need to make a gauge block

[Marc]

Thanks mike4244 ,,late last night I thought it might be easier to use the blocks of wood. It would be much quicker to slide them to see if there is a low or high spot...then the di can show how much I'm off.
At this point I'm concerned the bed is off,,as I think the best location to test is off the cutter head.
I'm going to try again today...if I get too frustrated i may contact someone who is seeing a rockwell 22 101 for $50. That should be easier to work on if need be

[Marc]

With my half a$$ed jig under the cutter head (not knife edge) I get 2 readings end to end.. I think it's off. 003 (not sure how to read it) so I ha e to guess I need to fix the bed first

[MstrCarpenter]

Even if your bed and cutterhead are off parallel by 30 thou., you can still set your blades parallel to the bed so all of them will be cutting at the same thickness. I wouldn't attempt to adjust the bed fearing it would be off even more and have to spend an hour just to get it back within .003". To put this in perspective, we're talking about less than a human hair (a blond one at that) across the width of the planer. Even if you can get the full length of all the blades within .003, but happen to let one chip get between the bed and your board, you'll be off by a lot more than that; still imperceptible, and it doesn't really affect anything anyway.

I know we strive for perfection, but excellence will be tolerated.

[mike4244]

Thanks mike4244 ,,late last night I thought it might be easier to use the blocks of wood. It would be much quicker to slide them to see if there is a low or high spot...then the di can show how much I'm off.
At this point I'm concerned the bed is off,,as I think the best location to test is off the cutter head.
I'm going to try again today...if I get too frustrated i may contact someone who is seeing a rockwell 22 101 for $50.   That should be easier to work on if need be

Read Mastercarpainter again. He is correct. Even if the bed was out of parallel to the cutter head by a lot it makes no difference. You adjust the cutter head parallel to the bed and the knives to the bed. If the cutter head is only out .003 ,adjust the knives so they are parallel to the bed.
.003 is slightly less than a paper for a printer which is .004 . I would not buy another planer. Your planer will be fine once you adjust the knives. The knives can easily be off.003 . Often knives are not ground the same width across the length. I once tried to adjust an old machine that had a square cutter head and 4 knives. This was a 36" planer that probably weighed as much as a car. I found after 4 hrs of frustration that 2 knives were high in the middle. The other 2 were acceptable ,not perfect. I sent the knives to Ridge Carbide in NJ. They re-ground the knives . all 4 .
This solved the problem. After that we only used Ridge Carbide for our sharpening. 
mike

[Marc]

The last two comments explain a lot...and also confirm my thoughts on getting rid of this. And...Tablesaw tom was correct with the flat tip on the di,,I dont have one though.
I think I'm looking for accuracy when "maybe" a thickness planer is just to dimension wood....its not for an end result. Get it close enough to flat.
So after trying different methods mentioned here again last night,,I keep stopping,,calming down, and returning...I gave up.
I found a common ground on each end of the knives at bdc. Set the di to 0. Went to the infeed roller and struggled to get it close to the .004 the manual says. Moved on to the chipbreaker and I run out of adjustment on one end. Went back to check my knife and my readings are off across its edge.
Moved back to the top,,,,took out the knife setting jig and both ends touch the jig as they should.
I never thought about the person who ground them possibly making them off in the center (?).
The machine worked fine before I took it apart. I never touched the 4 columns or chain drive, just the top. The cutter head as far as I know isnt adjustable...I believe the bearings go right into the top casting and any adjustment parallel to the bed gets made at the bed.
I'm going to see if i can find some type of "tool setter upper" guy to come over. Otherwise...I've given up,,might try that Rockwell I mentioned earlier and sell this one. Thanks

[mike4244]

The last two comments explain a lot...and also confirm my thoughts on getting rid of this.  And...Tablesaw tom was correct with the flat tip on the di,,I dont have one though.
I think I'm looking for accuracy when "maybe" a thickness planer is just to dimension wood....its not for an end result. Get it close enough to flat.
So after trying different methods mentioned here again last night,,I keep stopping,,calming down, and returning...I gave up.
I found a common ground on each end of the knives at bdc.  Set the di to 0.  Went to the infeed roller and struggled to get it close to the .004 the manual says. Moved on to the chipbreaker and I run out of adjustment on one end.   Went back to check my knife and my readings are off across its edge.
Moved back to the top,,,,took out the knife setting jig and both ends touch the jig as they should.
I never thought about the person who ground them possibly making them off in the center (?).
The machine worked fine before I took it apart.   I never touched the 4 columns or chain drive, just the top.   The cutter head as far as I know  isnt adjustable...I believe the  bearings go right into the top casting and any adjustment parallel to the bed gets made at the bed.
I'm going to see if i can find some type of "tool setter upper" guy to come over. Otherwise...I've given up,,might try that Rockwell I mentioned earlier and sell this one.  Thanks

