planer knife setting jig

[Lumberman]

I have a Metabo 260 Planer/Thicknesser only a few months old, but I am dreading the day I have to change the planer blades. I understand it is quite a job getting the blade set right and getting them set to the correct height.
I wonder if it would be beneficial to purchase a setting jig for this purpose, I know they are quite expensive, would it be worth the outlay.

Harry.

 

[bosshogg]

How are the blades fixed in, it could be easier than you think...bosshogg

I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.
Albert Einstein 8)

 

[Digit]

Aren't they the double sided jobbies? Just turn them over and they self align don't they?

Roy.

 

[condeesteso]

Good question indeed. I have a Scheppach 250ci... but the issue is the same. An awful lot is written about setting planer blades, and many retailers will sell you jigs to 'help'.
But in all my experience it's easy and does not require a fancy jig. The basis is to accept the outfeed table is the datum, and the blades want to be dead true to that.
The quick and very close way is a piece of very straight hardwood, resting on the outfeed. Turn the cutter (cylinder with blades in) and feel / listen for the blade tip just touching the stock. Do that both ends of the blade and also check the middle. May take a few tweaks with the depth adjuster (allen keys on mine) but once it just touches you are within less than one thou. Then do the second blade the same.
Note, on mine the blades lock down with small bolts to their sides, and if I slacken those too much, just locking them down causes the blade to move. So just before adjusting, close the lock-bolts to a pinch... the blade can be adjusted but it's quite tight in its slot.
If you get fussy... a small sheet of plate glass, some WD40. Spray the top of the outfeed, wet the underside of glass, lay that on the outfeed, adjust the blades til the full width of blade breaks the WD40 meniscus. Do that and you are within about 2 tenths of a thou. That is close enough for me.
And please, don't get drawn into buying some 30 quid setting jig, especially if it has any magnets in it. Magnets near blades for wood is plain bad.

 

[Harbo]

The blades are secured by a row of bolts/screws.
Mine came with a setting template which allows you to get pretty close then I check with the moving ruler technique.
Douglas's method does sounds interesting though?

Rod

 

[Lumberman]

Thanks everybody for the info, much appreciated. The particular jig I was looking at costs around 60quid, will wait and see first when blades need replacing. I will print out your suggestions and refer when the time comes.

Harry.

 

[TheTiddles]

Setting the blades is easy, not cutting your fingers really, really badly every single time I find much harder

Aidan

 

[condeesteso]

Aiden, that's good though. If you didn't do that you would need to change the blades (being blunt like).

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Magnets near blades for wood is plain bad.

Why?

 

[RogerS]

If your machine can take them then go for the turnblades from Doug (Cutting Solutions). You only have to set them once...that's it..end of story. No more sharpening, just turn them over and when the second edge has gone simply slip in another set.

 

[Doug B]

I tried quite a few methods for setting knives over the years but never found a happy trade off between time taken & accuracy achieved, particularly as my surface planer has the knives slightly skewed across the block.

I finally came up with this, which is not only quick but extremely accurate.

It just sits on the block, i manually rotate the block backwards & set the new blades to a known height which means i don`t have to alter any other settings on the machine.

HTH


Cheers.

 

[RogerP]

................The basis is to accept the outfeed table is the datum, and the blades want to be dead true to that.
The quick and very close way is a piece of very straight hardwood, resting on the outfeed. Turn the cutter (cylinder with blades in) and feel / listen for the blade tip just touching the stock. Do that both ends of the blade and also check the middle. May take a few tweaks with the depth adjuster (allen keys on mine) but once it just touches you are within less than one thou. Then do the second blade the same.................

This is the method I use, so easy, and I can't explain it better than Douglas has

 

[condeesteso]

re magnets Jerome - may just be me (to be ignored then) - but I try and keep them away from the 'shop as anything that becomes magnetic eventually finds bits of iron / steel stuck to it... I just hate that. I do sometimes use fine steel wool on things and it makes very fine steel dust... crops up in the strangest places. But as I say it's probably just me.

 

[Digit]

True, but Rutlands, amongst others, sell de-magnetisers.

Roy.

 

[MickCheese]

................The basis is to accept the outfeed table is the datum, and the blades want to be dead true to that.
The quick and very close way is a piece of very straight hardwood, resting on the outfeed. Turn the cutter (cylinder with blades in) and feel / listen for the blade tip just touching the stock. Do that both ends of the blade and also check the middle. May take a few tweaks with the depth adjuster (allen keys on mine) but once it just touches you are within less than one thou. Then do the second blade the same.................

This is the method I use, so easy, and I can't explain it better than Douglas has

I also use this method but have heard that the blades should be set a tad above the outfeed table height. I tried this and just got tapered boards. Went back to height of the outfeed table and my sanity was restored. To me it make perfect sense the way I do it but can someone explain why it is some people set their blades high? Or have I just misunderstood?

Mick

 

[chippy mark]

I also set the blades level with the outfeed table, the instructions that came with the planer suggest setting them higher but this let to terrible snipe so I re-set them level

 

[Jacob]

I've got the jig which came with the machine (Minimax) and it's very good. But I wouldn't bother if you haven't got one as its dead easy as per condeesteso's piece of hardwood.
Another way is to set in and out feeds dead level and rest a steel rule over the gap. Set the blades so that when you turn the block the blade lifts the rule and shifts it along a fixed amount say 2 or 3mm. The precise amount depends on the rule and a bit if trial and error but once you have it you do it the same every time.

Don't bother with gadgets they make it harder!

 

[RogerP]

................The basis is to accept the outfeed table is the datum, and the blades want to be dead true to that.
The quick and very close way is a piece of very straight hardwood, resting on the outfeed. Turn the cutter (cylinder with blades in) and feel / listen for the blade tip just touching the stock. Do that both ends of the blade and also check the middle. May take a few tweaks with the depth adjuster (allen keys on mine) but once it just touches you are within less than one thou. Then do the second blade the same.................

This is the method I use, so easy, and I can't explain it better than Douglas has

I also use this method but have heard that the blades should be set a tad above the outfeed table height. I tried this and just got tapered boards. Went back to height of the outfeed table and my sanity was restored. To me it make perfect sense the way I do it but can someone explain why it is some people set their blades high? Or have I just misunderstood?

Mick

I first read of this method some while ago and the author of the article said to lay a piece of ordinary printer paper on the out-feed table so as to set a thou or so above the table. I'll give a link to the original article later - if I can find it.

EDIT here. - the last five paragraphs on the first page.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

re magnets Jerome - may just be me (to be ignored then) - but I try and keep them away from the 'shop as anything that becomes magnetic eventually finds bits of iron / steel stuck to it... I just hate that. I do sometimes use fine steel wool on things and it makes very fine steel dust... crops up in the strangest places. But as I say it's probably just me.

OK I understand your point.

I think that I will still use a magnetic jig. For those who want to use one there is a good video at Jords wood shop he uses magnetic jigs and a dial indicator. I now feel that I can also easily reset my blades.

 

[condeesteso]

re setting the blades a thou or so above the outfeed - I had a read and the guy knows his onions. But unless I missed it he doesn't explain why he does that. I have always set dead level to the outfeed and my problem is it works fine for me, so I'm reluctant to change without understanding why, and I don't get the logic of it. If anyone can cast light I'd be keen to understand, then I may give it a go.