1.Disconnect machine from power source.
2.Remove the belt guard so that you can rotate the cutterhead by turning the motor pulley or by moving the drive belt. Do not grab the cutterhead itself to rotate it.
3.Remove the old knives by loosening gib screws with an 8mm wrench, and allowing the springs to push the knife upward. Remove knife and gib.
4.Clean the gib and the knife slot. Sandwich new knife and gib together and drop into slot. Make sure the knife is oriented properly as shown in Figure 16.
IMPORTANT: To position the knives for rabbet cuts, take a shop scale with 1/32" graduations and place it against the end of the cutterhead. See Figure 17. Slide the knife out until it is at the 1/32" mark on the scale; that is, the knife will now be 1/32" beyond the edge of the cutterhead. The gib should remain in normal position, even with the edge of the cutterhead. This adjustment will ensure that the knife clears the end of the gib and cutterhead, and has good contact with the workpiece. (See under “Basic Jointer Operation” for further information on rabbeting procedures.)
5.The height of the knife in the slot, both for rabbeting and normal jointer work, must now be set properly, to ensure correct operation as well as minimize the hazard of kickback. Proceed as follows:
6.Rotate the cutterhead (using the belt or pulley) until the tip of the knife is at the top of the cutterhead arc. Place the knife setting gauge (Figure 18) over the cutterhead so the tip of the knife contacts the center of the gauge, and all four "feet" of the gauge rest firmly upon the cutterhead, as the knife is pushed down into its slot. The gauge will position the knives at approximately .015" above the cutterhead. Knife height should not vary more
7.Tightening the gib screws should be done in increments, to prevent any distortion to the cutterhead or buckling of knives. While holding the gauge down on one knife, snug down the five gib screws, beginning with the center screw and working your way to the ends. Do not fully tighten yet.
8.Rotate the cutterhead to the next slot and repeat steps #6 and #7, only making the knives snug.
9.Repeat for the third knife.
Figure 17
(straight cutterhead only)
Figure 18
(straight cutterhead only)
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