Jointer producing bowed edge

[TDeal]

I don't have much experience using a jointer but I'm jointing boards on an Inca jointer/planer and having trouble getting a straight edge. I know to transfer pressure to the outfeed table. Wondering if there's a limit as to the length of board that can be jointed in relation to the length of the infeed table. Does the infeed table have to be as long or longer than the board being jointed? Thanks for any help.

 

[decibel]

Not sure I have much to add but I'll try .

As far as the length of your tables some rules of thumb I've seen is twice the size of the tables. I have a 55" table size overall and I've man handled an 8 foot board but I try to break mine down into more manageble parts if I can.

Tom Hintz has some good info at his article here:

http://www.newwoodworker.com/basic/usejntr.html


I had similar issues when I first started but I was trying to joint a 10+ foot board on a smaller jointer than I had now. I wasted a lot of wood and created a lot of unnecessary frustration.

Maybe Tom's article can help. I'm assuming you're doing edge jointing so you have already flattened the face of the board and are running that face against the fence?

 

[Tarhead]

Sounds like the Outfeed could be too high at the blade. It should be .001-.002 below the blade at top dead center of the arc. Sag at the ends of the infeed and outfeed could cause this too. Make a Master, A and B Bars and check it if you don't have a quality straightedge that is .001" over its length. http://books.google.com/books?id=dS...&resnum=1&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

I'll be happy to haul it off to the scrapyard behind my shed for you if it's too much trouble. I can probably get $10 for it scrap value. I hear those Incas aren't worth the the space they take up.:rotflm:

 

[JimmyC]

The general rule of thumb that I've heard is that a jointer is good up 2x the length of it's over bed.

Good luck,