5.It is recommended when replacing knives that you clean the knife slots in the cutterhead. Remove the gib along with the gib screws, and remove the two springs. Clean the cutterhead slot of any debris or dust that might prevent the knife from seating properly. Also clean the gib, gib screws, and springs. Closely inspect the gib screws – if the threads appear worn or stripped, or if the heads are becoming rounded, replace the screws.
6.
7.Place the new or resharpened knife into the slot as shown in Figure 18, making sure the direction of the knife is correct.
8.Place the knife setting gauge (provided) upon the cutterhead and centered over a knife, as shown in Figure 19. Make sure the feet of the knife setting gauge rest solidly upon the cutterhead and that its handle is parallel to the cutterhead. The gauge is now holding the knife at proper depth.
9.While keeping the knife setting gauge in place, tighten the six gib screws just enough to hold the knife in position. Start with the center screws first, and work your way toward the end screws.
10.Repeat steps 3 through 9 for the other two knives in the cutterhead. Make the gib screws just tight enough to hold the knives
in position. | Figure 19 |
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With all three jointer knives in the cutterhead, |
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the knives should now be tightened |
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incrementally to prevent any buckling or |
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distortion of the cutterhead. Proceed as follows: |
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11.Rotate the cutterhead to each knife in turn, tightening the gib screws a little more (center screws first, then toward the end screws). Do this at least twice; on the final rotation, firmly tighten all gib screws.
After replacing and checking knives, check again carefully. Make certain the direction of knives is correct, and all eighteen gib screws are tightened securely. Loose gib screws can result in knives being thrown from the cutterhead, causing severe damage to the machine and possible serious or fatal injury to the operator or bystanders.
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