# Jointer/planer blades & gauge question



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

I wasn’t going to buy a Jointer/planer because I didn’t think I needed one, but I found one for a $100 and decided that I wanted it. It’s a 6 1/8 Inch Craftsman Contractor Series with a 2 ½ HP motor, Model 113.232240. It is very rusty so I’m going to take it all apart and clean it up.
I haven’t really used a planer before, except for my Sears portable one. I had inherited my dad’s planer when I was young and didn’t have any time for it. It was lost when a city sewer backed up into my grandmother’s basement totally flooding the place for almost a week. I was in Vietnam at the time and could not do anything about it.
Anyway I think I need to replace the blades because they don’t seem very sharp. I remember slicing my finger open from just touching my dad’s knifes as a kid. I felt these ones and they barely cut paper. Should I have them sharpened or just buy new ones? Also, I remember my dad using some type of gauge to set the knives, where would I find one of those and what do you call them? 
I did a search and found a thread on “Honing Jointer Blades How to” by  woodnthings fascinating. It has a lot of great photos, but looks a little difficult for me. I'm not that skilled on sharpening. Maybe I need to read it again.


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...*.shcapp3305?modelNumber=113.232240&pop=flush

Sears still carries parts for these and you can still buy new blades.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Gary Beasley said:


> http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...*.shcapp3305?modelNumber=113.232240&pop=flush
> 
> Sears still carries parts for these and you can still buy new blades.


Thanks Gary, I didn’t think to look there because of the age and I was even able to download a manual. Cool! :thumbsup:
On a second thought, I was looking on line for wheels to fit this thing and couldn’t find anything. Maybe I should be calling it something other than “wheels for Craftsman jointer”. Anybody have any ideas?


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

Build a wood platform with rails around the edge to hold it all in place, Put some heavy duty casters from Home Depot or where ever and you got it. That metal frame they put on these things is too flimsy to hold casters on its own.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Jointer Planer?*

Hey guy, you threw me when you added planer to the nomenclature above.:blink: Seems like you got yourself a jointer, only no planer. You can't really mix the two terms, as they are distinctly different in purpose and function, having only a bed and a cutter head in common mechanically. Lots of threads here on both. Briefly, jointers flatten, straighten and square. Planers make the side opposite the previously flattened side, parallel and uniform in thickness, hence the name "thickness planer" FYI:smile: 
BTW I have that same 6 1/8th " jointer. I use it constantly. Those are the jointer blades in the honing thread photos. 
Check out "Similiar Threads" below. bill


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

woodnthings said:


> Hey guy, you threw me when you added planer to the nomenclature above.:blink: Seems like you got yourself a jointer, only no planer. You can't really mix the two terms, as they are distinctly different in purpose and function, having only a bed and a cutter head in common mechanically. Lots of threads here on both. Briefly, jointers flatten, straighten and square. Planers make the side opposite the previously flattened side, parallel and uniform in thickness, hence the name "thickness planer" FYI:smile:
> BTW I have that same 6 1/8th " jointer. I use it constantly. Those are the jointer blades in the honing thread photos.
> Check out "Similiar Threads" below. bill



Sorry about that, I just copied and pasted it from Cragslist. 

I downloaded the owner’s manual and just finished printing it out. I also got to read the manual while printing it and learned a lot of stuff that I didn’t know like making rabbet cuts, that’s going to help me a lot. After reading the manual, I think I understand better what you were doing in those photos on honing and I think I’m going to give it a try after I get it up and running. :thumbsup:

I’m excited about rebuilding this jointer, I started taking it apart this afternoon, but I have it outside soaking in WD40 for the rust and the temperature was over 100 deg today. The cast iron was too hot to touch from being in the sun. :furious: I had to throw a piece of scrap plywood over it for shade. I’m going to hit it again tomorrow around 6AM before it gets too hot and move it inside after I get the rust off. :cool2:

I’m going to need a few things like new knives and a spring for the guard, but otherwise, I’m real happy with it. The other thing is that I got to do something about mobility, this thing is heavy. I dented my tail gate getting it out of the truck and it almost busted the furniture mover I have it sitting on. :cursing:


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Gary Beasley said:


> Build a wood platform with rails around the edge to hold it all in place, Put some heavy duty casters from Home Depot or where ever and you got it. That metal frame they put on these things is too flimsy to hold casters on its own.


