Guarding a jointer

[HANK METZ]

I bought a 1950’s 6” Delta/ Rockwell jointer from a Craigslist seller for $30, a sweet machine but this is not a gloat today, it’s about bringing it up to date safety- wise. The problem I had with it is identified by the black electrician’s tape wrapped around the power cord about midway up in the image; she tried to eat it on me one day, so getting the message I pondered how to fabricate a guard, you know, with the nice radius arching over and under the pulleys. Kerf bend; cut segments and assemble; saw out the sections from flat? Nope, it occurred to me that a tool rest for my push blocks would also be handy to have built into it too, so I made it a simple rectangle, with the bottom corners clipped to allow operating the casters.

In this image, it shows the inside detail of the 1/8” hardboard which was laid out for the pulley’s centers. Their radius was then scribed and finally a ¼” clearance was added so that’s what I built the framework to.
Guard Rear.jpg



To aid in locating the guard mounting holes for the fairing blocks’ which I had fastened to the frame, I bored out for the motor shaft which had plenty of length as a support, and used an awl to find the cutter head shaft center, then ran a drill through the guards’ pre- bored mounting holes, thus getting a perfect alignment.
Align Top.jpg


The other safety feature I incorporated was the remote reach rod for the on/ off function, seen mid- frame left, under the fence locks.
Final Shot.jpg


My push blocks are a repurposed grout float, foreground, and a custom made pusher with a tail hook, sporting an old purple computer handle, which is real easy to find in the shop BTW, thanks to the goofy color. I applied shelf liner to both tools for added friction, and if I ever tile again the float gets re- repurposed.

Push Blocks.jpg


The whole thing had one unexpected bonus too; it ran much quieter than before, I suppose the belt moving in free air must’ve gave out with some noise of it’s own.

- Beachside Hank
The use of nails in fine furniture is to be abhorred- drywall screws are preferred.

[Van Huskey]

Pretty cool, sometimes simple is just perfect!

[glenn bradley]

Dad has that jointer and has it positioned against a cabinet back for safety. A shop re-org may get it relocated and we were discussing the exposed belt path. Great solution. I will be sure to share it with him.

[Lee Schierer]

I have the same jointer with the same problem. I have a home made belt guard. You might also want to modify the pork chop style cutter guard like my Dad did to the one I know own as shown in this post..

[Bob Lloyd]

Creative solution and at $30 is a sweet deal!

[HANK METZ]

I like that Lee, simple, efficient, economical, everything a winning design needs, I never got the design intent of the pork chop blade guard, I figure the originator must've been enamored of center cuts bone- in.

One other improvement to the jointer is the dust collection. For small runs I just put a box under the chute and dump it in the trash, but for bigger jobs I hook it to my D.C. hose with a guillotine that simply slides down the legs and nests in the hose coils, holding it fast without clamps, pickup horns, quick connects, etc. It just snorts up the shavings at the source and is on/ off in seconds:
jointer collector.jpg

- Beachside Hank
The use of nails in fine furniture is to be abhorred- drywall screws are preferred.

[Bill White]

Guards? You wuss!!!
You better know that I'm jokin'.
Great haul, and a really good solution.
Hey! I'm into anything that will keep my digits outa stuff that spins and cuts.
Bill