SAW Blades & Depth of CUT

All of the saw blades currently designed for the Jointmaker Pro contain between 350 and 460 teeth over their length. Because the blade is inclined (the front of the blade is lower than the back of the blade) in relation to the table surfaces, each tooth bears the exact same workload.

For example, a piece of walnut with a 1/2” x 1/2” cross-section can be cut in half with one stroke using the standard crosscut blade. To correctly set the blade for this cut, you would adjust the blade so that the first couple of teeth are below table height, and the last tooth of the saw blade is set with the pitch adjustor to approximately 1/32” above the stock of the wood. With the stock held firmly against the fence, one stroke and the cut is complete, smooth and accurate. See the Cutting Guide page 20 for more details.

This example is possible because the standard JM-P crosscut blade has approximately 400 teeth. Using the stock and set-up described above, each tooth of the saw has a chip load of just over one one-thousandth of an inch (.5/400 = 0.00125”). It is the combination of the chip load, precise linear movement and blade rigidity that makes Jointmaker Pro cuts unparalleled in quality or accuracy.

For wider stock (where more teeth are simultaneously engaged with the stock), multiple passes are required utilizing a smaller depth of cut per pass.

For example, 1/2” thick walnut 4” in width would dictate that you set the saw up with the first couple of teeth below table height (using the hand crank at the front of the JMP) and the last tooth approximately 1/16” above the table (using the Pitch Adjustor). With this set-up, it will take 8 passes to cut the stock in half. Be- tween each pass the blade is raised approximately 1/16”. In this situation, the 400 teeth are required to cut approximately 1/16th of material per pass. The chip load is now one ten-thousandth of an inch (.0625/400) per tooth! However, because the board is 4” in width, more teeth are engaged during each pass creating more resistance. More resistance requires smaller bites for the cuts to feel almost effortless.

The only “guide” we can provide for tailoring your technique to accommodate the myriad of different species and sizes of wood is to emphasize that the effort required to cut any wood should be minimal. Harder material or wider stock requires smaller bites and more passes. If you are overly aggressive, you will dramati- cally shorten blade life and the quality of your cuts will suffer. After a short “getting acquainted” period all of this will become second nature.

As a reference, one full revolution of the crank handle raises the blade exactly .055” or slightly less than 1/16”. You will discover that extremely dense woods will require blade height adjust- ments as small as 1/8 of a revolution between cuts and some softwoods can be cut with 3 full revolutions for each pass! It is your job to discover the optimal settings for ease of use accord- ing to your own preferences and applications.

You will soon discover the general purpose cross-cut blade that ships with the JM-P will do the majority of cuts (.4mm x 28). The 16 tooth rip blade is useful for cutting tenons and dovetails if you have many to cut. The .3mm crosscut is ideal for small stock but does not track well in deep cuts (it is so thin it will follow the density changes of the wood being cut).

You will know when your blade is dull because of the resistance you sense with cutting or the quality of the cut is not smooth to the touch. Blades are not designed to be sharpened—they are disposable. Replacement blades can be found at; www. bridgecitytools.com or by calling 1-800-253-3332.

NOTE: Please visit www.bridgecitytools.com to view the Joint- maker Pro videos!

THE FENCES AND HAND PLACEMENT

The Jointmaker Pro utilizes two fences that are normally bridged by a sacrificial wooden fence. The only time you do not use both tables is when you are cutting face miters.

There are two sacrificial fences, one is straight and the other has an angled face. Use the straight fence for joinery and the trap fence for crosscuts. We recommend the fences be locked in the forward position for all cuts of 4” or less in width. For stock wider than 4 inches, slide the fences to the back position.

When possible, your hands should be directly over the center of the dovetailed ways on each side of the saw blade. As your ex- perience with the saw grows, you will learn that you can use one hand to make your strokes and the other will be raising the blade on the return stroke. This combination is efficient and fast.

We recommend that your first cuts be made with both hands employed during the sawing strokes.

NOTE: The table tops are orange for a reason; you can write on them with a pencil. For example, once you have the fence set to 90 degrees, you can scribe a pencil line along the fence and use this line as a reference. Please visit our website to view the video on how we set angles on the Jointmaker Pro.

STUPID MISTAKES WE HAVE MADE

We have ruined several blades because of human error. Please review this section to learn from our mistakes.

•MAKE SURE THE KEEL, THE FENCES, AND YOUR CLAMPS are all TIGHT before sawing. This will eliminate 80% of the mistakes we have made.

•Lower the blade below table height after each session. Hori- zontal surfaces attract things, and the blades are easily dam- aged with contact by metal objects or heavy wood.

•It is helpful to have an old toothbrush nearby to periodically clean wood fibers that may be embedded in the gullets of the blade. This is particularly helpful when using the rip blade.

•Lastly, enjoy the fact that you are the motor. Let the saw do the work and use as many passes as needed to accomplish your tasks. WE GUARANTEE that aggressive sawing techniques are going to be expensive for you.