Need some help using my jointer

Is it cutting at the front of the board when you make a pass? Are you edge jointing or face jointing?

-- Richard, Hot Springs, Ar -- Galoot In Training

Make sure infeed and outfeed tables are parallel with each other.

-- Visualize whirled peas

Are the infeed and outfeed tables parallel with each other? If the outfeed table runs “downhill”, then what you describe could happen.

Edit: Looks like muleskinner won the race!

-- "Melodies decaying in sweet dissonance." - I. Anderson

If, when you put pressure on the outfeed table side, the work piece lifts up and the blade no longer cuts, you now know that the outfeed table is not co-planer with the infeed table, or it is just simply too high, in relation to the cutter.

Maybe this is why the machine was barely used. The first owner did not check with LJ to find out what was wrong.

As has been described, the outfeed table is not coplanar with the infeed table. Your technique sounded fine. Do a scan on google for jointer setup. The Wood Whisperer comes up, and if I recall right, it was a pretty good video. Also do a search on Lumberjocks for the same. Wood Whisperer comes up.

Jointers are one of the most bitchy setups to perform, since they involve so many moving parts, that must all be tuned in relationship to one another, as well as a fixed cutter head, so set ahead an afternoon, get the manuals out, to understand what can be adjusted and where, lay aside a couple of beer cans for shims, emptying as need be and pull the power plug, or know where you can get some shims of brass or aluminum, and study a few of the youtube videos on the subject. Get a dial indicator, and a good machined straightedge, or study up on the 3 beam, 3 screw method of creating one. (a compared to b, compared to c, etc). For the dial indicator, one of the wide tips is a good thing.

Get a can of patience along with the other items. I have done this on everything from 20” jointers to my fixed outfeed POS craftsman 6” jointer which I machined with a stone to knock down the high spots, since it still works and other things came first. It planes with no snipe now, but it took a while to figure out how to fix it.

Once the tables and head are coplanar, then setting knives is pretty much a snap, and can be done with nothing but a straight edge. Until then, nothing you do will make it work right, and every time you move the fence, you’re likely to get different results.

You have gotten a lot of good set up advice from the above posters but I’m going to add a technique tip. Always joint the concave (rather than the convex) side/edge. I have had your scenario before I learned this lesson. My machine was set up correctly, I just hadn’t learned how to use it properly.

-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm

jointing will also require a bit of practice, it is considered a finese tool for a reason.

-- The mark of a good carpenter is not how few mistakes he makes, but rather how well he fixes them.

Thanks everyone for the great advice. I did some tweaks to further improve the coplanar nature of the two beds. That, plus @gfadvm’s advice seems to be the ticket. I think I was planing the concave, not convex sides, hence the boards turning up on the back end. Thanks so much to everyone. Definitely some technique involved with the jointer.

One last dorky question. When face jointing boards under 3/4” my boards often get caught under the blade guard. I have tried to position the push blocks as i move them along so it keeps the blade guard from flipping over the board, but I don’t think this is really the design point. Thoughts?

I once had the same “dorky” question about thinner boards like this:

A few years ago, I made a simple MDF sled that has worked great.

I put the board on the bottom of the sled against the heel like this:

Then I am all set:

Be safe and have fun.

-- "Melodies decaying in sweet dissonance." - I. Anderson

That’s a great tip/jig Chuck – thanks. I’ve always been scared to joint the thinner boards because I think they’re going to catch and chatter and then explode into a bajillion pieces. Your backer board looks like it solves that problem.

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Great tip Chuck! Keep em coming.

-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm