Thread: Jointer Knife Setting Jig

I have the type 1 micrometer style blade setting jig, but I use it in the same way as the type 2; ie I reference the outfeed table to set the blade height. I have found that a fair few jointers have tables that aren’t 100% coplaner with the cutter head.

However, you can get away with just two flat pieces of wood and nothing else. Yesterday I set the knives on an old Emco Rex combo machine which has a non-adjustable outfeed table made from sheet steel. The blades were raised and the head rotated to their peak height, then I used the timber to gently push the blades into position until the timbers were flat on the outfeed table and the blades just touching. The locking bars were tightened up and the blade projection tested by the old method of laying the flat timbers over the cutter head and gently rotating until the blades picked them up and moved them a couple of mm. Both timbers advanced by 2-3mm per blade showing that they were pretty much parallel and there was sufficient projection above the outfeed table.

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

Aluminium tables?? Sacrilege

Electra Beckum. They are cast. It is a fairly nice machine.

Originally Posted by rustynail

For a 6" jointer the two bits of wood is simple, cheap and quick. Once the knives have been set to the underside of the timbers, a slow rotation of the head will cause the knives to move the timbers forward slightly. If this movement of the timbers is exactly equal your knives are set spot on.

I do this with a cheap square, when the square moves around 5mm, it will snipe around 3thou off the last 15mm of the board. Works for me.

I have been tearing my hair out for the last hour trying to get the blades tightened without them moving. I have just seen Chris Park's post saying that filing the screw end flat will remedy the problem. I will try it in the morning, I hope it works Chris because I am just about ready to dump it at the tip tomorrow!!!

Carbatec 6" CTJ 196