O.T. Machining a Jointer Fence, Cast Iron Casting.

redlee · Dec 16, 2017

I have a 1959 Jointer that the fence has a twist in it, its straight from where it mounts to past the cutterhead then it starts to twist. Has anyone ever fixed one and how?
Im afraid to make it worse. No signs of how it was originally fixtured to machine. I was thinking of laying it machined face down on the mill and interpolate some faces to stand on the mill and flycut it,but im also afraid of bad vibes ruining it.
Or do the same and send it out for grinding.
What about pouring some kind of removable "Thinset" on the backside in a form?
Ive seen people clamp cast and twist it straight but that seems to be a recipe for fracture or making it worse.
I do not have a large enough surface plate to scrape it.
Any ideas and Thanks in advance.

paulz · Dec 16, 2017

I flycut mine in a mill, but I'll be damned if I can remember how I held it.

randyc · Dec 16, 2017

How about "bedding" the thing on three or four 20# bags of lead shot as a start, tapping the fence with a soft mallet to gradually form and level the fence on the shot bags. Six or eight makeshift clamps on the edges and ends. Light, light cuts with the flycutter with fingers crossed.

Tough problem - glad I don't have to do it. One more suggestion: put the fence in an oven for a couple of days before you do anything to it.

redlee · Dec 16, 2017

randyc said:
One more suggestion: put the fence in an oven for a couple of days before you do anything to it.

You actually think that will help ? ,its 58 years old and I would think that by now its normalized.

CalG · Dec 16, 2017

redlee said:
View attachment 215513 View attachment 215514 View attachment 215515

I have a 1959 Jointer that the fence has a twist in it, its straight from where it mounts to past the cutterhead then it starts to twist. Has anyone ever fixed one and how?
Im afraid to make it worse. No signs of how it was originally fixtured to machine. I was thinking of laying it machined face down on the mill and interpolate some faces to stand on the mill and flycut it,but im also afraid of bad vibes ruining it.
Or do the same and send it out for grinding.
What about pouring some kind of removable "Thinset" on the backside in a form?
Ive seen people clamp cast and twist it straight but that seems to be a recipe for fracture or making it worse.
I do not have a large enough surface plate to scrape it.
Any ideas and Thanks in advance.

Mark the regions you find objectionable, and scrape them down.

A square and a straight edge, along with a scraper and a few sand bags on a suitable table is all that is required.

Three hours work can make a HUGE difference.

Toolznthings · Dec 16, 2017

Delta DJ-15. I sent mine out and had it blanchard ground. No idea how they held it.

redlee · Dec 16, 2017

CalG said:
Mark the regions you find objectionable, and scrape them down.

A square and a straight edge, along with a scraper and a few sand bags on a suitable table is all that is required.

Three hours work can make a HUGE difference.

Probably the safest way,but never scaped and its out about .01 ,so about 2/3 of the fence would have to come down .01.
And I think you would need a large surface plate to blue it. Straight edge will not do.

randyc · Dec 16, 2017

redlee said:
You actually think that will help ? ,its 58 years old and I would think that by now its normalized.

Dunno but it can't hurt, right ?

redlee · Dec 16, 2017

Toolznthings said:
Delta DJ-15. I sent mine out and had it blanchard ground. No idea how they held it.

Where did you send it?

santal8 · Dec 16, 2017

I had the same jointer with the same problem. Yes it is hard to fixture the fence for machining. I mounted a piece of wood to my fence about 1/2 inch thick and it was the same width and length of the fence with the screws set WELL BELOW the surface. The wood twisted to follow the warp of the cast iron fence. Then I simply ran it across the jointer to machine the warp out of the wood. Fence is still twisted but so what....The wood becomes sacrificial and this can be done periodically as needed...Mark

rogertoolmaker · Dec 16, 2017

Setting up to mill face

redlee said:
View attachment 215513 View attachment 215514 View attachment 215515

I have a 1959 Jointer that the fence has a twist in it, its straight from where it mounts to past the cutterhead then it starts to twist. Has anyone ever fixed one and how?
Im afraid to make it worse. No signs of how it was originally fixtured to machine. I was thinking of laying it machined face down on the mill and interpolate some faces to stand on the mill and flycut it,but im also afraid of bad vibes ruining it.
Or do the same and send it out for grinding.
What about pouring some kind of removable "Thinset" on the backside in a form?
Ive seen people clamp cast and twist it straight but that seems to be a recipe for fracture or making it worse.
I do not have a large enough surface plate to scrape it.
Any ideas and Thanks in advance.

