Benchtop jointer? Grizzly G0725

[DynaGlide]

I've resigned myself to not having enough room for a dust collector in my shop, or the usual big jointer. I came across the Grizzly G0725 and see that it has built in dust collection that you just hook a bag up to like with the Dewalt DW735 which has also caught my eye for the same reason. If all I'm doing is typical cabinetry and need to produce drawer fronts, face frames, hardwood lipping for shelves, etc do you think I'd be okay with something like the Grizzly benchtop 6" jointer and a Dewalt DW735 planer?

I've never worked with rough lumber, but I'd like to start. It's held me back from doing certain projects up until now. I don't trust buying lumber pre milled and not warping on me.

Thanks

 

[travisj]

I am not familiar with that jointer, but my grandfather never had a stationary jointer.  He ran an old 4” or 6” bench top unit.  I was around for at least three houses he built (he did everything himself) and the fit and finish on all of them were outstanding.  I have also seen my dad build some pretty amazing things using what now would be considered inaccurate tooling.  The old Rockwell and Craftsman jointers that are out there by the thousands are only slightly larger than a bench top model.  I have not owned a Grizzly machine and know nothing about their quality or customer service, but as for size, I would not hesitate to run a benchtop model if that was all I could afford (both monetarily and in terms of space).  All of that said, there will be limitations.  I would not want to join a 10’ board, but for cabinet parts or smaller stock (4’ or so) you should be fine with proper technique.

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[travisj]

Another consideration, jointers tend to produce fluff more than dust.  I remember sweeping under my dad’s Craftsman as he never had dust collection.  If you wear good PPE, the dust issue should not be as bad as say a table saw that tends to spew fine dust everywhere.

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[mrFinpgh]

I've resigned myself to not having enough room for a dust collector in my shop, or the usual big jointer. I came across the Grizzly G0725 and see that it has built in dust collection that you just hook a bag up to like with the Dewalt DW735 which has also caught my eye for the same reason. If all I'm doing is typical cabinetry and need to produce drawer fronts, face frames, hardwood lipping for shelves, etc do you think I'd be okay with something like the Grizzly benchtop 6" jointer and a Dewalt DW735 planer?

I've never worked with rough lumber, but I'd like to start. It's held me back from doing certain projects up until now. I don't trust buying lumber pre milled and not warping on me.

Thanks

I think that it's worth considering, although a lot of work can be accomplished with a jack plane and a planer. 

That's a good approach to have in your repertoire for when you do wide panels that are still small enough for the planer and too wide to joint the face.

[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member] shared some info about his approach to lumber prep and I don't think it involved a jointer up until recently.

On the other hand, I saw a 10" tabletop Inca jointer/planer for $600 on Craigslist this week.  Depending where you are in VA, might be worth the trip.

-Adam

 

[Df1k1]

Honestly I would say don’t do it. I had one years ago by delta  and it will simply leave you wanting more. I’ve been down this road way too many times that I care to mention IE benchtop router‘s tables, cheap drills, horrible hand planes etc. I have wasted more money upgrading then I wish I had.

The dust collection on a joiner is not mission-critical. If you can’t find a way to fit a minimum of 6 inch good quality floor jointer in your shop I would say invest that money in high-quality and planes. 

 

[Alanbach]

I have had a large Grizzly planer for twenty years and it is great. Grizzly makes some great machines and their customer service is pretty darn good. Grizzly has a very large lineup and they are always adding machines at different price points. Their old standbys generally get pretty great reviews and this jointer that you have mentioned is one of those old standbys. I do get why some knock your plan since I’m on my fourth jointer. However, that took place over 35 years and I am fine with it, it is what worked for me at the time. I bought what I could afford (both in dollars and in space) when I could and as time went on I upgraded. Just know that this jointer is probably not going to be your “forever” jointer.

