Bevel cuts on jointer-Problems!!

[Mark Stutz]

I have recently been working on a small project that requires 20degree bevel cuts. Since I have the back of my contractor's saw "enclosed", I didn't want to take it apart to make the bevled cuts, and besides, the pieces were too short. I usually do short rips on the bandsaw, but decided I'd try this on the jointer. I set the face to 20 Deg. and started in. I knew it would take LOTS of passes, but after getting most of the way there I ended up with a beveled trapezoid instead of a rectangle

Normally, I have no problem with handling the jointer and it worked just fine with the fence square, both before and after. Any ideas what I did wrong? Feed pressure? I thought I was careful to hold it tight to the fence.

All suggestions welcomed!

[Todd Burch]

Mark, I suspect that it was downward pressure, not sideways pressure.

NEXT TIME (!!), draw a pencil line for where you want to end your cutting and watch it as you go. This will allow you to adjust as you go. A featherboard might help, as it would produce consistent pressure. I've never used a featherboard on my jointer, probably because there is no place to anchor one - although a magnetic one should work fine (don't have one - yet).

I've always been leery of using the jointer for the final "money" cut. There are SO many operations you can do with your tablesaw blade angled. Maybe you can redesign the enclosure to something that will allow you to get full value out of your saw.