wood through it. Thanks for your effort.

[@anands6127]

Nice , I was not expecting that you will doing it single handedly! That's too awasome to see it restored.

[@samferguson1091]

Yeah this machine is a beast, must weigh 3-400lbs. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Guitaural.]

Great job! I like original color restorations normally but it's all just personal preference. Gonna be a nice machine!

[@samferguson1091]

That’s understandable, I just don’t like being told what colour my things should be haha. Glad you liked the video 👍

[@mickey533]

Bravo! Nice save

[@samferguson1091]

Thanks Mickey! And thanks for watching!

[@gregmize01]

incredible job!

[@samferguson1091]

Thanks Gregory! Glad you enjoyed it

[@Urapnes75]

Great job, Sam!!

[@samferguson1091]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@todayintheshopbanksy5904]

Love the colour scheme.

[@johnklein4558]

Great job Sam. Looks like a brand new machine.

[@samferguson1091]

Thanks John and thanks for watching!

[@frankparsley1913]

Nice job!

[@adrianw.1638]

Congratulations! I'd bet she's worth the effort!

[@samferguson1091]

Yeah she’s gonna be put to work! Thanks for watching!

[@patrickretsel7048]

I just picked up one of these and was wondering what to expect for the rebuild, thank you so much for this look into my future....lol great restoration 😎

[@samferguson1091]

My advise... bring a friend because these suckers are heavy haha. You got any questions feel free to message me!

[@davidbryanwoodworksandmore]

Patrick these are awesome machines. I use mine daily. But I’ve got helical head. Made a huge difference.

[@markdaboll4001]

Always loved the DJ 20 since seeing Norm use one on NYWS. Glad you breathed new life in this one.

[@samferguson1091]

Norm was the man! I’m glad you like it, thanks for watching!

[@davidbryanwoodworksandmore]

I just commented that I love seeing mine in my shop as it reminds me of Norm. So crazy.

[@percival23]

Man ..for a joiner that thing takes up a lot of real estate. We small work shop guys can only dream of having that much space.

[@johnwarkentinnikiskialaska8364]

Excellent job 👍

[@samferguson1091]

Thanks John! And thanks for watching!

[@ednolan9509]

That's a lovely machine fella.

[@samferguson1091]

Thank you Ed, and thanks for watching!

[@JoshBurl]

Love the new color combination! Original would be nice but this makes it unique

[@sanfranciscobay]

Nice job restoring and filming it.

[@horatiobeaker]

Nice. That will be a great tool for the shop.

[@samferguson1091]

It sure will, and it will probably outlast me. Thanks for watching!

[@geoffreykail9129]

great Job

[@starjared12345]

Nice job.

[@garythomas4914]

I remember when those came out, being old school I didn't think much of them. Have since learned that this innovative bed design has only been used on one other jointer. I think it was the English Burgsen jointers back in the 50s and they are widely admired. nice score. Hard for an old timer like me to see restoration of a machine I regard to be as pretty much a "Johnny come lately"

[@samferguson1091]

Oh really? That's interesting, I'll have to look them up I've never seen one. I haven't gotten all that much use out of this jointer but it seems like a really solid machine and the adjustments haven't moved an inch. I'm pretty excited to spend some more time with it. Thanks for watching!

[@garythomas4914]

@@samferguson1091 here is a link to one sample which was actually Bursgreen, later the idea was used by other companies that merged or licensed from them. Extremely high quality machines. vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=17845 and another vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=12515

[@aceallenk]

Better than a new one. Definitely last a person a lifetime, and it's obvious a little maintenance won't be a problem.

[@jesper1406]

So colourblind people do restorations too... *Just jealous because I don't have that machine*... Keep up the good work...

[@samferguson1091]

Hahahaha thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@stephencole958]

Nice job.looks good.

[@samferguson1091]

Thanks Stephen!

[@ryangillespie5690]

Great final color scheme

[@samferguson1091]

Score one for the good guys! Haha I’ve been getting a lot of heat for it.

[@billballeza377]

Great job! You really know what you’re doing. Don’t blame you for not including the most difficult part of the job; setting those freaking knives! lol

[@arimadx]

VERY well done bud! Shes beautiful!

