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ST1006/ST1011 8" Jointer (Mfd. Since 3/16)
Setting the knives correctly is crucial to the proper
operation of the jointer and it plays an important role
in keeping the knives sharp. If one knife is higher than
the others, it will do the majority of the work, and
thus, become dull much faster.
There are two options for setting the knives—the
straightedge method and the knife-setting jig meth-
od. Each option has advantages and disadvantag-
es; the correct one for you will become a matter
of personal preference. For best results, the tables
must be parallel with each other (refer to Checking/
Adjusting Table Parallelism on Page 42) and the
outfeed table height must be properly set (refer to
Setting Outfeed Table Height on Page 45).
Straightedge Method: A high-quality straightedge
(or Jointer Pal
®
) is held flat against the outfeed table
and the knife heights are set to the bottom of the
straightedge, (see Figure 52). Because the knife pro-
jection height from the cutterhead is dependent on
the outfeed table height, the outfeed table must be
set as described in Setting Outfeed Table Height on
Page 45 for this method to work correctly.
Adjusting/Replacing
Knives (ST1006)
Figure 49. Example of knife-setting jig positioned
over cutterhead knife.
Middle
Pad
Figure 48. Example of straightedge method for
setting knife heights.
Straightedge
Outfeed
Infeed
Knife-Setting Jig Method: Both tables are lowered
to fit the jig on the cutterhead, as shown in Figure
49, and the knife heights are set to just touch the
middle pad of the jig.
The knife setting jig makes it easy to ensure that the
knives project out of the cutterhead evenly. After
using the knife setting jig to set the knives, you have
to re-adjust the outfeed table height to ensure that
it is even with the knives at their highest point of
rotation.
If you are using the positive stops on the tables, they
will need to also be reset before operation. Also, for
the knife setting jig to work correctly, the outfeed
table must be parallel with the cutterhead.
When using the straightedge method to set the
knives, you will not need to move the outfeed table
once it is set and you will always be assured that the
knives are even with the outfeed table in their high-
est point of rotation (TDC)—even if the cutterhead is
not parallel with the outfeed table.
