Jointer Question
 

Hello Everyone, I need some help here. Using my 8" jointer, which I
think is set up right, the very end of the board has a slight snipe in
it. I quess the question is what am I not doing right or what I am I
doing wrong. Thanks for the help. Gerald

Your outfeed table is set slightly too low. Unplug the machine take a
good quality straight edge, find top dead center and adjust the outfeed
up until there is no gap between the straight edge and the table and
the straight edge barely touches the blade. Alternatively adjust the
outfeed table up 1 thousandth of an inch at a time until you get rid of
the snipe. Recheck your board to make sure it is coming out flat, if
you get the outfeed table too high you will get a crown in the side of
the board that is being jointed. So to recap crown = outfeed too high.
Snipe = outfeed too low. Another thing that helped me is that if you
are careful you can hear and feel the snipe. Adjust the table up until
you can't hear or feel the snipe then check to make sure you don't
have any crown. Good luck it's usually not as hard as it sounds to
fix. Happy sawdust, BC

"Gerald Lasco" wrote in message
...
Hello Everyone, I need some help here. Using my 8" jointer, which I
think is set up right, the very end of the board has a slight snipe in
it. I quess the question is what am I not doing right or what I am I
doing wrong. Thanks for the help. Gerald

It could be that your out feed table is too high in relation ship with the
cutters or it could be your technique.
Be sure to only have you hands on the out feed side of the table when
pushing the trailing end of the board through the cutter.

"Leon" wrote in message
m...

"Gerald Lasco" wrote in message
...
Hello Everyone, I need some help here. Using my 8" jointer, which I
think is set up right, the very end of the board has a slight snipe in
it. I quess the question is what am I not doing right or what I am I
doing wrong. Thanks for the help. Gerald

It could be that your out feed table is too high in relation ship with the
cutters or it could be your technique.
Be sure to only have you hands on the out feed side of the table when
pushing the trailing end of the board through the cutter.


Nope. As advertised, the table is lower, thus the drop produces a
cutterhead image as snipe.

Snipe is caused by outfeed table to LOW...

Dave

Leon wrote:

"Gerald Lasco" wrote in message
...

Hello Everyone, I need some help here. Using my 8" jointer, which I
think is set up right, the very end of the board has a slight snipe in
it. I quess the question is what am I not doing right or what I am I
doing wrong. Thanks for the help. Gerald


It could be that your out feed table is too high in relation ship with the
cutters or it could be your technique.
Be sure to only have you hands on the out feed side of the table when
pushing the trailing end of the board through the cutter.

and it can be caused by poor technique as Leon pointed out.

David wrote:

Snipe is caused by outfeed table to LOW...

Dave

Leon wrote:

"Gerald Lasco" wrote in message
...

Hello Everyone, I need some help here. Using my 8" jointer, which I
think is set up right, the very end of the board has a slight snipe in
it. I quess the question is what am I not doing right or what I am I
doing wrong. Thanks for the help. Gerald



It could be that your out feed table is too high in relation ship with
the cutters or it could be your technique.
Be sure to only have you hands on the out feed side of the table when
pushing the trailing end of the board through the cutter.

"George" wrote in message
...

Nope. As advertised, the table is lower, thus the drop produces a
cutterhead image as snipe.

Believe me, on a perfectly set up jointer if you push down on the trailing
end of the board as it passes the cutter and it is no longer supported by
the in feed table you can get snipe as described and especially on shorter
boards that may pivot on the out feed table front edge.

"George" wrote in message
...




Nope. As advertised, the table is lower, thus the drop produces a
cutterhead image as snipe.



Ah yes.. Out feet table too "low", or poor technique. Sorry.

"Leon" wrote in message
m...

"George" wrote in message
...




Nope. As advertised, the table is lower, thus the drop produces a
cutterhead image as snipe.



Ah yes.. Out feet table too "low", or poor technique. Sorry.

From the hip seldom gets 'em in the nine ring. Especially double action.

Gouges from technique, snipe from machinery. Difference is consistency.

Leon wrote:

"George" wrote in message
...

Nope. As advertised, the table is lower, thus the drop produces a
cutterhead image as snipe.

Believe me, on a perfectly set up jointer if you push down on the trailing
end of the board as it passes the cutter and it is no longer supported by
the in feed table you can get snipe as described and especially on shorter
boards that may pivot on the out feed table front edge.

