I picked up an older sears planer/joiner for $75, a real tank of a machine. I cleaned it up and pulled the knives to hone them back to a real working edge and remove some nicks. I am trying to re-install the knives and man, that is a chore. The manual says to set the knife .003 above the outfeed table. I used a dial indicator and using the lifter screws under the knife, I get it at about .004. Close enough. Now, when I put the wedge block in to secure the knife I get this crazy bolt-creep that jacks up my close-enough knife setting. I looked around on the net but not a whole lot out there. Any of you know a trick for this? i am thinking of using some dry lubricant so the wedge will slip in easier. does that make any sense?
> Now, when I put the wedge block in to secure the knife I get this crazy bolt-creep that jacks up my close-enough knife setting.
Is the displacement upon tightening consistent? I'm thinking just measure the before-and-after, and then back off the lift screws to account for the tightening displacement.
I have a Craftsman jointer that does the same thing. The only solution I have found is to set the knives low and hope they come up to spec when I tighten the bolts. It usually takes several tries before they come out right.
I tend to put off sharpening the knives (with predictable results) because I know it's going to be a pain to re-install them. Let me know if the dry lube helps.
To answer Jim's question (Is the displacement upon tightening consistent?): In my case, no, which is why it's such a pain.
[flash width=480 height=385] http://www.youtube.com/v/THNEAiu1RJU?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0 [/flash]
I wasn't clear when I said the wedge "jacks up" the knife setting. It doesn't necessarily lift the blade, it just messes up the alignment of the blade to the outfeed table.
That video looks promising.
Thanks for the help guys!!
If you follow that back to youtube there are other videos that may give a better idea.
You're Welcome!
All right, I got this thing dialed in. I honed the face and back of the knives as well as the face of the wedge that contacts the knife. I used some spray dry lube on the wedges and the knives. This reduced the friction between the knife and the wedge a ton. Part of the problem is that when you raise the knife, the wedge settles into the space where the knife was, and then if you go too high with the knife, you can't push it back down. The reduced friction allowed me to push the knife down if I got it too high. I leveled the in and out feed tables and laid a straight edge across them and raised the knife to contact the straightedge. Then I used a 0.001 feeler guage to see if i could get it between the knife and the straightedge. When I got that done, I rotated the cutterhead to see if it *kissed* the straitedge. When it did, I put the 0.001 feeler on top of the blade. If the straightedge got bumped just a little as I rotated the cutterhead, I figured I'm about as dead on as I can be.
Thanks again!!
About a month ago the Restore in Roseville had a 70s era Craftsman Radial Arm saw for 75 bucks complete with the cabinet stand. Man that was tempting but I don't have room for it.
If I remember correctly, I used to see a tool advertised that used magnets to hold the knives in place while tightening. Here's one you can make.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/ToolGuide/ToolGuideArticle.aspx?id=5294
