Did you check to make sure that the jointer fence is set at 90 degrees to the table? Do you have the jointed face of the board placed flat up against the jointer fence? Even if the fence is not quite set to 90 degrees if you swap your board end to end and run it through again it will still come out at 90 degrees. Check out the technique video from Jim. My guess is that is most likely what the problem is.

Life is like the mail. Sometimes you just don't get it.

Thanks,
Kory

p.s. I forgot to mention. I do have the fence set at 90 and I'm being very careful to have the board flat against the fence as I run it through the jointer. I just put the new blades in the jointer and I set them, to the best of my knowledge/ability as the manual said. Also, I am putting two clamps on each side of the board, however, I was putting the two outside clamps on one side and two inside clamps on the other. Not alternating.

Before we do anything, let's set the outfeed table level with the top of the highest knife in the cutterhead. UNPLUG THE JOINTER.

Using a strip of REALLY STRAIGHT FLAT hardwood or alumin(i)um or plastic, lay it on the outfeed table so it extends across the top of the cutterhead a little. Rotate the cutterhead with your fingers. You'll notice that the knives lift & drag the flat-thing (we'll call it your straightedge for now) a little distance. Raise the outfeed table just a TINCH and do it again. What you're shooting for right now is for the HIGHEST knife (they won't be perfectly equally high) to barely touch your straightedge.

Now stop.

Now raise your infeed table so it's completely level with the outfeed table. Lay a longer straightedge across them both; a good-quality carpenter's level is probably good enough.

That long straightedge should TOUCH both infeed and outfeed table for the ENTIRE length of the straightedge. If you can see light under it at any point - the "inboard" or "outboard" end of either table - then we need to talk about adjusting your table gibs because one or both of the tables is drooping or is high at the outboard end.

If (when) you can see no light (or dang near zero light) under the straightedge, then we're ready to finish up. You'll want to lower the outfeed table just a TINY TINY bit. You'll want to be sure your infeed table depth marker is set right on the zero mark.

Now... when you use the jointer, concentrate really hard on keeping your feed speed slow and steady - no stopping in the middle, no fast moments... just slow & steady. Apply pressure downward on the INFEED end of your workpiece until a foot or two have passed the cutterhead, then shift one hand at a time to the OUTFEED side of your workpiece - past the cutterhead - and keep the feed slow & steady.

Let us know if you find that one or the other table is drooping or high & we'll go for the gibs, OK?

-- Tim --

As for wether I face jointed the boards first, the answer is no. I just ran them through the planer until I got a consistent 3/4" on each piece.

Kory

First - go wash off that silicone and don't do THAT any more. It's bad for the wood.

Get some Johnsons or Butchers Paste wax. Use a rag and apply a light coat of paste wax in a circular pattern. Then, with a dry soft rag, buff it off. The metal surface will be slippery smooth, and somewhat protect your jointer from rust.

Second. To get nice straight square project pieces;

1) Face joint the pieces on the jointer
2) Plane opposite face in Planer
3) Joint one edge
4) Rip opposite edge on table saw
5) Cleanup sawed edge on jointer (optional depending on quality of rip cut)

Don't try to cut a deep cut on the jointer - generally about 1/32 is good

Keep posting about your progress!!

Sounds like you are getting this down pretty good.
Soon you will be doin'g just fine!!

Leo

Before the 04 crash;
Member since October, 2003

JOURNEY

Kory

Doug B.

Now, as you joint a face and an edge I find it helpful to go ahead and thickness plane the other two edges right a way, and then start stacking the pieces you are going to glue together one on top of the other instead of side by side - you will easily be able to see if there are any gaps that way and if there is any gap you must joint one or both of the edges until there are no gaps. Things go much better at glue up time if the pieces match up without any clamping pressure at all.

Unlike others have recommended, I have no problem glueing up many different pieces at a time when I do it this way. Many of the cutting boards I have made have had 6 or more pieces that I glue up at a time.
And I also made a 7 foot long bar top this way that had 6 pieces that I glued up. If you get them to fit together with no gaps with nothing but gravity holding them to each other then you need minimum clamping pressure when you make the glue up.

Good luck - you are using a jointer for exactly what it is intended for - make it work for you to get the pieces to fit together instead of the relying on clamps.

Doug B.