But that's not the place to be pushing down and it would actually lead
to a short taper, not snipe...

Just to let everyone know As soon as the board starts to go on the
outfeed table I put pressure only on that side. I am being careful to
do samething everytime. Everytime the same thing. About a half inch
from the end where the dip happens. What is the proper height
difference between the outfeed and the blade. I will use a feeler
gauge. I do thank everyone for the help. Gerald


On Sat, 18 Jun 2005 07:54:58 -0700, David wrote:

and it can be caused by poor technique as Leon pointed out.

David wrote:

Snipe is caused by outfeed table to LOW...

Dave

Leon wrote:

"Gerald Lasco" wrote in message
...

Hello Everyone, I need some help here. Using my 8" jointer, which I
think is set up right, the very end of the board has a slight snipe in
it. I quess the question is what am I not doing right or what I am I
doing wrong. Thanks for the help. Gerald



It could be that your out feed table is too high in relation ship with
the cutters or it could be your technique.
Be sure to only have you hands on the out feed side of the table when
pushing the trailing end of the board through the cutter.

"Gerald Lasco" wrote in message
...
Just to let everyone know As soon as the board starts to go on the
outfeed table I put pressure only on that side. I am being careful to
do samething everytime. Everytime the same thing. About a half inch
from the end where the dip happens. What is the proper height
difference between the outfeed and the blade. I will use a feeler
gauge. I do thank everyone for the help. Gerald


This is probably going to sound patronizing, but try to raise it so that the
piece doesn't snipe, but not so high that the forward edge of a freshly
jointed piece drags over or pauses at the outfeed. If the outfeed's too
high you get taper.

As I said, consistent error goes to the machine. None of us are good enough
to get consistent error.

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...

But that's not the place to be pushing down and it would actually lead
to a short taper, not snipe...

If the board is short and you are pushing down hard enough, you will get
"snipe". The board can easily tip up at the leading edge and down at the
trailing edge as the trailing edge is no linger supported by the in feed
table.
And again, this is if you are incorrectly applying pressure to the rear of
the board as it finishes passing the cutters as inferred by my first
statement.

Leon wrote:

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...

But that's not the place to be pushing down and it would actually lead
to a short taper, not snipe...

If the board is short and you are pushing down hard enough, you will get
"snipe". The board can easily tip up at the leading edge and down at the
trailing edge as the trailing edge is no linger supported by the in feed
table.
And again, this is if you are incorrectly applying pressure to the rear of
the board as it finishes passing the cutters as inferred by my first
statement.

My point is that pushing down excessively, thus raising the front end of
the board, will create a taper, not snipe. "Snipe" specifically is the
short section of extra depth removed when the outfeed table is
improperly adjusted and the end of the board clears the infeed table and
drops slightly into the knives owing to the outfeed table being too
low...

Gerald Lasco wrote:

Just to let everyone know As soon as the board starts to go on the
outfeed table I put pressure only on that side. I am being careful to
do samething everytime. Everytime the same thing. About a half inch
from the end where the dip happens. What is the proper height
difference between the outfeed and the blade. I will use a feeler
gauge. I do thank everyone for the help. Gerald

Easier to simply raise the outfeed table a smidge and test...when it
goes away, you've got it...

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
passing the cutters as inferred by my first
statement.

My point is that pushing down excessively, thus raising the front end of
the board, will create a taper, not snipe. "Snipe" specifically is the
short section of extra depth removed when the outfeed table is
improperly adjusted and the end of the board clears the infeed table and
drops slightly into the knives owing to the outfeed table being too
low...

Pushing down excessively along the rear length of the board will cause a
taper. When down against the very end of the board and the last inch or two
is no longer supported by the in feed table the board can then pivot on the
front of the out feed table and the cutters will then "snipe" the last inch
or two of the board as the front of the board lifts up and the last inch or
two goes down.

Leon wrote:

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
passing the cutters as inferred by my first
statement.

My point is that pushing down excessively, thus raising the front end of
the board, will create a taper, not snipe. "Snipe" specifically is the
short section of extra depth removed when the outfeed table is
improperly adjusted and the end of the board clears the infeed table and
drops slightly into the knives owing to the outfeed table being too
low...

