Jointer Woes!

[Nick2cd]

I recently acquired a Ridgid 6 1/8" jointer. it was working fine for a while, but now, all of a sudden, it's cutting a taper or wedge shape onto my boards. i can't seem to get them flat anymore. im not jointing opposing faces. i have a planer for the opposing face. i know that a jointer won't make 2 parallel faces. i've watched Marc's videos on jointer setup and operation. any suggestions?

[bywc]

If it were mine I would act like its a brand new out of the box jointer and run from step one of set up sounds like the beds have shifted or one side of the blades have some how dropped and become unlevel so might as well do a complete setup and alignment.

[Ben H]

What Paul said. You've watched Marc's video on Jointer set-up, but did you do it?

[mikem]

How long is the board? I have a small bench top jointer that anything over 2ft will develop a cub into it. I put a roller pin stand dead even (note, this will take a few tries to get it right) with the outfeed table about 6" out from the jointer. This completely solves the cupping problem.

[Nick2cd]

What Paul said. You've watched Marc's video on Jointer set-up, but did you do it?

Ok, guilty as charged. i haven't gone through the complete setup. this is mostly due to not having a precision straight edge. i found one at lee valley that i think im going to get. i just couldn't understand how it was cutting perfectly one minute then tapers the next???? anyways, i lowered the outfeed table a bit and it seems to be back in working order. however, once i get a straight edge, im going to reset the knives and adjust the tables. however, i don't think my ridgid jointer adjusts all 4 corners of the infeed table like marc's powermatic. i really don't know if i can adjust the tables beyond raise and lower. anyone know the answer to this?

[samhell]

I recently acquired a Ridgid 6 1/8" jointer. it was working fine for a while, but now, all of a sudden, it's cutting a taper or wedge shape onto my boards. i can't seem to get them flat anymore. im not jointing opposing faces. i have a planer for the opposing face. i know that a jointer won't make 2 parallel faces. i've watched Marc's videos on jointer setup and operation. any suggestions?

I just ran into this but with my smaller bench top jointer. I have that thing setup nice and flat and made sure the blades were adjusted properly. It was my technique! I didn't realize I was putting more pressure than I thought in the wrong places rather than just let the jointer do its thing. I searched youtube for jointer how tos and that helped a lot. I wasted a laminate guitar neck blank by making it a trapezoid shape... After re-learning how to actually use the jointer I made a few necks that came out nice and straight/flat

[Nick2cd]

I just ran into this but with my smaller bench top jointer. I have that thing setup nice and flat and made sure the blades were adjusted properly. It was my technique! I didn't realize I was putting more pressure than I thought in the wrong places rather than just let the jointer do its thing. I searched youtube for jointer how tos and that helped a lot. I wasted a laminate guitar neck blank by making it a trapezoid shape... After re-learning how to actually use the jointer I made a few necks that came out nice and straight/flat

yeah, i pretty much turned a beautiful piece of walnut into a ramp doing the same thing. oh well, live and learn i guess.

[TonyV]

Sounds to me like your outfeed table is not at the right height. You need to raise or lower it until the blades are a hair higher than the outfeed table.

In order to get the outfeed table's height correct, get a piece of scrap that's reasonably straight. It dosn't have to be perfect, but it needs to sit on the jointer tables withough falling over. Also, make sure the infeed table is set lower than the outfeed table. You want to take a cut, how much doesn't matter, just less that max cut the machine can make.

Turn on the jointer & start to joint the board, but don't run it through its full length. Stop feeding after about 8" or so have gone through & turn off the machine while holding the board so it won't move.

Now inspect the space between the outfeed table & the board. There shouldn't be any. All you have to do is push down on the end of the board over the outfeed table; it shouldn't move, but it will move if there is any space. If there is even a slight gap, raise the outfeed table until it touches the board. When you're sure the outfeed table is supporting the stock, turn the jointer back on & finish the cut. Then make a few more test cuts & verify the stock isn't come out wedge shaped.

Tony

[RenaissanceWW]

I had this problem a while back and discovered my blades were too high in relation to the outfeed table. The tables were also not quite coplaner either which contributed. It was a pretty easy fix and I haven't had a problem since (although I don't use it much anymore, hand tool idiot that I am)

Marc has probably one of the best treatises on this but it you wanted to go slumming here is my version. http://www.renaissancewoodworker.com/2009/02/23/rww-27-the-jointer-tune-up/

[Nick2cd]

Sounds to me like your outfeed table is not at the right height. You need to raise or lower it until the blades are a hair higher than the outfeed table.

