Simple Points about using your Jointer

By: Gord Thorogood

When using your Jointer always keep the knives sharp. Dull knives will give poor finishes and can cause kickback. The cutting edges of the knives must always be parallel to the surface of the outfeed table and for normal jointing must be the same height as the outfeed table.

When using machines with adjustable in feed and outfeed tables, the outfeed table must be adjusted to match the height of the knives.

If the outfeed table is set too low, the tail end of the piece being cut will drop as it leaves the in feed table and the knife will take a bite out of the end of the stock. If the outfeed table is set too high, the piece being cut will gradually raise as it is fed through, causing the piece to have a taper.

Always use push pads when feeding the stock and avoid cutting materials less than 3/8" thick on the flat. As a rule of thumb, do not exceed cuts of 1/8" on the edge and 1/16" on the flats and do not attempt to joint pieces less than 12" long.

For best results always cut with the grain of the wood, so spend a moment to look at the material before deciding which end to start cutting. Always keep your hands safely away from the knives and avoid using materials that has loose knots or splits that can cause accidents.

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