What method/jigs are people using to set up planer knives

[Spectric]

Hi everyone

What method and or jigs are you using to set up planer knives, anyone got a magic solution?

 

[Lazurus]

I got the blade setting jig when on offer at Rutlands, https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+power-too ... ta+dkpnjig until then always used a flat edge and 2mm movement when turning the blade block, https://www.wikihow.com/Set-Planer-Blades worked for years like that with no issues. Yet to use the setting gauge so cannot comment if better or faster.

 

[Trevanion]

It's not exactly rocket science like some make out by using loads of gizmos and that nonsense.

Get a straight piece of wood, make two marks about 4mm apart on it. Set the piece of wood down on your outfeed table and line up the first mark with the very edge of the outfeed table, spin the cutter block until it grabs the piece of wood and pulls it along. You only want the knife to drag it from the first mark to the second mark on both (or however many) knives.

Knives set too low will result in the workpiece climbing the outfeed table and you will always end up with a tapered cut, same goes for the knives being set too high but it will just fly over the outfeed table and you'll end up with snipe on the end of your not very straight boards.

Edit: Basically everything Lazarus said above :lol:

 

[woodbloke66]

I got the blade setting jig when on offer at Rutlands, https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+power-too ... ta+dkpnjig until.

I use the same sort of jig from Ax; I can set three blades in my Jet 260 spot on in around ten minutes - Rob

 

[Spectric]

Hi all

I have tried the wood with marks but have found it is like chasing your tail, get one blade set then the others just don't follow. There seems to be so many opinions on these jigs that fit on the cutter drum, and I have not seen one so are they all the same or are some metal and others plastic which would reflect the price difference. I thought the jointer pal from Rockler looked like a good option but they won't ship this item to the UK.

 

[Jonathan S]

I have the Felder quick change system and its quick.... I wouldn't want to go back to the old way....these guys do something similar
https://www.armadillotools.co.uk/produc ... rsion-kit/

I think Doug at cutting solution does something simular..
http://www.cutting-solutions.co.uk

Jonathan



Sent from my SM-J530F using Tapatalk

 

[MikeJhn]

I use a piece of plate glass, just put it above the knives and tighten the bolts, no magic, no 0.25678mm projection just flush with the outfeed table, and I never get snipe.

 

[Doingupthehouse]

I got the blade setting jig when on offer at Rutlands, https://www.rutlands.co.uk/sp+power-too ... ta+dkpnjig until.

I use the same sort of jig from Ax; I can set three blades in my Jet 260 spot on in around ten minutes - Rob

+1. Same jigs, same planer, same results. Just make sure you get them set perfectly first time you use them and they’re reasonably fool-proof. Much less of a chore than the stick and pencil method. I find I now change my blades when needed rather than put it off.

Simon

 

[Eric The Viking]

Kity 439 P/T

It has non-ferrous, fixed tables with a narrow gap and fingers around the drum. I had a set of those magnetised things with a micrometer-style scale: completely unusable.

Like MikeJhn, I use a piece of plate glass or aluminium (latter doesn't blunt the knives if I'm clumsy), weighted down onto a clean sheet of copier paper on the outfeed table to get the lift. Very quick, no messing about, consistent, very cheap and easy to do. Actually the height isn't all that critical (two sheets are good too).

Have to say too, that I try not to mess with the infeed table height. As set now, it works and I leave well alone as much as possible. The thicknesser is a bit of a clumsy beast: I do get snipe, for which I've never managed to track down the cause (yes I know all the usual things to look at), and the ribbed rollers will imprint if I try to be too gentle, which is really annoying (and they press chippings into the surface of softwood too, which is infuriating).

Worth saying the outfeed table and paper and plate of whatever all need to be really clean - no sawdust anywhere near to lift anything up.

E.

 

[MikeK]

I use a piece of plate glass, just put it above the knives and tighten the bolts, no magic, no 0.25678mm projection just flush with the outfeed table, and I never get snipe.

This is a great idea, but might not be ideal for the initial setup of a P/T if the planer outfeed table and thicknesser base are not parallel.

I'm still setting up my P/T as it was received when new, and nothing was properly aligned. However, once I get it the way I want it, I will use this method when changing the blades.

 

[El Barto]

I use a combination of the straight piece of wood with pencil marks and magnetic jigs (the type with LEDs) to hold the blades in place.

 

[MikeJhn]

I use a piece of plate glass, just put it above the knives and tighten the bolts, no magic, no 0.25678mm projection just flush with the outfeed table, and I never get snipe.

This is a great idea, but might not be ideal for the initial setup of a P/T if the planer outfeed table and thicknesser base are not parallel.

So do you set your blades to the thickening bed?

 

[MikeK]

So do you set your blades to the thickening bed?

