Thread: Help with Carbatec Jointer

you seem to be on the right track, here is how I do it .
The two halves need to be set so that a straight edge has bearing along the entire length.
Now the end table needs to lowered the amount of the cut say 1mm. The blades are set at the height.of the front table
Now the timber is pushed along the end table it meets the blades cuts 1mm and the front table is set at the height of the blades so it supports the cut timber
les

There's a shopnotes article in this thread that could help with setup.

A lot of machines these days are not 'set up' ready for use when you get them.....

This is not just Carbatec.......I bought a JET JPT-310 jointer/planer combo (~$3000 worth), and as received it was completely unusable. Tables badly misaligned and blades completely out of alignment. It took me about 2 hours with the manuals at hand to get it working properly, but it isn't such a bad idea to get to learn the adjustments on your new machine early on !

I too have a Carbatec jointer (8 inch) and had hells own trouble making flat surfaces. Initially I put it down to poor techique, however I have discovered the in and out feed tables are not coplanar pitot the box. Just ordered a 36" flat edge and a couple of engineer's squares and plan to tackle the problem on the weekend.

Hi Flynn,

Les 88 is on the correct track. I'd actually start with determining that the three cutter blades in the block are set in the same arc and at the same height across their width before I went any further. The reference point for this is the horizontal plane of the out feed table and the correct height for the blades across their full width is their TDC ( top dead centre) to match the position of the locked out feed table.

This generally takes me about 2 hrs to achieve on my SCM 300 mm planer. This has to be absolutely spot on or you will only be cutting with one blade plus you will get the result you would expect from one blade in an unbalanced cutter block.

Anyway start with that before you start worrying about co- planarity of the tables.That's probably OK in a new machine.

You can only straighten boards as a beginner by planing the concave edge ( or face) and always do the face first. When you get one true edge put the board over the saw bench to true the other edge and then plane that.

Don't knock the machine yet, you have to go through this process every time you change blades so you need to know the basics. This is elementary machine set up.

If you are not getting there after the above E mail me and I'll touch base by phone and talk you through the process.

It's not that difficult to get it down pat and its just a delight to have an accurate planer to get your edges just right for that final single stroke with a No 7 jointer plane

Old Pete

Personally I believe its poor technique. If you start with stock thats convex and hold the end down, it tends to get worse. If you have stock like that, do the side thats concave and try to hold the stock down above the blades, not at the ends. Once you have one side done, use a table saw to get the convex side, then dress it on the jointer. Never ever set a jointer to be a thicknesser, its a fine tune machine not a rip and chop gadget. Setting is crucial, the infeed table is set for the depth of cut, the outfeed should be at the height of the blades. get it wromg and you get snipes and all sorts.

Hi Rrbor,

I think we are dealing here with mis- understanding definitions of concave and convex. When you have a concave edge of a board down on the planer tables then the low points of that board are the ends and the high point is in the middle. OK?

Old Pete

Originally Posted by les88

you seem to be on the right track, here is how I do it .
The two halves need to be set so that a straight edge has bearing along the entire length.
Now the end table needs to lowered the amount of the cut say 1mm. The blades are set at the height.of the front table
Now the timber is pushed along the end table it meets the blades cuts 1mm and the front table is set at the height of the blades so it supports the cut timber
les

Les,

Haven't you got your tables back to front. I would say the end table is behind the blades and set at the same level of the blades and the front table is that which is lower than and leads into the cutting blades... yes / no.

Yes pete, Put the board through to cut the ends. If you dont, and you have a reasonable bow, you end up planing most of the board away. Rod is correct with heights of tables etc but it is a bit touchy feely, First time I used a jointer I was greedy and created snipes and wedge shaped boards. With practice you find the settings are crucial. Blade heigts must be correct, blade settings perfect. I use a long piece of hardwood sharpened to a point, I hinge this to a block on the out table and screw the out table low. With the pointer resting on the cutter head, I rotate the head in reverse by hand. The blade will lift the pointer. By this method I set my blade height. Next screw the outfeed table up too high. Get a flat piece of wood and again turning in reverse by hand adjust the table till the wood just scrapes but is not really lifting and lock it there. Turn the infeed table up and adjust that for the wood just lifting and lock. This is my method of setti9ng and it works for me. Obviously if you are fine tuning an edge, the infeed is fine, If you are trueing rough stock then your infeed is set lower. Trying to get it done in 1 pass is the way to fail. I did a lot of 2.4M lengths and had to make infeed and outfeed extentions. I just level the jointer and have a one legged board that fits to the table with a screw adjustment in the leg. If I reset the table, all I need do is level the extention