Marc, you can get the tips on Amazon for $7.99. 22 tips, plastic case, Taytools 113700#
Indicate the knives to the table, forget about the cutter head. I mentioned the cutter head in a previous post only if it was out a lot. A lot to me is .010. I doubt a planer would be out that much unless the cutter head was re-installed incorrectly. Probably with dust under a pillow block or similar problem. If you are using the knife setting jig then you are making the knives parallel to the cutter head. Forget the jig, indicate the knives to the table and you should be very close to perfect. Did you check the knives for straight. Stand the bevel edge up on a piece of glass.
Glass is usually completely flat. Look for any hump or hollow in each knife. If the cutter head rides in pillow blocks then shimming it parallel to the bed will work. Mike some  thin stock like printer paper .004 or aluminum foil ,etc. Then indicate each end of the cutter head, not the knives ,to the table. If the cutter head is within reason, .004 then do not shim. Just indicate the knives to the table. If their are springs in the locking screw slots , removing them may help with adjusting the knives. Sometimes the springs hang the knife up and make it harder to adjust.
mike
mike

[Marc]

Thanks Mike,,I just looked at the tips...but my indicator tip doesnt unscrew. To make it worse,,the small indicator came today and that tip doesnt unscrew either.
I like your idea of shimming the end of the cutter head. I could do that on the side with the gear box.
You're making me see it a little clearer....but get this....
I spent a couple of hours just now trying to get things somewhere close to anything. Using the King manual it said the infeed and chipbreaker should be set at .004 from the bdc of the knife. Then the outfeed set at .002.
I got as close as I could. Not acceptable, but close. The I put in a piece of wood on edge (for some height) to see what it contacts. With the planer unplugged, I raised the table until I felt the wood hit the top, with my hand, I turned the cutter head.....it never made contact with the wood, which was trapped by the infeed and outfeed rollers.
So I think I set them wrong. I lowered the infeed roller so it was .004 from the bdc of the knife. Now I think it was supposed to be .004 above. I have to go back and look at the diagram and watch the video again.
Edit...the diagram shows lower than the knives

[mike4244]

Thanks Mike,,I just looked at the tips...but my indicator tip doesnt unscrew.  To make it worse,,the small indicator came today and that tip doesnt unscrew either.
I like your idea of shimming the end of the cutter head. I could do that on the side with the gear box.
You're making me see it a little clearer....but get this....
I spent a couple of hours just now trying to get things somewhere close to anything. Using the King manual it said the infeed and chipbreaker should be set at .004 from the bdc of the knife.   Then the outfeed set at .002.
I got as close as I could.  Not acceptable,  but close.  The I put in a piece of wood on edge (for some height) to see what it contacts. With the planer unplugged,  I raised the table until I felt the wood hit the top, with my hand, I turned the cutter head.....it never made contact with the wood, which was trapped by the infeed and outfeed rollers.
So I think I set them wrong.  I lowered the infeed roller so it was .004 from the bdc of the  knife. Now I think it was supposed to be .004 above. I have to go back and look at the diagram and watch the video again.
Edit...the diagram shows lower than the knives

Marc, I have an idea that may help. First I will describe a method that I have used for 50+ years to set jointer knives accurately and fairly quickly.
After removing 3 knives  and cleaning the slots I install a new knife , the locking screws are snugged only enough to keep it from falling out.
Then I remove the guard, place a piece of glass over the outfeed table and a little past TDC. I use a 1/4 x4 x12" plate glass from a jalousie window. Most of the glass is on the outfeed table. I lay a heavy duty magnet on the glass . The knife should hit the glass and you can hear it  
"click". Rock the cutter head slightly back and forth til the bevel on the knife is flat against the bottom of the glass. Snug the locking screws,
check again that the bevel is flat against the glass. Finish tightening the locking screws. Repeat for the other knives.
If the knife does not easily pull up to the glass, loosen the screws more.
I mention this because it may work for a planer. I have never tried it myself on anything but jointers.
I would think that two exact pieces  like 1-2-3 blocks on the table standing up with the glass across it and a strong magnet under the glass may work. If this works, then all 3 knives will be exactly the same distance from the table. Another thing is you do not need to find TDC, the glass and magnet does it for you.
Wooden blocks may work if they are accurately machined. Your manual said set the outfeed table .002. I doubt that this measurement is important. It is to prevent snipe. My outfeed table is probably more like .062 ( 1/16") higher at the far end. No idea what the infeed table is set at. Haven't changed it since I bought it in the 70's.
My magnet is about 3" long and rectangular in shape. I bought it at Harbor Freight years ago. I think the pull is 50 lbs. Plenty strong to pull the knife up.
If this method works on your planer then your all set.
mike

[Marc]

The guy who sold me the planer (around 2010 or 11) gave me some rectangular magnets and said they're good for holding the knives. I used them on my jointer. I havent touched that since I rebuilt it,,but I think I did a good job.( Flashback: If anyone wonders why I have taken all my tools apart,,2012 hurricane sandy. 8+ feet of salt water in my basement shop)

I have a piece of plate glass also,,I'll use that to see how my knives are currently sitting.

[Marc]

I gave it one last shot. I forgot to set the height on the table rollers,,they were at their lowest position. Once raised, the infeed roller took the wood right in a threw chips all over the basement. I didnt run it long enough to check for flatness or anything. This machine scares the bejeezus out of me.
At least it's now actingike it should. Thanks to all who tried helping. I have the info to try tweaking it now.