[@samferguson1091]

Thank you! And thanks for watching!

[@liuhua7609]

Good job!👍👍👍

[@samferguson1091]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@aj7470]

Getting the tables back into alignment to make flat boards is when the real work starts.🙂

[@samferguson1091]

Yes it was a very tedious 6 hours but hopefully it’s good for a longgg time! Thanks for watching!

[@trep53]

Jointers like this haven’t needed improving since day one. Just keep it tuned-up to run from one owner to another. Painting does add a nice flashy touch. Good job your set as far as the jointer is concerned.

[@andresdurstenfeld7364]

Amazing what one can accomplish in less than 20 minutes when they know what they’re doing. Well done!

[@kisMikolaB]

you know it was not 20 minutes in reality, right?

[@bondking501]

@@kisMikolaB you are correct. it was 18 minutes and 17 seconds. Good eye.

[@TravisCampbell6l6]

@@kisMikolaB sar·casm /ˈsärˌkazəm/ noun: sarcasm; plural noun: sarcasms the use of irony to mock or convey contempt. "his voice, hardened by sarcasm, could not hide his resentment"

[@marcuscicero9587]

the old owner left the cabinet compartment decently clean for you

[@davidbryanwoodworksandmore]

Funny. I actually thought mine had rust on it. Lol. That’s a lot of rust. I love my dj20. Reminds me of Norm Abrams in his shop when I see it in my shop everyday. I bought mine new.

[@samferguson1091]

Yeah it was in pretty bad shape, but its in good hands now. It seems like a really great machine I cant wait to get more hours on it. Thanks for watching!

[@timking1050]

Nice job kid

[@mrmerkin6203]

Adjusted my DJ20 for parallelism the other day. The adjusting cams on mine have a little nib that sticks out on the face which at first glance one would think it indicated with the high or low position of the cam. Unfortunately, the nib is in some apparently random middle position which made it completely useless to me. I pulled the cams (they come out easily), measured the thick position of the lobe and marked them. That made the adjustment straight forward.

[@juanferrari4249]

Nice job 👍.

[@samferguson1091]

Thanks Juan!

[@penicillatacynictis9683]

Marvelous !!

[@samferguson1091]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@nickberdebes8874]

Excellent!

[@samferguson1091]

Thanks Nick! Glad you enjoyed it

[@nightsaber2272]

Brown and white huh? Y'know... I like it. Nice restoration :)

[@samferguson1091]

Score one for the good guys! I’m getting lots of flack for the brown haha

[@sockmonkey4484]

@@samferguson1091 I thought the same, until I noticed it matches your logo. Who else can claim a personalized jointer?

[@robvermeulen4043]

Great restoration, just as the other machines. I do like the fact that you use the same like paint scheme for al the machines. The color isn't maybe to everyone's taste, but I like it.

[@samferguson1091]

Exactly, it seems like people either love it or hate it. Thanks for watching! I got a 60s delta Unisaw that is gonna get redone this year too.

[@jeromewalton5553]

Right on!

[@jonq8714]

I have one, doesn't need restoration but this a fantastic build to see how to take it apart and put it back together if I need to in the future, or at least until I put a helical cutter head on it. Well done. I'm actually missing the lever for the outfeed table, but seeing that I need to flip it upside down to replace makes me hesitant to do so, thing is damn heavy. The Brown was a bold choice.

[@samferguson1091]

Yeah it’s very heavy, you might be able to get to the lever with an offset wrench or something. But you never have to adjust the outfeed anyways so it’s probably not worth the hassle. My next step is a helical head as well but they cost about 4 times what I paid for the machine haha. And thanks, people have either loves or hated the brown... I just did it to snub the delta purists 😉

[@jonq8714]

@@samferguson1091 Helical heads go for around $500, so if that's 4 times what you paid for the machine then you got a steal man. As far as purists go, I don't understand it, the color of what a woodworking tool 'should' be is a dumb hill to plant a flag on.

[@samferguson1091]

Absolutely it was a steal, took about a week to restore but time well spent.

[@samferguson1091]

@eric hold I’m actually a huge fan of that royal blue, I saw someone painted a vice that colour and it looked great. I just wanted to stick with something fairly neutral especially for shooting video. And it’s subtle, unlike some of the other tool brands. (Bright Yellow) (Baby Blue)... thanks for watching!

