(03-01-2018, 10:19 PM)Kansas City Fireslayer Wrote: I’ve been thinking hard about buying an index cutter head for my 1980’s Powermatic 8” jointer the past few months. I just spent 1.5 hours trying to dial in a new set of straight blades and I’m still .008 out. That said, which brand and retailer do you recommend? A new set of bearings will go in as well.
Thanks!
Before you buy a new cutter head , try this method to install your blades.
Get a piece of plate glass , I use a 1/4" x 4" wide piece from a jalousie window. Also need a strong magnet. I have a 50lb. pull bought from HF.
Remove dull blades, clean the locking jibs . Now either remove the guard or restrain it back out of the way. Lay the plate glass on the out feed table extending slightly past dead center. Actually dead center is not important, just make sure the glass is not too far forward or you will not have room to tighten the lock bolts.
Install one knife and snug the lock bolts very slightly. The knife will pull up to the bottom of the glass when you place the magnet over it. You may hear a definite "click". Rock the cutter head by pulling to and fro on the belt.
You only have to move the cutter head at most 1" in either direction.
When the bevel on the knife is flat against the bottom of the glass, snug the lock bolts, then after checking to see if the knife has moved ,you can tighten the lock bolts. A small mirror aids in checking the bevel.
Repeat for the other knives. My jointer has three knives and takes me about 30/45 minutes to remove, replace and test with scrap.
I have been using this method for many years, always worked for me.
mike