Menu
What's new

How to prep jointer surface?

Dan Birnbaum

Dan Birnbaum

Member
Messages
31
Location
Frisco TX
Hi everyone, I've had my 6 inch jointer for about 1.5 years and it is time for some upkeep. It feels very clean but it has become increasingly difficult to slide the wood across the intake and outtake surfaces. I used to be able to easily glide the pieces across the tool but now I have to apply a lot of pressure to keep it moving. Like it's made of molasses.

I'm a maintenance rookie. Does it need a waxing or something?

Thanks for any insight!
-dan
 
Make darn sure the sharp blades are turned so you can't slice your fingers while putting the wax on, turn them, and then clamp the belt on the pulley to make sure they do not move!

Cheers!
 
Dan Birnbaum said:
Thanks for confirming my suspicions and I apologize for such a newbie question.

Any special tips for applying the wax?

Thanks,
-dan
Click to expand...
No apologies necessary for newbie questions. We've all had 'em at one point or another.

I've found if the table is gunked up, I like to apply the wax with 0000 steel wool. It seems to help loosen the crud. I also sometimes don't buff the surface afterwards, if I want to leave a thicker wax coating. (Like on my lathe beds before and after turning wet wood.) You can try it both ways and see which you like better. If you get it on thicker than you want, it comes off real easily with mineral spirits.
 
Definitely wax the tables, but what about the blades? Are they sharp?

Dull blades can make the workpiece harder to push across the machine - mainly because they're working harder to make the cut. If you've had the jointer for 1½ years, and haven't changed the blades yet then they're likely dull, and a significant part of your problem.
 
Dan Birnbaum said:
Thanks for confirming my suspicions and I apologize for such a newbie question.

Any special tips for applying the wax?

Thanks,
-dan
Click to expand...

Remove your guard and wedge your knives in a safe position (not exposed) before you begin. If I'm going after a surface that hasn't had attention in awhile (I usually wax about once a month whether it needs it or not) I will clean the surface first with mineral spirits on a synthetic pad. I mount the pad to a palm sander if things are really bad.

After cleaning just wipe it down with paper towels till they come away clean and then wax it up. When the wax just starts to fog wipe it off like the Karate-Kid. Repeat as desired and don't skimp on the fence.

Now that everything is all waxed up, check those knives. Are they razor sharp? If not pick up a new set to use while your old set is at the sharpeners. ;-)
 
Last edited:
I keep a green scotchbrite pad in the can of Johnsons Paste Wax I use for my machine tables. The wax has some ammonia or other cleaning solvent in it so I scrub the table as I'm applying the wax. Places where the pad wants to bite in, I scrub a bit more till it doesn't bite anymore. Give it a minute or three to dry just a bit, then buff it with a clean terrycloth shop towel. No need to let it dry and get crustee before buffing, it'll leave enough wax on the surface to suffice.
 
Thanks everyone! I'm off to find the paste wax today and I'll report back with the results. I believe my jointer blades are still quite sharp because it still provides a silky smooth surface but I'm sure that will be next on the to-do list.

I'm only a hobby woodworker so I can't imagine I've put more than 100 feet of wood through the jointer in the past year. However, I have been trying to finish a TV stand and need to put through a bunch of long boards for the top (the stand is 54" long). My last project was a bunch of smaller pieces so I hadn't noticed how sticky the surface had become since the smaller pieces are easier to handle.

Thanks again,
-dan

My last project (previously posted in another forum):
 

Attachments

  • DSC_4078b.jpg
    DSC_4078b.jpg
    77.1 KB · Views: 8
SC Johnson's Wax wins the prize. Thanks everyone.

Pros: 30 seconds = Time it took for my jointer to be like-new again and I also waxed the planer which was getting sticky too.

Cons: 2.5 hours = Time of driving around town to find the wax. The 4th store I visited had 2 cans. I bought them both.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top