Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Freeing up jointer tables question.
Barry Irby
I have a Delta Rockwell 6" long bed jointer I bought new in 1971. The mechanism that adjusts the table height has become stiff. the wheels are on the side, not under the tables like some I have seen on the internet.
Any insight on how to clean and free up the adjustment?
Re: Freeing up jointer tables question.
John K Jordan
Take it apart, clean, lubricate, smooth any rough spots, reassemble?
Re: Freeing up jointer tables question.
Mark Nowicki
Take a sledge hammer, preferably 5lbs or heavier, and hit either the in-feed or the out-feed table at the furthest distance from the cutter.
Shouldn't take more that two hits to free it up.
Re: Freeing up jointer tables question.
Barry Irby
John, I was afraid you were going to say that.
Wonder where you start?
Mark, I was afraid you were going to say that.
Re: Freeing up jointer tables question.
Philip Duffy
The new WD-40 Penetrating oil has worked incredibly well for me on 2 pieces of steel that seem welded (almost). After a 5 min break for a coffee they came loose with a simple twist of a wrench. Try it , and no, I do not own stock.
Re: Freeing up jointer tables question.
Mark Nowicki
Once you get freed up by whatever method you choose, lubricate with FLUID FILM. (Not a share holder)
Re: Freeing up jointer tables question.
John K Jordan
For stuck parts I start by dousing or soaking in PB Blaster. It comes in a squirt bottle but I buy it by the gallon. Soak, tap smartly with a ball peen hammer hammer to create vibrations, soak more.
JKJ
We are answering the wrong question, help
Barry Irby
The pieces will move, but are very stiff. I am afraid if I don't do something I will wring off the handle or worse. It might be as simple as lubrication, but I suspect I need to disassemble it and clean it.
The question is How does it come apart? Do I remove the fence to get it out of the way and then raise the table until it comes off? Or is there some other way to get it apart? Or Lower it until it falls off?
Its a Rockwell 37-220 6" long bed jointer. Identical to the Delta machines of the era. It's mounted on an enclosed stand so I can't see under it. Well maybe I could send my cell phone in for a look. Just trying to figure out the attack.
Re: Freeing up jointer tables question.
roger lance
Barry.....your jointer may be like a DJ-15 or DJ-20 which have a pair of positive stop screws on the back side of the jointer on both infeed and outfield tables.
If these screws/nuts have become tightened down.....the tables will be restricted in their ability to be moved/adjusted.
Check for these before using the sledge hammer.
Re: Freeing up jointer tables question.
William Duffield
Nope. Barry's is a wedge bed jointer, not a parallelogram jointer. Completely different design.
Re: We are answering the wrong question, help
Mark Nowicki
Look at the parts diagram and take it from there.
https://www.ereplacementparts.com/delta-37220-type-634-jointer-parts-c-3275_7655_13881.html
They are supposed to be stiff
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
It takes two hands on the wheel to move mine. If not stiff the adjustment will change in use. sCan you visit another machine to get calibrated?
Re: They are supposed to be stiff
TomD
Don't they have locks on them? Still can be a 2 hander though.
Re: They are supposed to be stiff
Barry Irby
Mine have gotten Way past stiff. They were so difficult to adjust it took two hands and a lot of effort. About ninety percent of the time I leave it set at about a 1/16" and I could get it to be less but if I tried for a heavier cut I was in fear of stripping threads, wringing something off or breaking something.
Tonight I blew it out and was somewhat surprised at the amount of ancient crud I got out of it. I realize most of that would not restrict the movement, but apparently some of it did. After blowing and vacing I lubed it with some penetrating oil. It really helped. Now it is just stiff. Sort of pleasantly stiff. I checked the outfeed table and the height seems good, so I left it alone.
Now I need to free up the set screw that sets the fence to ninety degrees. Its off about a degree. The diagram shows a Allen head screw, but my machine has a slotted one. I need to make or find a very accurately ground screw driver. It wanted to cam out. I have it soaking with penetrating oil.
Maybe I should not be too upset. I've owned this machine about 45 years. Cleaning it and lubing it once every forty five years is not bad.
There is a locking knob on the back side fo the machine. Maybe I will have to get into the habit of using it.
slotted screws
John K Jordan
>>>. I need to make or find a very accurately ground screw driver. It wanted to cam out. I have it soaking with penetrating oil.
I bought a set of gunsmith screwdrivers which are precision flat ground. Grip very well. I have flat ground my own a custom size for a good fit as needed.
Also, back when I worked on motorcycle engines a lot a hand-held manual impact driver was my best friend. A lot of screws were Philips then which were notorious for stripping the heads. I would cut a slot across the top of the screw and use the impact driver with a flat bit, smacking with a hammer. The combination of shock from the impact, strong downward rotational force, and penetrating oil never failed to remove an otherwise impossible screw.
Mine looks a lot like this. https://www.amazon.com/Lisle-29200-Hand-Impact-Tool/dp/B0002NYDRG These things last forever.
I always replace problem screws with socket (allen) screws.
JKJ
Re: slotted screws
Barry Irby
That's my plan, get the screws out and replace them with Allen screws. That way, in another 46 years when I decide to adjust it again, I can.
Re: We are answering the wrong question, help
William Duffield
I the diagram Mark provided from ereplacementparts.com, each of the tables slide on a ramp machined into the bed. The fit between the table and bed is adjusted with a wedge shaped gib (part # 38) and two gib screws (part # 37). If the gib screws are too loose, the tables will wiggle on the ways and won't stay parallel to the cutter head knives, but if they are too tight (or full of crud or rusty) the tables will be restrained in their movement up and down.
Lee Valley has these screw drivers......
Bill Tindall, E.Tn.
Some years ago I fussed at Mr. Lee for offering screws and not a decent screw driver to drive them. Lee Valley responded to this need with precision ground screw drivers. I reviewed them here some time ago. They fit so accurately that a screw can be held by the friction fit.