Newsgroups: rec.woodworking

kopca@mksol.dseg.ti.com (David J Kopca) writes:
>
>Please be kind, this is my first posting.

  Welcome!   I hope you have good experiences and keep posting!

>I just purchased a used Walker-Turner "6 jointer (its about 40
>years old).  I took the jointer to Porter Cable for a tune-up;
>however, they declined to work on it without a parts
>diagram/description.
>
>I am now trying to replace various parts.  So far, I have been able to
>replace all of the parts with mostly Delta jointer parts.  I
>brought a belt, Delta blades ($40), Delta screws that are used on
>blade clamps ($1.50 per), and a Delta wrench to go with the screws
>($8).
>
>Question 1:
>     Does anyone have a good (accurate) method for installing the
>     blades without purchasing the $58 Delta magnetic device?

  Tricky.

  The $58 Delta magnaset is the same $40 magnaset they sell in 
  Woodworker's supply magazine.  Or, you can use a straight piece of
  wood.   Or you can get WOODWORKING MACHINES from FWW and check out
  Tag Frid's method of setting blades (and sharpening them with a
  router).

  If you like the magnaset and you have an adjustable outfeed table,
  here is one for you:

  Instead of buying a magnaset for $45 (with tax) or $60 with tax for
  the delta version, I went to an electronics supply in Santa Clara
  and bough a pair of 1.5" long ceramic magnets for $2.00.

  The, I turned my blades until they were just shy of the outfeed table
  edge, laid the two magnets on the outfeed table with just enough hanging
  over to grip the blades, loosened the blade so the magnets could grip
  it, and viola!   Perfectly aligned blades.  For $2.00.

  Then, I adjust my outfeed table to be flush with one of the blades using
  a straight piece of wood and the job is done.   Took me 15 minutes to
  mount and adjust three new blades.

>
>Question 2:
>     I brought the jointer for $225.  The motor is in good working
>     condition.  Was it a good deal?

  Not bad.   An extremely cheap tiawan made jointer with rabbit arm, fence 
  mounted on the end of the infeed table (inferior to center mount), aluminum
  fence, single controls for angle and position (requiring you to re-set
  the angle every time you move the fence), and cheap screws for angle
  stops costs around $250 to $350.  (Trendlines, Vulcan, etc.)

  The Ryobi JP55 6" router with noisey universal motor and no rabbeting
  arm costs around $300.00 in the sale catalogs.

  The cheapest 6" jointer with a center-mount fence I could find was the
  Grizzley for $359, but I couldn't see it.  It is probably typical taiwan
  construction.

  My Jet center-mount jointer was about $420.00.  It took me a day of filing
  and adjusting to get it cutting right and working smootly, but it does 
  real nice work now.

  If you bought a used jointer with a center-mounted fence with GOOD controls
  and a working induction motor, then $225 isn't a bad price, even if you 
  have to buy some parts, but to know for sure, I would need to know how much
  you have spent since your initial purchase on parts.


>
>Delta and Porter Cable have been nickel and dime-ing (and
>dollaring) me to death.  I was hoping for a less expensive way to
>accurately install the blades.
>
>Any help on will be greatly appreciated.
>
>Thanks
>Kopca@mksol.dseg.ti.com
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