# Delta 22-540 Planer - How To Set Knife?



## Ashes (Jun 21, 2010)

I have a Delta 22-540 planer. It works great and uses double-sided blades. The knife is worn but the other side of it is brand new. I'd like to change it but read about how it's very important to set it so its cutting evenly. There is a planer knife gauge that comes with it, but I obtained the planer second hand so got nothing besides the planer itself. I tried to order the Delta knife gauge for it but it's been discontinued. Do any of you guys know of a method to set the knife evenly without the original planer gauge? Thanks


----------



## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

Have you tried planer pals? They're like a pair of magnetic blocks that straddle the blade so it ends up at a set height. They're about $30 for the pair but the price is worth it in hassle saved.


----------



## Ashes (Jun 21, 2010)

They seem pretty expensive, those planer pals. Is there any other way?


----------



## tcleve4911 (Dec 16, 2006)

I had the same problem trying to order the setting tool.:furious:

I found this video that helped me a lot.
It's for a jointer but the same theory applies to the planer.

I used a piece of hardwood set onto the roller feeders with two marks 1/4" apart. 

Hope this helps


----------



## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

Ashes said:


> They seem pretty expensive, those planer pals. Is there any other way?


Amazon has them on sale for about $26 at the moment. (the mini planer pals - for 10-12" planers with up to 2-1/8 cutterheads). That's fairly cheap for something that takes all the measuring and guess-work out of the equation. 

Or maybe someone has this missing gauge you need and can take some pics so you can fabricate your own? Glue some rare-earth magnets into a couple pieces of wood and then it's just a matter of figuring out where you need to set the wood to pull the knives up to the right height. Does this delta load from the top of the machine, or the back?


----------



## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I don't know if this would work or not but measure the height of the blades, rip a strip of wood the thickness that the height is. When installing the new blade, lay the strip of wood against the blade and use it for a gauge to set the height with.


----------



## Grinder (Nov 17, 2007)

Two home made jigs for doing planer set up. One sits on the cutterhead for setting the blades. The other is used for setting infeed/outfeed rollers and chip breaker. With practice you can get the blades within +/- .001", if they were properly ground.


----------



## Edward Kapeller (9 mo ago)

Ashes said:


> I have a Delta 22-540 planer. It works great and uses double-sided blades. The knife is worn but the other side of it is brand new. I'd like to change it but read about how it's very important to set it so its cutting evenly. There is a planer knife gauge that comes with it, but I obtained the planer second hand so got nothing besides the planer itself. I tried to order the Delta knife gauge for it but it's been discontinued. Do any of you guys know of a method to set the knife evenly without the original planer gauge? Thanks


----------



## Bob Bengal (Jan 2, 2021)

Welcome to the forum @Edward Kapeller 

I see what Ashes said but not anything that you said. Do you have the same problem? This is a 10 year old thread, if you don't get an answer here go ahead and start a new thread.


----------

