Jointers - Moving on Up

[Scott Coffelt]

Well, the buyer came by to pick up my Jet 6" jointer I had for sale, last Friday. Of course over the weekend, I needed a jointer... go figure. Anyways, I placed an order for the G0490 today, but it may be mid-March before I get it. I guess I better sharpen the planes cause if I need to use a jointer in the mean time it will be manual. I knew I would most likely be out of luck for a few weeks, but didn't want to wind up with two machines and space for one only. Shop seems so empty with out it. Oh well, a medium size aircraft carrier will be docking soon enough. Now, if Grizzly can only deliver when I am home in March and not when on family spring break vacation.

[John Kain]

Well, the buyer came by to pick up my Jet 6" jointer I had for sale, last Friday. Of course over the weekend, I needed a jointer... go figure. Anyways, I placed an order for the G0490 today, but it may be mid-March before I get it. I guess I better sharpen the planes cause if I need to use a jointer in the mean time it will be manual. I knew I would most likely be out of luck for a few weeks, but didn't want to wind up with two machines and space for one only. Shop seems so empty with out it. Oh well, a medium size aircraft carrier will be docking soon enough. Now, if Grizzly can only deliver when I am home in March and not when on family spring break vacation.

Help a newbie out please........what exactly are Parallelogram Beds? and how are they better?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

John.....you can do a search here using parallelogram beds or jointer and there are some very in depth discussions. But....

Most non-parallelogram beds on jointers slide on an angled dovetailed key. Thus as you adjust the beds up and down, they slide towards or away from the cutter heads. The dovetailed keys wear out eventually and these beds are tough to level and make parallel.

The parallelogram beds are just that and are easier to level and make co-planer and they maintain the same distance from the cutter head as they are adjusted up and down.