Jointer alignment question

[Greg Parrish]

So I recently installed a shelix head in my powermatic 54a jointer and I think I'm seeing a tapered cut that I don't remember with the straight blades. I could be wrong and it could have been there with the straight beads too but I can't remember.

With the straight blades I only worked with stock narrow enough to do an edge plane and a face plane which then produced a square corner to plane/cut the other two edges from. Last night I was trying to edge plane 2 pieces of walnut slab. The idea being joining them together into one table surface for a coffee table.

Since I can't run the face edges through my jointer (they are up to 13" wide and live edged), how do I get less taper? From reading I'm finding comments that the taper is normal so if that isn't the case then I need to try to shim something to improve alignment.

Any thoughts before I get started checking all of the alignment points and possible shim points? thanks.

[Jim Morgan]

Heavier cuts at the leading end than the trailing end may be due to the outfeed table being a few thousandths too high, in my experience.

[Al Launier]

Could you better describe the "taper"? Is it from end to end, or from side to side like a clapboard?

[Greg Parrish]

Side to side like a clapboard.

[Al Launier]

Side to side like a clapboard.

I had this problem very early on with my jointer. I couldn't get a board through the joint without it being side tapered. I thought it was my technique until I had an experienced woodworker try to joint a board. He had the same results.

I ended up buying a book (large paperback) entitled "Care and Repair of Shop Machine by John White ($19.95). It's an excellent book, I do recommend it strongly (I have no affiliation with the author or publisher) & it is a great reference. In it (page 32) he describes this particular problem & how to fix it. Turns out the tables required shimming. Once done I could joint boards. It was a relief to be able to count on this machine for woodworking.

You might try your library if this book is not available nearby. Hope this helps.