JOINTER Tune-Up

The jointer is one of those “heaven or headache” tools. When it’s working properly, it makes quick, sweet work of straightening and flattening boards. However, a poorly-tuned jointer can cause no end of frustration, yielding crooked edges, weirdly tapered pieces, and washboard surfaces.

Though a relatively simple tool, the jointer requires an exacting setup. Fortunately, it’s not that difficult to tweak the tool into proper working order. All you need is a good straightedge, a simple shop-made jig, a few common workshop tools, an automotive feeler gauge, and a bit of patience. The set-up sequence involves checking the tables for flatness and parallelism, correcting them if necessary, and then adjusting a set of sharp knives to the proper height. The entire procedure should only take an hour or so, paying big dividends in accuracy and time saved down the line.