 

[Alanbach]

Also, I am not sure what has prompted your comments about premilled lumber and the risk of warping. In my opinion the same risks of movement after milling exist with rough lumber just as they do with s4s lumber purchased from a reputable hardwood supplier (maybe more). Internal stresses in wood are kind of part of the deal for us woodworkers. Dont worry you will figure it out as it happens. I live on the Gulf Coast in Texas (high humidity) and I generally buy 10-15% more board feet than my plan calls for. I just cut my way around problems. I also let the wood acclimate in my shop for four or five days before I start milling. Also, when possible I don’t wait long after milling to assemble. For example if I am going to mill parts for a face frame I do it after the case is built and immediately after milling I build the face frame and attach it to the case on the spot. If, for some reason, I cannot  permanently attach it to the case I clamp it in place on the case so that it can acclimate in position.

 

[Df1k1]

I have had a large Grizzly planer for twenty years and it is great. Grizzly makes some great machines and their customer service is pretty darn good. Grizzly has a very large lineup and they are always adding machines at different price points. Their old standbys generally get pretty great reviews and this jointer that you have mentioned is one of those old standbys. I do get why some knock your plan since I’m on my fourth jointer. However, that took place over 35 years and I am fine with it, it is what worked for me at the time. I bought what I could afford (both in dollars and in space) when I could and as time went on I upgraded. Just know that this jointer is probably not going to be your “forever” jointer.

To clary my comment didn’t mean to come across anti grizzly  (am actively looking at their 12 inch jointer. It’s a beast with great reviews) but wanted to stress that benchtop jointers in my opinion are not long term tools. YMMV

 

[Roseland]

I have a lunchbox thicknesser, and I also have a jointer.  Whilst the thicknesser gets it share of use, I almost never use the jointer; I find the TS55 does a perfectly good job for timber up to its thickness capability.  The risk of trimming my finger nails is also eliminated.

It's only timber where both dimensions are over 2" that I need the jointer.

Am I doing it wrong?

Andrew

 

[DynaGlide]

I have a lunchbox thicknesser, and I also have a jointer.  Whilst the thicknesser gets it share of use, I almost never use the jointer; I find the TS55 does a perfectly good job for timber up to its thickness capability.  The risk of trimming my finger nails is also eliminated.

It's only timber where both dimensions are over 2" that I need the jointer.

Am I doing it wrong?

Andrew

The planer only thicknesses a board it doesn't remove cups or twists. So you'd need to joint a face flat before using the planer.

To everyone else, thank you for your comments. It sounds like if I can find the space a full size jointer is the way to go. I guess the question is can I cram one of those plus a proper dust collector into my space. I don't think I can, or should. I'm trying to avoid being space constrained for when I want to work on larger projects that need to sit somewhere during their completion. A benchtop model, while not ideal, would get me going along with a planer without being at the mercy of lumber yards and luck for a project to come together. Some day many years from now we will add on to the house and I'll have room for all the bigger machinery but for now I think I'll take a hard look at the benchtop models.

[member=66185]Alanbach[/member] My comment about warping is that if I have my own tools to correct it is no big deal. If I buy lumber pre-milled then I have no way to fix it when it warps at home. Hence why I haven't bought any up until now. I hope this is clear.

 

[Alanbach]

[member=65062]DynaGlide[/member] - Got it! And I agree! It sound like you have a workable plan. Let us know what you decide and how you like it!

 

[travisj]

I think there are dust collection options that could work for you depending on what your goals for dust collection are.  If you are more concerned about the mess VS getting the fines out of the air, for example, a Rockler wall hanging dust collector does not take up a lot of space.  I used one for quite awhile and was happy with it.  They have redesigned it and added a canister style filter as an option, but I haven’t looked at them recently as to what their filtration is.  If the fines are your main concern, then you need massive airflow and big cyclones.

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[DynaGlide]

I think there are dust collection options that could work for you depending on what your goals for dust collection are.  If you are more concerned about the mess VS getting the fines out of the air, for example, a Rockler wall hanging dust collector does not take up a lot of space.  I used one for quite awhile and was happy with it.  They have redesigned it and added a canister style filter as an option, but I haven’t looked at them recently as to what their filtration is.  If the fines are your main concern, then you need massive airflow and big cyclones.

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Unfortunately it's the fines I'm concerned with. I work in the house with a gas furnace and water heater sharing the space. Finished basement on other side of the door.

 

[mrFinpgh]

I think there is a general concurrence that a large air volume dust collector w/ a cyclone and hepa filter is the best bet for stationary tools.  I'm kind of in the same boat, where I don't have the space to accommodate a big dust collector at the moment.  I usually just move my planer outdoors.

