What did I do to my jointer?

[Aram]

This is unsettling. I have a Yorkcraft YC-8J (basically a DJ-20) with a Byrd head. I was edge jointing a piece of cherry. It was going fine, but slowly due to super shallow cut. I went from maybe 1/32 to 1/16, fed the board and it kind of jammed up on me. Cutter started making a scary noise. The board had been fully on the cutters, not hanging off the edge.

Unplugged it, popped off the back, and spun it by hand. Cutter head definitely sticking at the same place every rotation -- sticking enough that it took a little extra tug on the belt to get through it. I popped off the belt and spun the cutter with my fingers. Same thing, so definitely something up top. 

After a few spins, the stickiness and noise (even by hand, there's a metallic echo) is less, probably much less, but still there. Just takes less effort to get through it.

[EDIT] Went back, and now it is barely detectable if it's there at all. I don't like problems that go away for no reason!

Any ideas?

Thanks all.

[meackerman]

bearing going out?

[AHill]

Maybe a chip somehow stuck between the pulley and the belt?  But I'm suspecting a bearing issue as well.

[MikeBob]

A lodged wood chip from a tear out??

[mike4244]

Look at the edge you joined, do you see a chip missing? Probably a chip got caught and ticking on the table .
mike

[JGrout]

A loose insert on the head and a piece of wood jammed under it? 

That kinda makes sense in that you said the issue is going away I would be looking at the lands and the inserts first 

Joe

[Wild Turkey]

A loose insert on the head and a piece of wood jammed under it? 

I've lost a couple of inserts on my planer -- look at ALL your inserts and see if one's come loose.

[Aram]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll get a check it out in the next couple of days.

[EricU]

the thought of losing an insert scares me.  I would go through and check the torque on them all.

[JGrout]

the thought of losing an insert scares me.  I would go through and check the torque on them all.

you have not lived until you have an entire knife come out

DAMHIKT