Hi,
Recently got my new jointer, a Jet 54A which is the European version
of the Powermatic 54A, identical apart from a Euro style bridge guard
rather than your usual spring loaded guard.
Anyway, downloaded the Powermatic manual for comparison purposes and
it suggests sharpening the knives with a stone whilst the motor is
running.Is this safe? Is this normal practice in the US / Canada?
Seems to me that removing the knives to sharpen them would be a safer
option although that would obviously involve increased set up time
refitting and resetting the knives. What the standard practice on your
side of the pond?
Rgds
Noel
noel dot hegan at virgin dot net
> Hi,
>
> Recently got my new jointer, a Jet 54A which is the European version
> of the Powermatic 54A, identical apart from a Euro style bridge guard
> rather than your usual spring loaded guard.
> Anyway, downloaded the Powermatic manual for comparison purposes and
> it suggests sharpening the knives with a stone whilst the motor is
> running.Is this safe? Is this normal practice in the US / Canada?
> Seems to me that removing the knives to sharpen them would be a safer
> option although that would obviously involve increased set up time
> refitting and resetting the knives. What the standard practice on your
> side of the pond?
>
> Rgds
>
> Noel
While this practice is done, it is normally done AFTER newly sharpened
blades are installed, not to sharpen them, but to joint and dress them so
that both(or all) blades are cutting at exactly the same height. When it is
done, the blades are set at .0005" to .001"...that would be .012mm to .025mm
then using a fine, hard stone on the outfeed table and the cutter head
running, SLOWLY easing the stone over the blades at one end and gently
sliding the stone over the head until you do not feel the blades touching
AND NO MORE! Otherwise you'll actually stone the outfeed table down and that
isn't a good thing.
If you close your eyes and visualize this operation, I'm sure you'll see the
hazards to your fingers are pretty obvious.
Altho it is something that I do, I cannot, in good conscience, suggest to
anyone that hasn't done it, to try. Just a little white lie to myself so
that if something DOES happen to someone trying to learn it, I can tell
myself that I TOLD him not to do it.
YMMV
Luck
Mike
I honed the blades on my 54a just as the instructions
suggest. it works fine as long as you are super careful.
those blades are whirling around at a pretty good clip! :)
"Safe" is a relative term. I was apprehensive about doing
it, but I took my time and made sure the blades weren't
going to hit the stone too deeply. I set the tables so that
the blades barely grazed the sharpening stone. They ended
up very sharp, and of course even with the table.
dave
Noel Hegan wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Recently got my new jointer, a Jet 54A which is the European version
> of the Powermatic 54A, identical apart from a Euro style bridge guard
> rather than your usual spring loaded guard.
> Anyway, downloaded the Powermatic manual for comparison purposes and
> it suggests sharpening the knives with a stone whilst the motor is
> running.Is this safe? Is this normal practice in the US / Canada?
> Seems to me that removing the knives to sharpen them would be a safer
> option although that would obviously involve increased set up time
> refitting and resetting the knives. What the standard practice on your
> side of the pond?
>
> Rgds
>
> Noel
>
> noel dot hegan at virgin dot net