I know this is a bit off topic and I apologize. I have an old craftsman jointer that has worked perfectly for at least 30 years, but since I moved it 20 miles to the new shop it's cutting a very slight shoulder at the end of the cut, and for the life of me I can't figure out what's causing it, the blades are perfectly aligned with the outfeed table, but still the last 3/4" cuts a slight shoulder.

I was so impressed with the work of Mark Crouse that I decided to build a case of my own design, and I needed to do a little work on some rough boards I purchased; so far I've chewed up $80 in purple heart and I could really use some help. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Walt Davenport
"Roadhouse Rods"



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2011 09:06AM by Walt Davenport.

Walt,
When you say - at the end of the cut - is this at the beginning end of the cut, or the ending end of the cut.

Since you have had a router for many years, you well know that your work piece needs to stay completly flat. If it tips at all, the work will end up with a divit.

Also, considering the age of the router, are the router bearings and shaft still in good shape? If the shaft getting any "bounce" due to loose bearings.

If you can in your work, can you use longer work pieces to insure that your "area of interest" stays in the working area.

Often, when I do joinery, I tend to have the first and last inch of the work as "sacrificial work" since it is sometimes very very difficult to insure that that portion of the work can stay at the same height as the rest of the work piece.

Of course, I am sure that your blades are razor sharp and perfectly level and aligned?

I am also sure that you have checked the level and adjustments of your feed level adjustments, to be sure that those are not changing level at all as the work piece progressess.

Good luck
Roger

Roger, thanks for the reply.

The problem is the end of the cut, last 3/4"-1" . Bearings and shaft have no slop at all, knives razor sharp. I may need to start incorporating some waste factor if I can't figure out what changed.

Regards,

Walt Davenport
"Roadhouse Rods"

Walt,
Whenever I had that problem with any of my work, I found that the work piece was lifting off the finish side slightly causing a slight depression to be formed at the end of the work piece.

To help reduce this problem the use of a spring clamp has helped me. i.e. a spring loaded down pressing clamp on the work piece as it slides across the joiner on the finish side of the joiner.

Here is a link, for a fellow who had a divot on his work piece as a result of a slight work piece movement during the cut:
[www.finewoodworking.com]
His solution was better clamping of the work piece.

Roger

Walt,
Check the level of your infeed table as well as you out feed table. They may need to be releveled.
This sounds like the infeed table is not level and is canted towards the blades. When the end of the board leaves the infeed table, because it is not flat (lower at the blade end and higher at the feed end) it drops that few 10th's and cuts that shoulder. (this can happen with the out feed table as well, but most of the time it is the infeed table)
If it was moved the infeed, as well as the out feed table, could have been knocked out of wack. (Movers tend to use the in and out feed tables as carrying handles) You may have to reset both tables (ie adjust your in/out feed table shims).
Jointers are temperamental and don't like to be moved. I keep mine on rollers but I still check the level of both tables before I use it. Since it is not a tool I use too often it becomes a place to stack stuff... ergo it goes out of wack.

Hope this helped.

Larry

Larry,
That makes a lot of sense.
Roger