Originally Posted by brian1111

I too have a Carbatec jointer (8 inch) and had hells own trouble making flat surfaces. Initially I put it down to poor techique, however I have discovered the in and out feed tables are not coplanar pitot the box. Just ordered a 36" flat edge and a couple of engineer's squares and plan to tackle the problem on the weekend.

what does coplanar pitot mean? just curious

These finewoodworking articles seem helpful:

Jointer Knife-Setting Jig - Fine Woodworking Video

The googled preview of the subscription accessible article is here:

Jointer Tune-up

or if that doesn't work search for http://www.finewoodworking.com/FWNPDF/011142038.pdf and hit the view as html link.

Try this for some tips on jointer diagnostics.
Joinery: shaping & milling ... - Google Books

Coplanar is really just making sure that the infeed and outfeed are both on the same angle i.e. they might be higher or lower than each other but there is no discrepancy in the angle from one to the other.

Originally Posted by BrettC

Coplanar is really just making sure that the infeed and outfeed are both on the same angle i.e. they might be higher or lower than each other but there is no discrepancy in the angle from one to the other.

Still none the wiser. Let's try and clear this up as everyone throws the term around and I am never sure what they mean. The tables must be flat TO EACH OTHER along their length. So if a straight edge is placed along both tables there is no height discrepancy along its length.

Then we have the other way. Place two lengths of something fairly substantial across each table and by looking down the length of the table and lining up the two top surfaces of the bits of whatever you put on the tables you will see if the top surfaces line up and if they don't the table are not flat in that plane relative to each other. To do this you could use two straight edges but they need to be on edge so support will be called for. Bear in mind the longer the sighting devices are the more accurate your assessment will be. Me I would use a couple of lengths of steel tube or even some lengths of good straight timber but as timber bends you need to be sure it is straight. You might slide these along and do a sighting at each end of the table jsut to confirm the casting is not twisted, highly unlikely I guess but make sure. In fact I would check each table and then the tables to one another.

If the tables are not flat in the last sighting you must decide what to do. With a new machine I would be on to the retailer to fix it and if he didn't I would deliver it back to him. If this is not the case you would have to measure and figure out if even one of the tables is lining up with the cutter head, note the head not the blades. When you figure that out you have a starting point and shimming the table is the usual method, been there done that and the size of the jointer relates to how hard it is. I used brass shim stock to do mine but empty beer cans will do and the need to empty them is beneficial to the drinker.

The cutter head is the datum and everything is related back to that.

Originally Posted by BrettC

Try this for some tips on jointer diagnostics.
Joinery: shaping & milling ... - Google Books

Coplanar is really just making sure that the in feed and out-feed are both on the same angle i.e. they might be higher or lower than each other but there is no discrepancy in the angle from one to the other.

...in other words the 2 tables have to be parallel to each other no mater what height they are at.
I am just going through the same dilemma as I have purchased a new 6" Carb-tec jointer.
The important tools to have to true up (coplanar) the tables are a long and true straight edge and feeler guages.
Don't think your level is truly straight either, most aren't.
Place the straight edge on the out-feed table, the blades should already be set at the correct height. If not do that first.
Bring the in-feed table up to the st. edge or close to it, gap to be measured with feeler gauge, and keep checking with that feeler guage along the length of the infeed table, adjusting keyways and height adjuster as necessary.

When you think you're spot on, plane a piece of timber say 900mm long.
If it planes all the way after the 2nd or 3rd pass, depending on how bad the timber edge was, you've nailed it
As I said earlier, it's the straight edge that is the most important tool here.
I'm going to pick up a Veritas straight edge tomorrow.
Hope this helps.