My jointer came from Sears with casters already attached. The frame holds them just fine. It is about a 25 year old jointer.

G


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

*Heavy-Duty Jointer Mobile Base*

I have built my own wheel base for all my tools and I used 2x4 with wheels attached before I bought my welder, but I didn’t like how high it would be.:thumbdown: Then I started welding up my own using angle iron, which was a huge improvement.  And *Then* I saw the wheel base that came with the Ridgid R4511 10" TS and things just hasn’t been the same. :no:
I’m now thinking about the Grizzly G7314 Heavy-Duty Mobile Base. I’m sure I could make something like that, but the wheels alone are going to be around $35-$45 and then I might need need some steel. I don’t know I’m still thinking. any other Ideas out there?

Oh, I also found this one for those who don’t weld. http://lumberjocks.com/projects/8831


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

*Almost New Jointer!*

Well I clean it up some, but I was running out of time. I’m going to work on it some more later. I wish I would have took a before photo. I found out the guard spring was not broke. It was just so rusty that it just stayed were ever you put it. It works great since I cleaned and adjusted it. 
On the insistence of my wife, I fired it up to see if it ran and it purred like a kitty cat. So I’m very happy.:yes:
I had to laugh because someone had a thread a little while ago about a jointer made in Taiwan and on the back of this Sears/Craftsman has the same label “Made in Taiwan”.:laughing:


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

Yours is a mite prettier than mine! I have that spindley sheet metal scaffold they put on the home crafters version, I'm still waiting for parts to put it back together since the pulley fractured.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Gary Beasley said:


> Yours is a mite prettier than mine! I have that spindley sheet metal scaffold they put on the home crafters version, I'm still waiting for parts to put it back together since the pulley fractured.


What size motor do you have? I was looking at another one similar to what you are describing and it had a smaller Hp Motor. I think maybe 1 ½, oh I don’t remember, but the rest seemed to be identical to mine. 
I don’t know if this will apply to you, but I had a fractured pulley on a swamp cooler and I didn’t realize it until the belt shredded up. After I replaced the belt and the pulley, the motor only lasted a couple of days. It turned out that the fractured pulley caused excess heat in the motor bearings which destroyed them. I don’t know how long it was running like that and of course a swamp cooler runs a lot longer than a jointer, but it’s just something to be aware of.


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## Gary Beasley (Jan 21, 2009)

It was a small pulley, cheap aluminum, and it came apart when I tried to retighten the set screw. I think it has the smaller hp motor, which seems to be in good shape.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Without taking my knives out of the jointer, could someone tell me what size they are? My jointer says 6-1/8”, so I’m guessing 6 1/8 long. :glare:
I see a set on eBay that measures 6-1/8"x5/8"x1/8” it is a HSS Plainer Jointer Knife set of 3 for $15.75. I also see some 6" Carbide Tip Jointer Knives that are also for Craftsman at $59 that measure 6 X 5/8 x 1/8". 
I’m confused because both are for Craftsman, so which one do I get? :confused1:


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Sleeper they are the same except for cost*



Sleeper said:


> Without taking my knives out of the jointer, could someone tell me what size they are? My jointer says 6-1/8”, so I’m guessing 6 1/8 long. :glare:
> I see a set on eBay that measures 6-1/8"x5/8"x1/8” it is a HSS Plainer Jointer Knife set of 3 for $15.75. I also see some 6" Carbide Tip Jointer Knives that are also for Craftsman at $59 that measure 6 X 5/8 x 1/8".
> I’m confused because both are for Craftsman, so which one do I get? :confused1:


The HSS knives are generally great for most applications, clean wood, no imbedded dirt, etc and can be honed or sharpened easily. Carbide, not so, and they are expensive. My advice stick with HSS and you can but them at the local Sears store if that's handier.
BTW, very nice looking jointer, there guy! 
:smile: bill


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

woodnthings said:


> My advice stick with HSS and you can but them at the local Sears store if that's handier.
> :smile: bill


Thanks Bill, I was looking at them in the Sears Parts Direct and they want $36.99 plus shipping, then after reading your post I decided to check the regular store and found them for $24.99. :huh:
eBays got them for $15 something plus shipping.


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