First time lessons from the jointer..

[chopnhack]

So after replacing the motor on my jointer and aligning the belts, the tool is now humming away happily. Much less vibration, but I do believe in the future a link belt would make it even better. Some questions for the more seasoned jointer users here:

I noticed that when I increased the amount of down pressure I applied sniping at the end of a board was much more noticeable than when I simply let the board glide across with only the slightest of down pressure.

Do you put alot of pressure (more than 3lbs of force) just behind the cutterhead on the outfeed table?

Do you use only a little pressure behind the cutterhead?

Do something entirely different?

Thanks for your input.

[Tom Hintz]

The jointer looks like such a simple tool yet it is one of the most technique-dependent machines in the shop.
In short, you use as little pressure as you can and still keep the wood under control. If you push down hard enough you can flatten wood out on the jointer which will make a nice cut but the wood will spring back up when you let go so all you accomplished is to remove another layer of wood!
Snipe is caused by the knives being higher than the outfeed table. All of the jointer manufacturers I know of want the outfeed table to be flush with the knives at the highest point in their arc. Anything else compromises the cut.

I have a few jointer-related stories (in the Jointer section, ain't I tricky?) at the link below that have way more information than I can type out here. suffice it to say that learning to use a jointer right takes some time but the rewards are well worth it.

http://www.newwoodworker.com/basic/index.html

[Pappy]

Ditto on what Tom said. Jointers are deceivingly simple looking tools but probably one of the hardest tools to learn to use.

First, always work with the concave side down so material is removed from the ends or edges. I try to cut stock to near final dimensions before jointing. Second, learn to read the grain to avoid tear out.

Get lots of scrap and practice, practice, practice. Work with stock 18" - 24" minimum and use push blocks. Once you think you have it figured out, practice some more!

At all times, keep the fingers well clear of the spinning part in the middle. Their BITE is worse than their BARK! (DAMHIKT)

[cabinetman]

If the two tables are co-planer, and the knives are sharp and set right, operator technique can take advantage of the set up, or create a problem. An example: If a long heavy board is jointed, the feed in has a different application of balance than when its halfway through, and then again differently when the board gets near the end.

On feed in, the weight is supported only at the front table, while the operator balances and holds a majority of the weight. Halfway in, the weight is more proportioned by the front already on the outfeed table, and the rear on the infeed table. Nearing the end, the front is still on the outfeed table, but wants to get nose heavy as it runs out, causing the operator to be pushing down to compensate.

This scenario also applies to shorter and lighter stock, but is more paramount as to where the down pressure is applied through the course of running it through a pass. Ideally, the pressure throughout should be even, utilizing the length of the infeed and the outfeed for balance. Infeed and outfeed support distant from the beds could ideally help, but getting them exactly co-planer with the tables isn't easy.

As for a set up with the knives, I check the co-planer of the two tables with a straightedge when the knives are out. You can pick up a steel or aluminum yardstick 4' or 6' long at the home centers. These are usually 2" wide. They're cheap...usually less than $10. You can find them with straight edges.

On setup, to align, I use a thin piece of paper under a straight edge on the outfeed table, and rotate the head so the knife will scuff the paper. When it's the same at both ends, the knife gets tightened and then checked again.
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[natausch]

Not my technique, but works great.

To set the knifes at the same height of the outfeed table you need a pair of magnets and a glass plate, 1/4" thick, as wide as the jointer bed (6" or 8") and long enough to rest on the outfeed table and cover the top of the cutterhead. (6x12 or 6x9)

Set the plate on the outfeed table, rotate the cutter head so the knives are perpendicular. Loosen the knives and place the magnets on top of the glass plate on the fore and back of the cutterhead. Knives will move up to the level of the glass, tighten the screws and repeat with the other two sets of knives.

Assuming the glass plate is flat and you had them at 90 degrees before placing the magnets you'll be at exactly the same level.

[chopnhack]

Wow, Tom, I don't know how many times I have been to your site (wonderful by the way) and I didn't know you were a member here! Thanks for the awesome info.
Pappy some how I knew there was no way I would be able to control a 8' 2x6 so I did break down all my board to rough length and then I passed them all over the jointer and yes, I did notice when I just let it glide over the cutterhead there was absolutely no snipe. Really is that simple I guess! Thanks all for the info, I will go to the tablesaw next and rip the other side parallel and then on the sides that had some snipe I will cut to final dimension to cut out the snipe.