Delta DJ-20 Chatter

[Jim Foster]

I have a lot of chatter with a DJ-20. I set the blades recently with the Magnaset or (Name) and the blades seem pretty good. I also had them sharpened before installation. I am thinking the chatter might be the belt. Can anyone confirm this. Also, I googled "Link Belts" but could not find anything. Any help/advice would be appreciated.

I have taken a 4 yr hiatus from woodworking and used to set the blades the "old fashion way" and I alway thought the chatter was my lack of accuracy. After setting them and spending an hour or so confirming that they are pretty good, the only place I can think of that the chatter is from is he belt, or the bearings.

[Matt Armstrong]

I have a lot of chatter with a DJ-20. I set the blades recently with the Magnaset or (Name) and the blades seem pretty good. I also had them sharpened before installation. I am thinking the chatter might be the belt. Can anyone confirm this. Also, I googled "Link Belts" but could not find anything. Any help/advice would be appreciated.

I have taken a 4 yr hiatus from woodworking and used to set the blades the "old fashion way" and I alway thought the chatter was my lack of accuracy. After setting them and spending an hour or so confirming that they are pretty good, the only place I can think of that the chatter is from is he belt, or the bearings.

The nice thing about the DJ-20 is that you can adjust the bed precisely. Improper angling of the infeed bed (or outfeed, I suppose) could potentially cause some chatter. I recommend checking the alignment of the beds (not just height, but angle of attack, etc)...

you know, in addition to the belt and motor and all that.

[Barry Vabeach]

Jim, so I said to myself, this guy can't find a link belt on google, what a moron ... then I tried it- oops. We call it a link belt but the real name is power twist or v link - here is one link http://www.amazon.com/Power-Twist-V-...ref=pd_cp_hi_2
though you should be able to find it elsewhere for a little less. I am a big fan of the link belt, but I doubt that is your problem - do you notice a lot of vibration when the jointer is on? link belts can lessen that vibration. Have you tried taking a light cut at an extremely slow feed rate, and then another board at a more normal speed. More than likely the first will be pretty clean and the second will show more ripple or chatter - meaning that not all 3 knifes are adjusted to exactly the same height. There are warring camps - stick method, v. dial indicator method - but either way, you should recheck the height of the knives - most likely that is the problem.

[Chip Lindley]

Chatter? Do you mean machine vibration? Or, do you mean uneven knife marks on stock after jointing? Please elaborate!

(For Me) the DJ20 is ONE machine which suffered worse with a PowerTwist belt than with a regular V-belt!! There was not enough clearance between the opening in the base beneath the pulley guard, and the PowerTwist slapped the metal on every RPM!

If your jointer has set idle for FOUR years, during your haitus, the old belt probably has a bad *set* to it. Try a fresh Dayco or Gates belt from your local auto parts store and see the difference!

Erratic-knife-marks *chatter*, is caused by one knife set higher than others! The use of a MagnaSet to set knives on a jointer with *jack screws* does not make particular sense to me. IMO, knives should be set with reference to the outfeed table, NOT the cutter head! (we are assuming infeed and outfeed tables are coplanar)

Adjust your knife height in relation to the outfeed table. The knives should be set only .001"-.002" above the outfeed table surface. This can be done so very easily with an allen wrench and a block of wood, while gibs are loose. Adjust knife height until all knives grab the wood evenly at each end.

While you are at it, check that bolts holding the bearing journals to the frame of the jointer have not worked loose! This could also cause bad *chatter* under load!
GoodLUCK!

[Paul Johnstone]

Look at your belt. If you haven't used the machine in 4 years, it may have developed "memory" and be distorted from having tension in the same position for 4 years. This happened with a lathe of mine that I seldom used.

Now when my lathe is not in use, I change the speed control setting to release tension on the blet to avoid this happening again.

I am assuming you are getting vibration when the machine is turned on, without joining wood? Or when you say "chatter" do you mean something else.

[Jim Foster]

Chatter? Do you mean machine vibration? Or, do you mean uneven knife marks on stock after jointing? Please elaborate!

(For Me) the DJ20 is ONE machine which suffered worse with a PowerTwist belt than with a regular V-belt!! There was not enough clearance between the opening in the base beneath the pulley guard, and the PowerTwist slapped the metal on every RPM!

If your jointer has set idle for FOUR years, during your haitus, the old belt probably has a bad *set* to it. Try a fresh Dayco or Gates belt from your local auto parts store and see the difference!

Erratic-knife-marks *chatter*, is caused by one knife set higher than others! The use of a MagnaSet to set knives on a jointer with *jack screws* does not make particular sense to me. IMO, knives should be set with reference to the outfeed table, NOT the cutter head! (we are assuming infeed and outfeed tables are coplanar)

Adjust your knife height in relation to the outfeed table. The knives should be set only .001"-.002" above the outfeed table surface. This can be done so very easily with an allen wrench and a block of wood, while gibs are loose. Adjust knife height until all knives grab the wood evenly at each end.

