How to Change the Blades on a Jointer
Unplug the jointer!, Remove the fence and knife guard. , Most jointers have a cutter head with 3 or 4 knives., Loosen the nuts on the knife lock bars, and remove the lock bars and knives., Jointer blades can be sharpened., The installation of the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Unplug the jointer!
Never work on a jointer that is plugged in. -
Step 2: Remove the fence and knife guard.
, If you have a spiral cutter head jointer your cutter head will have a series of small square knives, this article does not describe the process for replacing knives in a spiral cutter head jointer. , Make a note of the orientation of the blades and lock bars. This is a good time to clean up the crud on the lock bars and the cutter head with turpentine. , Some people have two sets of blades so that they can keep using the machine while the dull blades are being sharpened, others have one set and just wait until the blades come back from the sharpening shop. , The blades must be in perfect alignment with the out feed table. If they are not you won't get good cuts. Raise your in feed table until it is perfectly level with your out feed table. The depth of cut gauge should read "0" when the two tables are level. Use a straightedge to check the coplanarity of the tables and make any adjustment necessary to bring them into alignment. , The tricky part here is getting the blades level with the out feed table. Lay your straightedge across the two tables, and rotate the cutter head so that the blade raises to its highest level. When the blade is at the right height, you should be able to hear the faintest scrape against your straightedge in a quiet room. If it moves the straightedge, it's too high, lower it. If you can see a gap between the blade and the straightedge, it's too low, raise it. Further, you need this alignment across the entire length of the blade. Once you get it, tighten the nuts, and then check again. Sometimes the tightening of the nuts changes the height of the blade. It's a difficult process, and some people spend hours getting the alignment perfect. I like to work from the back side of the Delta, as I can get a better view down the blades from both slightly above and slightly below the level of the tables. , Reinstall the knife guard and the fence, and plug the machine in.
If your cuts aren't smooth and even, or if you get excessive chatter, check the alignment of the knives again, as this is a sign of poor alignment. -
Step 3: Most jointers have a cutter head with 3 or 4 knives.
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Step 4: Loosen the nuts on the knife lock bars
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Step 5: and remove the lock bars and knives.
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Step 6: Jointer blades can be sharpened.
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Step 7: The installation of the blades must be done with precision.
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Step 8: Insert the knife lock bars and knives into the slots in the cutter head
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Step 9: and lightly tighten the nuts.
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Step 10: Once you have all 3 knives installed
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Step 11: check them one more time for alignment
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Step 12: and make sure all the nuts are fastened tightly.
Detailed Guide
Never work on a jointer that is plugged in.
, If you have a spiral cutter head jointer your cutter head will have a series of small square knives, this article does not describe the process for replacing knives in a spiral cutter head jointer. , Make a note of the orientation of the blades and lock bars. This is a good time to clean up the crud on the lock bars and the cutter head with turpentine. , Some people have two sets of blades so that they can keep using the machine while the dull blades are being sharpened, others have one set and just wait until the blades come back from the sharpening shop. , The blades must be in perfect alignment with the out feed table. If they are not you won't get good cuts. Raise your in feed table until it is perfectly level with your out feed table. The depth of cut gauge should read "0" when the two tables are level. Use a straightedge to check the coplanarity of the tables and make any adjustment necessary to bring them into alignment. , The tricky part here is getting the blades level with the out feed table. Lay your straightedge across the two tables, and rotate the cutter head so that the blade raises to its highest level. When the blade is at the right height, you should be able to hear the faintest scrape against your straightedge in a quiet room. If it moves the straightedge, it's too high, lower it. If you can see a gap between the blade and the straightedge, it's too low, raise it. Further, you need this alignment across the entire length of the blade. Once you get it, tighten the nuts, and then check again. Sometimes the tightening of the nuts changes the height of the blade. It's a difficult process, and some people spend hours getting the alignment perfect. I like to work from the back side of the Delta, as I can get a better view down the blades from both slightly above and slightly below the level of the tables. , Reinstall the knife guard and the fence, and plug the machine in.
If your cuts aren't smooth and even, or if you get excessive chatter, check the alignment of the knives again, as this is a sign of poor alignment.
About the Author
James Clark
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow organization tutorials.
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