Why does my jointer cut a taper for first couple inches of infeed?

[dmc]

Sorry to jump on this thread, but I have a jointer similar to yours toomanyknots, and am wondering if this type of jointer could be used to thin bamboo. I'm too cheap to try it, just in case it screws my piece up. Haha

[toomanyknots]

It can be a real pain, fiddling about, especially if the blade moves when you tighten the screws

Thats exactly what it has been doing for me!  The blade seems to move up when I tighten em, so what I did is loosen the screws and just barely get them tight, to where the blade is snug, but loose enough to still move. And then use a straight edge on the outfeed to lightly push the blades down flush with the outfeed. Then after I tighten em, they move up a bit, to where it will push a straight edge about 1 or 2 mm when rolling the blades. From what I read, this is good set up?

[toomanyknots]

Could be adjustments.  Usually you get (outfeed snipe) on the piece that leaves a dip on the end. Are you taking off to much material.?
Like the other guys say use a push piece behind. Proper pressure evenly applied as well, AND KEEP FINGERS AWAY....USE GLOVES ALWAYS

NO!!! DO NOT USE GLOVES. Gloves are the perfect way to get a jointer to keep on feeding your fingers into the knives until they run out of fingers. Use  push  blocks  and stay away from the blades.

My problem right now is I am getting a taper on the first couple inches of the infeed end. I am thinking my blades might of been too low, or I am just smashing the piece into the blade for the first couple inches?, like Roy was saying? Or both? How do yall recommend I set the blades up? Should I go flush, or slightly higher? The manual recommended slightly higher, but I don't have anything I can measure a thousandth of an inch like it said. I have read that having the blades too low may cause a taper. I have also read where some people recommend setting up the blades to where, when you place a straight edge flush with the outfeed, and you turn the blade, that it moves the straight edge 2mm. This is how I just set them up so far (man that takes some patience to get those blades right). I could probably do a quick easy outfeed roller, (Wife asks "where did the rolling pin go" , I just pretend I don't know... ). I already dissembled one rolling pin to try to make a redneck drum sander,  . Good thing we have like 5.

Put a sheet of printer  paper under your straight edge on the outfeed table. Then adjust the knives so they just touch the straight edge. (That's how you get a projection equal to the thickness of a piece of paper.)

Did not even think about that, thank you!. Ya, I actually found the ad for it on craigslist. Craigslist is awesome. I got a working drill for 5 dollars. Thats not talking the guy down, he just wanted 5 dollars. I've used it like 100 times, built a shelf, drilled out horn nocks, buffed horn nocks, etc.

[mnviking]

it sounds to me like your planing  bed is not level.  my chipout occurs on the last inch or so because the feed table is a bit lower than the receiving table after the blades.  but also i think i get the end chip out because there is no longer any support for the end of the board as the last inch or so goes over the blades.  it may move down at that point and get chipped.  I think the guy that suggested straight edge to see if your two bed are level is a good idea.

oh I use gloves all the time when I am working but never when I use my table saw or the jointer planer.  they will actually suck a gloved hand into more pain and damage.  just my opinion.

[toomanyknots]

it sounds to me like your planing  bed is not level.  my chipout occurs on the last inch or so because the feed table is a bit lower than the receiving table after the blades.  but also i think i get the end chip out because there is no longer any support for the end of the board as the last inch or so goes over the blades.  it may move down at that point and get chipped.  I think the guy that suggested straight edge to see if your two bed are level is a good idea.

oh I use gloves all the time when I am working but never when I use my table saw or the jointer planer.  they will actually suck a gloved hand into more pain and damage.  just my opinion.

It might not be, from what I can tell it is, but I am using a metal yard stick to check, so it might not be very accurate. While I am at it, does anybody use a thickness planer for preparing backings and laminates? I asked this before on here, and a couple folks said that I would have to use a sled with it. I am just thinking what I want more, to make a home made thickness sander via using a table saw as the motor, like this one: 

http://www.shopnotes.com/plans/thickness-sander/

...Or saving and buying a cheap thickness planer. Most likely I am going to go with a thickness planer, and probably give up on the jointer for a while. Or at least this jointer at the moment. The thickness planer seems like it would have a lot easier learning curve for a newbie to power tools like me, and would be more efficient at preparing backings and lams, and safer as well. Just a question, if I have a board (belly laminate) with some reflex, if I run it through a thickness planer, will it come out with the reflex typically, or will it flatten it?