I'm wondering if you could clamp the face of the fence on the mill table and spot-face the back side and drill and tap for screw holes. Make stand-offs to screw to the back side of the fence. Then return to the mill and cut the stand-offs parallel to the face. Turn the fence over with the stand-offs against the mill table. This will give you a reference surface to fly cut the face. Then shim, as required, under the stand-offs to take out the warp.

All the Best,
Roger

gbent · Dec 16, 2017

There are multiple methods for parts that need the back side built up so it can be machined to make a parallel side. Bondo (body putty) and Cerrobend are a couple I've used.

Terry Keeley · Dec 16, 2017

Unless you want to drill holes it seems the only way to hold it is to duplicate how it's held in the planer. Looks like a round shaft?

Could you make a split block with a hole and clamp that to the mill table? Brace the ends with blocks under it and take light fly cuts?

Bill D · Dec 16, 2017

How long has it been twisted? Did it recently twist or was it twisted 60 years ago at the factory?
Bill D

redlee · Dec 17, 2017

Bill D said:
How long has it been twisted? Did it recently twist or was it twisted 60 years ago at the factory?
Bill D

Ive had it for 2 weeks,so who knows.

redlee · Dec 17, 2017

gbent said:
There are multiple methods for parts that need the back side built up so it can be machined to make a parallel side. Bondo (body putty) and Cerrobend are a couple I've used.

How easy will it be to remove the Bondo when Im done? If I remember right Bondo is a bitch to remove.
I was thinking of wax or some sort of putty.

redlee · Dec 17, 2017

rogertoolmaker said:
I'm wondering if you could clamp the face of the fence on the mill table and spot-face the back side and drill and tap for screw holes. Make stand-offs to screw to the back side of the fence. Then return to the mill and cut the stand-offs parallel to the face. Turn the fence over with the stand-offs against the mill table. This will give you a reference surface to fly cut the face. Then shim, as required, under the stand-offs to take out the warp.

All the Best,
Roger

That was my initial idea.

Limy Sami · Dec 17, 2017

IME - most CI fences of that type develop a twist, (I'm sure some of em weren't straight to start with!)

I'm in the wood sub fence camp, simple quick and easily replaceable! OR if that goes against your sensibilities and you HAVE to get it machined, (search your soul

) ........send it out to a reputable grinder, ...I've tried flycutting similar jobs and nightmare doesn't come close.

PLUS with a casting like that, there's no guarantee it won't move again - through stress release etc etc.

Oh nearly forgot, .....plus wooden sub fences can be very useful for some otherwise ''un doable'' jobs.

redlee · Dec 17, 2017

Limy Sami said:
IME - most CI fences of that type develop a twist, (I'm sure some of em weren't straight to start with!)

I'm in the wood sub fence camp, simple quick and easily replaceable! OR if that goes against your sensibilities and you HAVE to get it machined, (search your soul ) ........send it out to a reputable grinder, ...I've tried flycutting similar jobs and nightmare doesn't come close.

PLUS with a casting like that, there's no guarantee it won't move again - through stress release etc etc.

Oh nearly forgot, .....plus wooden sub fences can be very useful for some otherwise ''un doable'' jobs.

Im a souless Ginger, and if I were to send it out to a Grind shop they would say HTF are we going to fixture that!
Im having fun trying to figure out how to fix it. But your right I may succeed or maybe not.

Milland · Dec 17, 2017

What about getting some thin spring steel sheet, cut the sheet to match the face of the fence, clean the fence and steel, and (after using a couple thin pins to determine displacement correction), epoxy bond the two on a flat surface (like your mill table). The spring steel should made a smooth face for wood to rub against, and the large surface area should make for a strong bond to the fence.

The wedge of epoxy will be reliable as long as the cleaning was done well. A little abrading of the mating faces with coarse sandpaper helps too. You can pull the spacing pins when the epoxy has partially set, or just leave them in and grind them flush after full cure.

O.T. Machining a Jointer Fence, Cast Iron Casting.

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