Thread: Setting Planer Blades

Hi Kingfisher,
What locates the blade?
Can it be mounted higher? or...
Is it possible that a spacer is missing which would achieve the same effect as a thicker blade?

fletty

Hi Fletty,
The blade is only secured by friction between the wedge and the front face of the slot. They could be raised but would then be well above the outfeed table. A spacer would work I guess but seems a bit complicated. I can't imagine the machine was designed that way but maybe??
I'm starting to be a little suspicious that the seller put in a set of blades just to sell the machine. They were mounted somewhat unevenly, and couldn't have produced a decent cut as they were.
Mark

Hi
Can the outfeed table be adjusted as looking at the pic of the set blades they look like they are set too low
Cheers Rod

Thanks Rod,
I've done a lot of googling about how to set the blades and I agree, they do look to be too low. No, the outfeed table is mostly fixed. It (and the infeed table) can swing up for access to the workings but thats all.
She's a big old lump of a machine (600kg) and I guess they hadn't thought about such options then
Mark

I too thought that adjusting the out-feed table maybe the answer. The diagram shown Jointer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia indicates how the latter table should be adjusted. Yours looks too low.

Gary

I have never come a jointer where the infeed and outfeed table cannot be adjusted. Looking at pic 1 (general overview from infeed end) I suspect that the splined end of the infeed pivot pin rotates (probably with a tool not supplied) to adjust the infeed height. This is based on the large gaps between the casting on the frame and infeed table, which would otherwise leave the table poorly supported.

Is the outfeed done with a similar arrangement? If so, sort the adjustment system and raise the tables and blades in the head.

Sorry, I didn't mean that the infeed table can't be adjusted, only that it can swing up like the outfeed table.
The outfeed table definitely has no height adjustment.

Hi
Could the blade holder be reversed so that the higher part drops into the gap below it
Cheers Rod

Interesting thought Rod.
I know it does't look like it in the photo, but the holder can't lift out of the slot even with the blade removed. The cutter block would need to be removed from the machine first so the holder can then slide out..
And while this is possible, it seems unlkely that someone went to all this trouble and put the holders in backwards - although anything is possible at this point

hello Kingfisher,
just read this and it looks like the blade has been placed on the wrong side of the locking wedge. That curve in the outermost face of the wedge (that covers almost 2/3rds of the face) should sit in front of the non beveled face of the cutters. This helps with chip flow. The distance that the wedge sits out from the centre of the cutter block IMO looks fine with that blade thickness. You may have a really good old solid workhorse there. It looks built. I hope this helps.
Cheers, Tony.

Sorry- not being clear-I mean it seems all you need to do is keep the blade orientation but move it to the other side of the wedge.

Hi Noty
Now you say it it stands out like the preverbial
Cheers Rod

Hi Tony,
Could it be that simple? Could I be that simple?
It might just be!
I think you have the answer there. I'll attack it in the morning.
Yes, it's a very solid workhorse, reputed to have been used in the fitout of the Sydney Opera House. The fence alone weighs about the same as my mates bench mounted thicknesser.

Thanks heaps - and I'm still laughing at myself.

Glad to be of help.
So a piece of history to boot!
I have a H&F 15 inch thicknesser with springs under the blades and it makes changing so easy. If you need to do the bearings on your machine maybe getting some accommodating holes in the cutter block drilled for a spring at each end of your blades?
Cheers,Tony.

Hmmm,
Good thinking Tony (again!).
Bearings were replaced in '95 according to script written inside the main cover. But it may just be a good excuse to do all next time I have to sharpen the blades.
Mark