Woodworking machine troubleshooter
Pick the problem you are seeing. Each page says what it looks like, the likely causes, how to tell which where the makers say, and what to change. Every line comes from two or more machine makers’ manuals, and says how many agree.
Planer and jointer
- Planer snipe
A dip, a slightly deeper cut, at one or both ends of the board.
- Jointer cutting a taper or a dip
The jointed edge or face comes out hollow or off straight along its length, often worse at one end, instead of flat.
- Tearout on a planer or jointer
Chips torn out of the surface instead of cut clean, often around knots or where the grain changes direction.
- Ripples or chatter marks after planing or jointing
Evenly spaced ripples, waves or chatter marks across the face of the board, or raised lines running along it.
Table saw
- Table saw burning or binding the wood
The board pinches or drags as you feed it through the cut.
- Table saw not cutting square
A cut that should be 90° comes out slightly off: across the face of the board, or through its thickness.
Router
- Router burn marks
Dark burn marks along the routed edge or profile.
Bandsaw
- Bandsaw blade drift
The blade wanders off the line, or pulls the cut to one side, even with the work against the fence. Makers call it drift or lead.
Drill press
- Drill press burning or splintering the wood
The wood splinters around the hole on the underside, where the bit breaks through.
Not covered yet
- Router tear-out: No router or bit maker’s document we could read gives its causes or fixes; the advice we found is from magazines, forums and retailers, which this site does not count.