The reference point for my machine must be the one part that I can't adjust, which is the drum that holds the blades. The outfeed table will be set to the surface of the drum, as will the surface of the thicknesser bed. Aside from any variations in my dial gauge, if both surfaces are parallel to the drum, then they will also be parallel to the blades when I set the blades with respect to the outfeed table.

I haven't finished with it yet, but I removed the blades and am trying to set the thicknesser bed so it is parallel to the drum that holds the blades. My machine doesn't have easy adjustments for the thicknesser bed, so if it requires adjustment, I will have to shim it where it attaches to the base.

Once the drum and thicknesser base are set, I'll adjust the planer outfeed table so it is parallel to the edge of the drum. Then I'll make any adjustments to ensure the infeed and outfeed tables are co-planar. The planer outfeed table has four adjustment points, so this will likely be a time consuming process, since adjusting one corner affects the others. I think the thicknesser bed and outfeed table adjustments will be one-time setups.

From that point, I will certainly use your method, with a sheet of "calibrated" copy paper, to set the blade height with reference to the outfeed table.

 

[Sideways]

I use a piece of plate glass, just put it above the knives and tighten the bolts, no magic, no 0.25678mm projection just flush with the outfeed table, and I never get snipe.

What Mike said ...

 

[Spectric]

I like the idea of those blades with locators, will look into these and have also looked at those Shelix cutter drums but they don't do one for the PT107 but can manufacture but spending that much more means I could have had the Axminster with it already fitted. Brought one of those one way multigauges which allows you to see the height but does not help adjusting it, really well made and handy for other task.
Having spent probably another day on this P/T and still it cuts badly I am now rethinking. Being used to metal more than wood and working to tight tolerances has not helped, just how accurate should these blades be? I can see they all need to be parallel to the outfeed table and all three the same height otherwise one will end up doing most of the work but within ten thou or what?

 

[Eric The Viking]

I like the idea of those blades with locators, will look into these and have also looked at those Shelix cutter drums but they don't do one for the PT107 but can manufacture but spending that much more means I could have had the Axminster with it already fitted. Brought one of those one way multigauges which allows you to see the height but does not help adjusting it, really well made and handy for other task.
Having spent probably another day on this P/T and still it cuts badly I am now rethinking. Being used to metal more than wood and working to tight tolerances has not helped, just how accurate should these blades be? I can see they all need to be parallel to the outfeed table and all three the same height otherwise one will end up doing most of the work but within ten thou or what?

Did you try the glass-plate-plus-copier- paper method?

Any flat surface would do instead of a piece of glass. For example I have a piece of 5mm aluminium plate I intend to use next time. The wideness is important though, as it allows you to not worry about the blade along it's length - you can simply focus on getting everything snugged-up.

I did try the "measure at both ends" thing - it almost drove me nuts.

Don't forget (assuming the thicknesser table isn't adjustable)

1: check the drum is parallel to the thicknesser bed.
2: check the planer outfeed table is parallel to the drum.
3. Check the infeed table is in a parallel plane to the outfeed one.
4. Finally, set the knives to the correct height.

That should be foolproof (given I made it work!).

 

[MikeJhn]

The piece of plate glass I use to level the blades is U shaped, so once in place the fixings inside the U and then the outside ones tightened on removal of the glass, would work with aluminium plate as well.

 

[Spectric]

Hi all

Thanks for all the advice and help, it got my grey matter thinking and I brought the ESTA knife system from advanced machinery. This uses thin disposable blades that are reversible that sit in a narrow carrier which itself sits on the top edge of the cutter drum, very easy to fit and no setting up of the three knives required. You then adjust the out feed table to the knives which is much easier and once this is done future knife changes are very simple. Blades are £8.70 each but you get two edges so I think a good price. Big question is why don't all the manufacturers provide such an easy solution to blade setting, and people like Record machinery as it would cost them nothing as a manufacturer and deliver a selling point?

 

[Spectric]

Hi all

Well have sorted the problem with the system from

https://www.advancedmachinery.co.uk/mac ... system-382

The disposable blades are positivly located and held in the carrier by magnets and located in the drum by locators, took just five minutes to fit all three blades and all at the same height. Had to adjust outfeed table but now it is a simple task to change blades and cheaper than the OEM blades.

Thanks for all the advice it took me in the right direction,

 

[Seb]

Hi Roy

Those look really handy. I'd be interested in seeing if they are available for my Kity 1637 PT.

Presumably you have to buy a self set holder for each blade you'll need, i.e. if you've got a 2 blade machine as opposed to 3 you'd add two holders to your basket plus two blades. It doesn't look like they are a set, but I could be wrong.

Are you happy with the sharpness of the blades straight out of the packet? I usually have to spend a fair amount of time honing new blades when they arrive, but at least I can set them the same height no matter how out they may be to each other. With this system it's obviously a flip of the blades when blunt on on side, and then replaced after the second use, as sharpening them would put them out when relocating due to the self set?