Jointer Fence Slightly Out of Square

[Gabriel Billings]

I bought a 6" Jet short bed jointer a few weeks ago. I finally got several free hours this last weekend and was able to get it completely set up. As best I can tell, everything is aligned perfectly except for the fence being off just a hair.

The infeed half of the fence is great. Approaching the end of the outfeed side, though, the upper part of the fence is tilted outwards just a hair. With an engineering square flat on the bed, I can just squeeze a piece of paper between the square and the fence, which I understand is around 0.003"-0.004". Is that within the realm of acceptability? Or should I call them up and tell them to send me a new fence?

[David DeCristoforo]

I'll bet a dollar to a donut that half of the replies will be "Yes! That's a disaster! Get a new fence!" and the other half will be like "What...? 3 thousandths??? Makes no difference at all". Actually, with the dollar being worth what it is I better make that ten dollars to a donut....

BTW, I'm in the "don't worry about a couple of thousandths" camp....

[Peter Quinn]

I've seen some beautiful things made on jointers with fences that were out worse than that, and I've seen few jointers whose fences remained dead square over their entire length over their entire life. I'd be most concerned about the square reference where you use it, just before and beyond the cutter head. If that area squares up I'd move on to working wood.

That would be one more vote for don't worry about it, and one vote for double chocolate glazed!

[Paul Simmel]

Know what? It only matters where you put your finger pressure anyway! Just hold the piece against the square part of the fence, and right over the cutter or just a hair past it means you're good to go. I can't remember that last time I put pressure all the way down the fence. Not an issue.

[Kim Spence]

My 8" longbed jointer has about 1/10 degree of twist in the fence according to a Wixey digital angle gauge. I've never had a problem with the results. I'm in the don't worry about it camp.

[Tom Esh]

I wouldn't worry about it. When edge jointing for panels the most important thing you can do is alternate your boards (which side faces fence) so any error is offset.

[David DeCristoforo]

Oooo... I'm losing. Come on, where are all the "precision freaks" when you need them....

[Joe Jensen]

I wouldn't worry about it. When edge jointing for panels the most important thing you can do is alternate your boards (which side faces fence) so any error is offset.

As long as the error isn't too great. If it is, the boards will creep when clamped. I didn't realize that my jointer fence had moved out of square and when I did a glueup I quickly realized the jointer was out...joe

[Tom Esh]

As long as the error isn't too great. If it is, the boards will creep when clamped. I didn't realize that my jointer fence had moved out of square and when I did a glueup I quickly realized the jointer was out...joe

Not sure I follow. Are you talking about a panel glueup without anything to maintain alignment? No way the gods of WW would ever let me off that easy.

[Joe Jensen]

Not sure I follow. Are you talking about a panel glueup without anything to maintain alignment? No way the gods of WW would ever let me off that easy.

I don't use any joints or biscuits for glue ups. Put some C-Clamps along the joints with plastic blocks on both sides of the clamp. I never had much luck with biscuits holding tight tolerances for clamping. I may try now with the Domino...joe

[Mike Cutler]

Oooo... I'm losing. Come on, where are all the "precision freaks" when you need them....

Okay. We're all of the measuring devices traceable to NIST standards, with QA cert's and pedigree's?,,

Gabriel
You won't have a problem. I have the same jointer and my fence is out a little more than that, and has not been an issue. Wood won't maintain it's dimension within that value overnite anyway.

[Todd Bin]

I can't believe they sent you a fence 0.003 out. I though machine shops were better than that. Send it back and get a full refund.

That was really for David. I wouldn't want him to lose a dough-nut.

Couldn't you just shim the fence if you thought 0.003 was a big deal. A piece of paper (or playing card) is about 0.004 and tissue paper is about 0.001. or if you want someting a little more substantial (and expensive) you could use a feeler gauge.

ONe last option. You could always take one swipe with the Lie-Nielson No. 95 bronze edge plane. It would square the edge and get rid of all those little planer ridges. I know (gasp) we are talking about a hand tool (gasp).

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I'm in the precision camp here.

However, I will bet you a whole dollar (that's what - an ear of corn ?) that if you (1) verify the measurement of the imperfection of the twist in the fence as .003" to .004" and (2) called Jet and complained. That they would probably offer to replace it (as a good faith gesture) while telling you that the amount of run out you have is well within their manufacturing tolerance specs.

[Jeff Duncan]

OK I'll take a different route completely, you say the infeed side of the fence is perfect (or close enough anyway) and on the outfeed side it's off by .003-.004? Are you sure your outfeed table isn't the real culprit?
I'm guessing your outfeed table is off of being perfectly aligned to your infeed table by about a thousandth of an inch causing your discrepancy.
Not a big deal, I believe, IIRC, the Jet manual gives an overall tolerance of .005 for the tables, still making you well within the limits. If you've established that your jointers tables are flat, then you can take the fence lay it down on one table and you should see any twist if it's there.
As far as replacing it, I agree with Cliff, just remember your dealing with a budget line of imported machines, the next one you get may be worse than the one you have now.
good luck,
JeffD

[Steve Clardy]

I sure wouldn't loose any sleep over it.