In order to get the outfeed table's height correct, get a piece of scrap that's reasonably straight. It dosn't have to be perfect, but it needs to sit on the jointer tables withough falling over. Also, make sure the infeed table is set lower than the outfeed table. You want to take a cut, how much doesn't matter, just less that max cut the machine can make.

Turn on the jointer & start to joint the board, but don't run it through its full length. Stop feeding after about 8" or so have gone through & turn off the machine while holding the board so it won't move.

Now inspect the space between the outfeed table & the board. There shouldn't be any. All you have to do is push down on the end of the board over the outfeed table; it shouldn't move, but it will move if there is any space. If there is even a slight gap, raise the outfeed table until it touches the board. When you're sure the outfeed table is supporting the stock, turn the jointer back on & finish the cut. Then make a few more test cuts & verify the stock isn't come out wedge shaped.

Tony

Tony,

this sounds like a very interesting adjustment technique. i'll give it a try. i have lowered the outfeed table and it seems to be spot on now. but im going to reset the blades and adjust everything once i get a good straight edge. i will be certain to give your technique a try. thanks

[Nick2cd]

I had this problem a while back and discovered my blades were too high in relation to the outfeed table. The tables were also not quite coplaner either which contributed. It was a pretty easy fix and I haven't had a problem since (although I don't use it much anymore, hand tool idiot that I am)

Marc has probably one of the best treatises on this but it you wanted to go slumming here is my version. http://www.renaissancewoodworker.com/2009/02/23/rww-27-the-jointer-tune-up/

This is a fantastic video! Thanks so much for giving me the link. i learned a lot of valuable info from it.

[TonyV]

Tony,

this sounds like a very interesting adjustment technique. i'll give it a try. i have lowered the outfeed table and it seems to be spot on now. but im going to reset the blades and adjust everything once i get a good straight edge. i will be certain to give your technique a try. thanks

Nick:

This technique assumes that the tables are coplanar and that the knives are parallel with the tables, like with a new jonter. Though just because a jointer is new doesn't really mean that the tables will be coplanar . . .

Anyway, this technique is just for getting the outfeed table level with the blades. If you change the blades, you really need to use a different technique to get the knives level and all at the same height.

Tony

[Juicegoose]

Nick

I have the same ridgid jointer you speak of and fought the same problem as well. Since my ridgid is the earlier version of the current model and I got it kind of rought shape I did the following.

I broke the whole machine down to it's basic components taking the tables and everything off. After cleaning and lubing everything up I reinstalled teh tables and made sure both were coplaner to each other and that the knifes were parallel to the outfeed table. The bad boy worked great up until this weekend when I noticed I was cutting tapers again. In my situation I think these might have been the major culprit

1. technique

2. technique

3. technique

4. possibly something out of wack

5. technique

You see i was trying to joint a 6' long board and even though i had rollers on both the infeed and outfeed side it was still a little bit of a bear. I found that I was focusing so much on mking sure all my pressure was on the outfed jointed edge that i was putting a lot of pressure on the board. eventually giving me a perfect taper, I'm talkin nice!!, In watching Marc's videos while he's jointing and other woodworkers as well i ntice they never really place a lot of pressure one way or the other. Mainly letting gravity do it's thing to the board

I'm going to go back to the 2x4 training room and joint some 2x4's to reteach myself a good technique so i don't ruin any more boards.

[Nick2cd]

Nick

I have the same ridgid jointer you speak of and fought the same problem as well. Since my ridgid is the earlier version of the current model and I got it kind of rought shape I did the following.

I broke the whole machine down to it's basic components taking the tables and everything off. After cleaning and lubing everything up I reinstalled teh tables and made sure both were coplaner to each other and that the knifes were parallel to the outfeed table. The bad boy worked great up until this weekend when I noticed I was cutting tapers again. In my situation I think these might have been the major culprit

1. technique

2. technique

3. technique

4. possibly something out of wack

5. technique

You see i was trying to joint a 6' long board and even though i had rollers on both the infeed and outfeed side it was still a little bit of a bear. I found that I was focusing so much on mking sure all my pressure was on the outfed jointed edge that i was putting a lot of pressure on the board. eventually giving me a perfect taper, I'm talkin nice!!, In watching Marc's videos while he's jointing and other woodworkers as well i ntice they never really place a lot of pressure one way or the other. Mainly letting gravity do it's thing to the board

I'm going to go back to the 2x4 training room and joint some 2x4's to reteach myself a good technique so i don't ruin any more boards.

Juice,

thanks for the info. i have no doubt that my technique is partly to blame. my jointer-fu is fairly weak right now. i think you have the right idea with the 2x4 training sessions. i may give that a whirl myself.