Thread: Jointer tables - How flat do they need to be?

Originally Posted by Blazk

I have a feeling someone's been messing with my 310hh before I got it. Its so far out of co planer I don't even know where to start. I raise the infeed to it just touches the straight edge set on the out feed table. Looking at the handle depth on the infeed table it's at 2cm after the zero. The front of the infeed has massive gaps looks like it's twisted.. I have no clue where to even begin to line this up. The Outfeed is as high as it goes and the straight edge is still touching the knives, drags the edge about 1/2'' when rotated.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

Hmmmm....

Just thinking about this, on my standard cutterhead JPT-310 everything is effectively referenced to the outfeed table. I set the blades up parallel and level with the outfeed table using a straightedge - but that doesn't necessarily mean the blades are exactly parallel to the axis of the cutterhead (although they'll be close). In a standard cutterhead it is easy to make the blades slightly higher on one side than the other, and to vary the height of the blades protruding from the cutterhead.

In your case, with the HH cutterhead, the "blade" height and orientation is effectively fixed - there is no adjustment in any axis. This means you have to reference everything to the cutterhead itself.

I'm guessing that would mean getting the outfeed table level and coplanar with the cutterhead first, then lining the infeed table up to be coplanar with the outfeed.

The US manual link I posted has a lot more detail than the local manual on setting up the machine for coplanar, etc., but it isn't specifically for the HH version.

Basically, if you can't adjust the outfeed table level with the cutting blades on the helical head, then you've got no chance. When I set blades I have a (metal) straightedge on the outfeed table, and set the blades in the cutterhead (checking each side) until the blade catches and carries the straightedge about 5mm or so.

Is youre machine definitely a JET JPT-310HH, or has someone retrofitted a helical head to a conventional JPT-310??

Originally Posted by Mr Brush

They don't say that in the brochure , but I'm sure you're right about the cost of manufacture. Several other cheaper combo machines also feature ribbed tops as well.

To get conventional flat tables in this class of machine, it looks like you've got to step up to a Hammer A3-31......

Sometimes the old machines are actually the best value for money, as long as you check the start of the outfeed table for excessive wear. Something that has spent a long and hard life at a timber yard is probably best avoided though !

Cheers

Yep, as cliche as it it, they really don't make 'em like they used to.

Blazk - I came across the USA manual that covers both the standard and HH versions, this might have a bit more information for you:

http://go.rockler.com/tech/708475_man.pdf

Mr Brush, I have that manual but really only tells you how to replace the knives that about all it covers. Not sure how to set it up from scratch... (not that i should bloody have to)

Page 12/13 covers in detail exactly how to set up the tables for coplanar.

I used this to set my machine up from new - mine was completely out of whack too, and I spent about a day altogether setting it up. Never had to touch the alignment since.

If the outfeed table is completely out of whack, where do you reference everything from ? The Helical Knives?

I'd say so - the helical cutterhead is absolutely fixed, and cannot be adjusted in any way. That makes it the reference point in my book. Tbales, on th eother hand, can be adjusted every which way

So.....align outfeed table to cutterhead, then adjust infeed table to be coplanar with outfeed.

"I mean, how hard can it be?" - Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear

Originally Posted by Mr Brush

I'd say so - the helical cutterhead is absolutely fixed, and cannot be adjusted in any way. That makes it the reference point in my book. Tbales, on th eother hand, can be adjusted every which way

So.....align outfeed table to cutterhead, then adjust infeed table to be coplanar with outfeed.

"I mean, how hard can it be?" - Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear

Exactly

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

Yep, as cliche as it it, they really don't make 'em like they used to.

I couldn't agree more.

I have bought just about all of my machines new from Leda & I recon they are great. When I was shopping for my jointer. I particularly wated an OLD cast heavy mother of a machine. I found a Wadkin 12", full of dirt, Rusty & in peices. I snapped up this bargin https://www.woodworkforums.com/f40/pi...-cheap-126233/ for $400.

This machine is a beast, I love it. very little vibration & a real pleasure to use. It has load of grunt, 3hp single phase, but I still rearly take off more than about .5mm in a pass.

steve

A Wadkin in good working condition is indeed a wondrous thing

How many companies go to this much trouble to support their old products?

Wadkin - Wadkin Library - Surface Planers

A lot of spare parts for these monsters are still available !

After a day and a bit of getting the tables co-planer, I finally got to give the new 310HH a crack.
I had to reference the outfeed off the blades at each end and the middle of the Helical Head. From there I could set the infeed. The infeed was so far out i had to use a ruler instead of feeler gauges to start with, what a freaking headache that was. After it was all said and done i ran some scrap pine (about 1m long) I had laying around, all bowed and ugly. After a few passes I put a straight edge along the face and it was spot on. Proceeded to run the edge and again checked with a straight edge, also spot on. So finally got the square out and put it at the start, middle and end of the timber and it was spot on. Not sure if I just got lucky, but I didnt really use feeler gauges, just went by the daylight showing through the straight edge during initial table setup.
Seems the dish doesn't seem to bother it too much, but then again I have not run anything longer than 1m. So over the next few days I will be trying out some heavier, thicker and longer pieces of wood.

Originally Posted by Blazk

After a day and a bit of getting the tables co-planer, I finally got to give the new 310HH a crack.
I had to reference the outfeed off the blades at each end and the middle of the Helical Head. From there I could set the infeed. The infeed was so far out i had to use a ruler instead of feeler gauges to start with, what a freaking headache that was. After it was all said and done i ran some scrap pine (about 1m long) I had laying around, all bowed and ugly. After a few passes I put a straight edge along the face and it was spot on. Proceeded to run the edge and again checked with a straight edge, also spot on. So finally got the square out and put it at the start, middle and end of the timber and it was spot on. Not sure if I just got lucky, but I didnt really use feeler gauges, just went by the daylight showing through the straight edge during initial table setup.
Seems the dish doesn't seem to bother it too much, but then again I have not run anything longer than 1m. So over the next few days I will be trying out some heavier, thicker and longer pieces of wood.

I think you'll find that longer and thicker pieces will support themselves over any dips in the table. If you're going to have issues it will be with short pieces that can't avoid following the dips.

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

I think you'll find that longer and thicker pieces will support themselves over any dips in the table. If you're going to have issues it will be with short pieces that can't avoid following the dips.

Agreed