While you are at it, check that bolts holding the bearing journals to the frame of the jointer have not worked loose! This could also cause bad *chatter* under load!
GoodLUCK!

I'll get a new Gates Belt today and see if it improves. The baldes were set with a "jointer pal" that indexes the blades on the outfeed table. The chatter I am referring to is in the final cut, unless I move a bard really slow on edge it as a lot of deep chatter marks. When I check the blades with a piece of ground stock with respect to the outfeed table they are coming in either perfect or very close. If I do not need a link belt that would be great.

Jim, so I said to myself, this guy can't find a link belt on google, what a moron ... then I tried it- oops. We call it a link belt but the real name is power twist or v link - here is one link http://www.amazon.com/Power-Twist-V-...ref=pd_cp_hi_2
though you should be able to find it elsewhere for a little less. I am a big fan of the link belt, but I doubt that is your problem - do you notice a lot of vibration when the jointer is on? link belts can lessen that vibration. Have you tried taking a light cut at an extremely slow feed rate, and then another board at a more normal speed. More than likely the first will be pretty clean and the second will show more ripple or chatter - meaning that not all 3 knifes are adjusted to exactly the same height. There are warring camps - stick method, v. dial indicator method - but either way, you should recheck the height of the knives - most likely that is the problem.

It's funny how some things Google & some don't... Thanks. I'll certainly continue to check the knives, but so far they come up good when I do. I do it several ways, wit ha flat ground stock and with a precision square setting on the outfeed table and eyballing the way each end of each blade touches the square.

Look at your belt. If you haven't used the machine in 4 years, it may have developed "memory" and be distorted from having tension in the same position for 4 years. This happened with a lathe of mine that I seldom used.

Now when my lathe is not in use, I change the speed control setting to release tension on the blet to avoid this happening again.

I am assuming you are getting vibration when the machine is turned on, without joining wood? Or when you say "chatter" do you mean something else.

Thanks, I'll try a new belt and see if that helps.

[Jim Foster]

I used "Jointer Pals" which does set the blades it with respect to the outfeed table. (Mistaken name on "Magnaset") I'm getting uneven knife marks and a lot of vibration when starting and stopping the machine. When I checked the blades they are all very close, but I should probably put a dial gauge on them to check

Chatter? Do you mean machine vibration? Or, do you mean uneven knife marks on stock after jointing? Please elaborate!

(For Me) the DJ20 is ONE machine which suffered worse with a PowerTwist belt than with a regular V-belt!! There was not enough clearance between the opening in the base beneath the pulley guard, and the PowerTwist slapped the metal on every RPM!

If your jointer has set idle for FOUR years, during your haitus, the old belt probably has a bad *set* to it. Try a fresh Dayco or Gates belt from your local auto parts store and see the difference!

Erratic-knife-marks *chatter*, is caused by one knife set higher than others! The use of a MagnaSet to set knives on a jointer with *jack screws* does not make particular sense to me. IMO, knives should be set with reference to the outfeed table, NOT the cutter head! (we are assuming infeed and outfeed tables are coplanar)

Adjust your knife height in relation to the outfeed table. The knives should be set only .001"-.002" above the outfeed table surface. This can be done so very easily with an allen wrench and a block of wood, while gibs are loose. Adjust knife height until all knives grab the wood evenly at each end.

While you are at it, check that bolts holding the bearing journals to the frame of the jointer have not worked loose! This could also cause bad *chatter* under load!
GoodLUCK!

[Jeff Duncan]

The belt may help with vibration and that's certainly not a bad thing. But I don't believe it will make any difference at all in your cut. If it does, I'd guess you would have much bigger problems! Re-set your knives and you should be fine.
good luck,
JeffD

[Jim Foster]

I checked the knives, they are set very good. I have not been able to get a new belt to try yet. But... I took my machine apart a couple months ago and in checking it again for chatter I found all the small set screw that hold the parallel rods in place for the beds were loose. I know I tightened them, but to get them off in the first place I used a little thread cleaning fluid and I guess when I tightened them the remaining fluid allowed them to loosen up again. I've only made one test pass with it and "no chatter!" so I hope I have it resolved.

The belt may help with vibration and that's certainly not a bad thing. But I don't believe it will make any difference at all in your cut. If it does, I'd guess you would have much bigger problems! Re-set your knives and you should be fine.
good luck,
JeffD

[Larry Edgerton]

I would bet on the belt as well if it sat for four years. Belts are like bias ply tires, after too much time they take a set that will not come out. Buy a new belt, but get a machine belt, not an automotive belt. Automotive belts, at least all I have tried, have a thump in them.