I know it's not like for like, but I wonder about whether much a blower behind a fine furnace filter array (or some other kind of air cleaner) can contribute to filtering the fines out of the air during these processes. It might not get everything, but might do enough good to avoid problems.

 

[Alanbach]

You might want to look into a passive air filter like the Jet or the Rikon. You can hang them up above your head. They are certainly not a total solution but they certainly do help with fine airborne dust.

 

[travisj]

You might want to look into a passive air filter like the Jet or the Rikon. You can hang them up above your head. They are certainly a total solution but they certainly do help with fine airborne dust.

I have a Jet 1000cfm air filter hanging in my shop.  It is claimed to filter all of the air in a 20’x20’ space (8’ ceiling) in less than 5 minutes.  A small dust collector along with a passive air filter could suit your needs.  I am not sure where you are located climate wise, but possibly turning off the furnace while you run the jointer in conjunction with the above items, would drastically limit any fines pulled through your furnace and into the house’s air.  Not ideal I know, but could be a possible work around.

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[DynaGlide]

You might want to look into a passive air filter like the Jet or the Rikon. You can hang them up above your head. They are certainly a total solution but they certainly do help with fine airborne dust.

I have a Jet 1000cfm air filter hanging in my shop.  It is claimed to filter all of the air in a 20’x20’ space (8’ ceiling) in less than 5 minutes.  A small dust collector along with a passive air filter could suit your needs.  I am not sure where you are located climate wise, but possibly turning off the furnace while you run the jointer in conjunction with the above items, would drastically limit any fines pulled through your furnace and into the house’s air.  Not ideal I know, but could be a possible work around.

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Is this the one you were talking about? https://www.rockler.com/rockler-dust-right-650-cfm-wall-mount-dust-collector-with-canister-filter

Now you've got me thinking. I do have a spot for a floor model jointer if I had it on a mobile base. The DeWalt planer has an included blower that supposedly works so well hooked up to a bag that I've read people don't even hook it up to DC.

The ceilings are unfinished so I have some room on the studs to mount that Rockler unit. It says filters down to 1 micron, that seems pretty good. But the description reads like a bad infomercial which raises red flags to me.

 

[travisj]

Yes, that is the one.  I have the first generation (currently not in use) where the bag was the only filter.  I used it for years for a table saw and a router table.  I was happy with it.  I have seen that style made by other manufacturers in different configurations.  I know Craftsman (and maybe Harbor Freight) had one where the unit sat horizontally on the floor (on a base like a furniture dolly) and the bag just laid out on the floor behind it.  My current dust collector is a modified 2HP Harbor Freight unit 

In my opinion, 1 micron is sufficient, but I have not put any research into it.  Bill Pentz wrote the bible on dust collection and he states filters should be 0.5 micron.

I believe [member=67555]mattbyington[/member] just set up that Dust Right collector for his use.  IIRC he put his in a closet with a 4" port that passed through the wall.

 

[Alanbach]

The passive air filter that I referred to and that Travis references is nothing more than an air handler box with multiple filters. It sucks the air in, filters it, and then pushes it right back the other side. They are very effective if you care for the filters appropriately.

The Harbor Freight DC and the Rockler model that Travis and others refer to is a set up that many people employ because of either budget or space constraints. There are MANY YouTube videos of modifications that people make to that type of collector to enhance performance and filtration.

Also, regarding the comments about your furnace and water heater sharing the same space as the shop. If both are natural gas fired then you certainly have the issue of open an flame in the room and that certainly matters if you are going to be doing any finishing in that space or storing solvents, finishes, etc. As far as dust infiltration via the furnace is concerned I think that probably depends on how the ducts are run and where the return air ducts are located that suck room air back into the system. If there is a filter in the room that is your shop than the dust you generate in the shop has the potential to be pulled in if you don’t increase filter maintenance accordingly. If there is no filter in that space then you are probably ok. Sorry for the extra off topic comments. I know that you did not ask for help with that.

 

[mattbyington]

[member=53578]travisj[/member] is right I did just that! But the A331 doesn't come until February 18 or 25 or so per Felder....so haven't tried it yet although I am itching to.

Matt