Popular Woodworking 2001-10 № 124, страница 39

_PW

Recommends

machines with two knives in the cutterhead. All 6" jointers have three knives, while 8" and 12" jointers may have three or four knives. Except in rare situations, all jointers are shipped with high speed steel knives. Many woodworkers think these knives provide the best edge, but many commercial shops replace the knives with more expensive carbide knives, increasing the time between sharpenings and the ability to joint plywood edges.

Knife Setting a Pain

Setting jointer knives is one of the least loved woodworking tasks — second only to setting longer planer knives. The way those knives are set can make the job easier or harder. Setting can be done with either a magnetic knife-setting jig (using a magnet to lift the knife out of the cutterhead to the proper height), or jackscrew adjustment (lifting the knives to proper height by adjusting a set of jackscrews under the blade).We find both methods to be accurate.

Fence: Check for Twist

In addition to the tables on a jointer, the fence is another place where accuracy comes into play. The longer the fence, the better. More importantly, the flatter the better. We've seen a variety of jointer fences that either bow, dip or twist. This can throw off every joint you make. Whenever possible, check the fence for flatness before buying, but if that's not possible, make it the first thing you check when it arrives. If it's not flat, send it back.

Make sure it's easy to move the fence, either to adjust the amount of blade that's exposed, or to change the angle of the fence. Fences can be adjusted by loosening the locking handle and sliding the fence back and forth, or by adjusting a rack-and-pinion mechanism. The rack-and-pinion system is fairly new, but it's worth looking for. It makes it easier to adjust the fence accurately and with less effort. PW

occasional user

> Grizzly G1182 or 1182HW, Do yourself a favor and forget about buying a benchtop jointer. For a couple dollars more you can have a real cast-iron machine from Grizzly. We prefer the 1182HW, which uses hand-wheels instead of a lever to adjust the infeed bed, but both are outstanding machines.

serious home woodworker

» Jet JJ-6CSX, This 6" jointer has proven itself a worker with its beefy 1 hp motor.

» Delta 37-195, The rack-and-pinion fence and easily accessible switch make this 6" jointer a pleasure to use.

» Delta 37-380, This 8" jointer also has a rack-and-pinion fence. The switch is also conveniently located above the infeed bed.

» Jet JJ-8CS, Jet's 8" jointer has a magnetic switch, handwheel adjustment and nice long cast iron tables.

» Grizzly G1018, You can save several hundred dollars by taking a look at the Grizzly G1018 8" jointer. It has a lot of features you'll find on the big boy's machines.

advanced woodworker

A • "I

• Powermatic 60, This 8" jointer is the machine to beat and is a common sight in professional cabinet shops. Sure, it's expensive, but the reliability and accuracy of this machine prevents anyone from complaining.

• Bridgewood BW-12JD, This cast-iron 12" monster has been in use in our shop for a couple years now and has proven itself an accurate and durable machine. Once you use a 12" machine, you'll never want to go back.

These tools have been tested or used by

the editors of Popular Woodworking

and have earned their recommendation.