Pushing down excessively along the rear length of the board will cause a
taper. When down against the very end of the board and the last inch or two
is no longer supported by the in feed table the board can then pivot on the
front of the out feed table and the cutters will then "snipe" the last inch
or two of the board as the front of the board lifts up and the last inch or
two goes down.

That's still taper, albeit exaggerated.

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
Leon wrote:

That's still taper, albeit exaggerated.

So by your definition, the OP is describing taper and not snipe.

Leon wrote:

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
Leon wrote:

That's still taper, albeit exaggerated.

So by your definition, the OP is describing taper and not snipe.

No, I'd read his situation as precisely my definition of snipe...he's
operating the jointer correctly (by his description, his technique
sounds pretty good) but the piece drops slightly when it clears the
infeed table resulting in snipe over the last couple of inches
(precisely how long, of course depends on the bed gap dimensions and
cutterhead diameter of the particular jointer).

In your scenario, otoh, it doesn't matter if the jointer outfeed height
is perfect, the effect is owing to an improper excessive downward
pressure on the material causing the end of the board to tip slightly
into the knives.

The difference in appearance is w/ snipe there will be a small rounded
leading edge and then a vitually parallel to the jointed edge slightly
narrow section to the end. W/ the technique problem you describe, the
cut will simply change slightly in angle and proceed to the end of the
piece resulting in a short tapered section on the end.

HTH...

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
Leon wrote:
The difference in appearance is w/ snipe there will be a small rounded
leading edge and then a vitually parallel to the jointed edge slightly
narrow section to the end. W/ the technique problem you describe, the
cut will simply change slightly in angle and proceed to the end of the
piece resulting in a short tapered section on the end.


OKOKOKOKOKOKokokokokokkkk, ;-) If you or were looking at the board that
the OP is talking about with the snipe on the end, a VERY close examination
might reveal a 1" taper vs. a narrower area started with a rounded corner.
Typically and depending on the degree of the problem area most would call
the area snipe.

However if the OP has not yet finished straightening the edge of the board
and if the board bows up in the center and he pushes down causing the board
to pivot, he will have a combination of both snipe and taper. When the
bowed section bottoms out and when the board end is no longer supported by
the in feed table there will be snipe even if the out feed table is set up
properly and there can also be the taper from too much pressure on the end
of the board. Either problem can be very hard to detect by simply looking
and especially if the affected area is mostly noticeable by feel or putting
the piece up against a straight edge.

Basically all I was trying to point out is that the little area recognized
and descried as "snipe" on the board, can be often caused by improper feed
as well as the out feed table not being set up properly. Whether it is
actually snipe or taper would be hard to tell. The definition of snipe
sorta goes along the same lines as the definition of a biscuit cutter. No
one really buys a biscuit cutter as that is the machine that makes biscuits,
not the slots that they fit into. What most people are referring to is a
Plate Joiner to cut biscuit slots. I suspect snipe is used to describe the
resulting defect on a board whether it be made from improper equipment set
up or improper technique. I was simply trying to cover all bases for a
possible cause of the area being described as snipe.

Originally the OP did not indicate whether he was using proper technique or
not. Now that he has in a later post I would agree that he has truly got
snipe and improper machine set up.

"Leon" wrote in message
. ..
Basically all I was trying to point out is that the little area recognized
and descried as "snipe" on the board, can be often caused by improper
feed
as well as the out feed table not being set up properly. Whether it is
actually snipe or taper would be hard to tell. The definition of snipe
sorta goes along the same lines as the definition of a biscuit cutter.

I think the difficulty would apply only to you, Leon. Most of the rest
recognize snip as the image of the cutters formed as the board drops after
TDC onto the low table. It is consistent in form and extent, a condition
almost impossible to achieve with human error.

"George" wrote in message
...
I think the difficulty would apply only to you, Leon. Most of the rest
recognize snip as the image of the cutters formed as the board drops after
TDC onto the low table. It is consistent in form and extent, a condition
almost impossible to achieve with human error.


LOL.. Perhaps so. I was basically suggesting with out saying to the OP,
perhaps his snipe only looked like snipe and was perhaps taper that
resembled snipe caused from improper technique. Years ago I had the problem
before I learned proper technique.