[@seangriffin7841]

Delta is grey ! Always has been , always should be.

[@samferguson1091]

That grey is too utilitarian for me, I think the majority agrees with you though haha. I’m ok with being different. Thanks for watching!

[@billoxley5315]

I was given a 16 inch Delta radial arm that needs the same workover. Nice job. Ill probably go with a stock color tho!

[@cainobaggins]

Whistling like Karl Pilkington. Good resto

[@samferguson1091]

Haha I had to look him up. Thanks for watching!

[@Monuments_to_Good_Intentions]

Very nice machine. I have sold a few of them. Trying to find one more for myself to keep.

[@samferguson1091]

Yeah its a really solid machine. I love those storage cabinets in your videos by the way. Thanks for watching!

[@uncannyvalleywoods7248]

Nice!

[@sreval]

Watched in anticipation of seeing it run again……..maybe when it’s painted ?😂

[@kgucmen]

Amazing video.... this guy has amazing skills and knowledge... though I can’t say the same things for his taste of color 😁

[@samferguson1091]

Ill take the compliment haha! Thanks for watching!

[@surveysays8335]

"Yeah, ahh let me get a couple of cans of that spray paint... " "Sure, what color?" "Got any of that doo doo brown left?"

[@colt4667]

I was hoping it was just primer.

[@samferguson1091]

Its Rustoleum #2 lol

[@almaylin464]

When I saw the brown going on I thought why is he priming over the paint like that than realized it was the paint so I was sitting here wondering if anybody commented on the turd brown choice of color scrolled down and very top of the list was this comment. I laughed said I'm not the only one that thought WHY. If this was only color I had I would have bought another one

[@scottperezfox]

@@colt4667 Same! I thought for sure it was primer and a different colour was coming. I know they make "Rusty Metal Primer" purposefully to look this colour so folks can see if they missed a spot.

[@2112mph]

Last I checked, it's his machine. He can paint it whatever color he wants.

[@Joannesyoga]

Really good :)

[@samferguson1091]

Thank you!

[@philwell76]

Great video...I’m pretty picky...glad to see the work and not the over commentary type vids...subbed

[@samferguson1091]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@philwell76]

@@samferguson1091 maybe a follow up showing how to ensure the tables are in plane and correct....

[@irenehumphries1910]

What a strange color to paint this machine, I would have painted it candy apple red or a deep purple. Just kidding. I love it and loved watching your restoration.

[@DarkTouch]

I was thinking it looked like it belongs in Willie Wonka's Chocolate ..errrr. Wood Factory... Beautiful machine, nice work! You could change over to helical blades, you won't regret it...

[@samferguson1091]

Thank you! I’m planning on getting the helical cutter, just hard to justify when it costs 3x what I paid for the machine haha. But when I do I’ll do a side by side comparison of the two heads. Thanks for watching!

[@davidroosa4561]

I wish i had one

[@bigbawls81]

Awesome job, Sam. Thanks for sharing. I keep my eye open for stuff like this at estate sales and auctions but have yet to find a jewel like this one.

[@samferguson1091]

Thank you! You’ll find something, most people are scared away by the rust and dirt but it’s pretty satisfying when you get to the finished product. Especially when the tool is 10x better than anything you can buy now a days. Thanks for watching and good luck!

[@DavidWolf-fh7ri]

Nicely done. Im in the process of doing the same thing. How do you re-connect the two springs located under the infeed and outfeed table?

[@cbr8391]

Great resto! Not a big fan of the color - but on par with your brand. Congrats!

[@joerivers8208]

god job

[@heuwel]

You make it look so very easy....job well done

[@samferguson1091]

Thanks Robert! I always just tell myself it’s just a series of bolts. Thanks for watching!

[@mrwest5552]

1.10.2023 thank you for this nice vid. am i the first ? to say you didn't mention how the blades were sharpened and that you didn't run something through it.

[@command221]

watching these restoration videos can be fun. but only if they slow down so you can watch is being done.

[@samferguson1091]

Yeah it’s just so hard to fit everything without it being a 4 hour video. Thanks for the feedback and thanks for watching!