Jointer recommendation

[Moparfan90]

I'm in the market for a jointer. Problem is I work out if a shed a little smaller then a 1 car garage. So most of my tools I either bring and setup outside for the job or cramp inside.  Ideally I want a bench top jointer but need to be able to joint board up to 7ft long. Any ideas?

 

[Jesse Cloud]

I used to have a benchtop jointer and it was just awful.  I tried jointing long boards and got some small measure of success, but lots of waste and frustration.  I could not recommend one in good conscience.

A full sized jointer can be placed right up against a wall and not take up too much space.

But for any jointer, you will need 7 feet behind the blade and 7 feet in front.

Many lumberyards will mill wood for you for a small fee.  Or how are your hand tool skills?

 

[Kev]

I think you're going to be looking for something with a mobile base that conforms to [member=457]Jesse Cloud[/member] thinking [wink]

 

[Holmz]

I think you're going to be looking for something with a mobile base that conforms to [member=457]Jesse Cloud[/member] thinking [wink]

Like a person as a mobile base?http://www.amazon.com/Makita-KP312-12-1-4-Inch-Planer/dp/B000140B54

 

[Kev]

Like a person as a mobile base?http://www.amazon.com/Makita-KP312-12-1-4-Inch-Planer/dp/B000140B54

[member=40772]Holmz[/member] trouble with a beam planer is the base length .. don't get me wrong, I drool every time I think of them.

A beam planer will follow the dish in a 2m timber, but a long bed jointer will sort it out.

 

[Holmz]

... I drool every time I think of them.
...

psychology + Aussie culture = Pavlova's Dog

 

[Kev]

psychology + Aussie culture = Pavlova's Dog

[big grin] [thumbs up]

What else could we expect from the man switching to the biscuit base [wink] passionfruit?

 

[Birdhunter]

In my experience, the length of a jointer's infeed and outfeed tables is directly related to its performance. Unfortunately, in jointers, size does matter. It's also important to have bed alignment adjustments to remove any bed tilt issues. If the beds are tilted or canted, they can ruin a board.

A short bed jointer will not correct a gentle twist or warp in a long board.

For 7 foot boards, I'd find a long bed jointer & planer I could use elsewhere.

 

[grbmds]

I'm in the market for a jointer. Problem is I work out if a shed a little smaller then a 1 car garage. So most of my tools I either bring and setup outside for the job or cramp inside.  Ideally I want a bench top jointer but need to be able to joint board up to 7ft long. Any ideas?

It would be difficult to flatten or joint a 7' board on even my 8" jointer which has a total table length of 66". Do you need to keep the 7' board in one piece for you work? If not, I get better results by cutting the board to rough size and then jointing the shorter length. There is usually less twist or bow in the wood in shorter lengths and they are definitely easier to handle. Of course, if you need the wood to be 7' long for the finished project, this suggestion is obviously useless.

 

[Holmz]

Use a hand plane.

 

[marmot]

Use a hand plane.

I always laugh out loud when I read vapid responses such as this one.  The OP asked a simple question regarding a jointer recommendation.  This poster responds, for some odd reason, with a vague tool recommendation that will not help the original question much.

What if the original poster isn't able to use a hand plane regularly for minutes/hours?  What is the original poster wants a jointer because it also reminds him of working with a relative in the past?  What if the original poster just doesn't like hand planing?  Which hand plane do you recommend, Holmz?  If someone asks you for your car recommendation, do you just respond with "Use a boat." or "Use a bicycle."?

The best question:  why even respond with such an assumingly negative and unhelpful connotation?

 

[Holmz]

Yeah i suppose that it is possible to cut it and domino it together.

But in the context of cutting the board in half, it is more sensible to take to it with a hand plane or being it somewhere.

( and the poster above said it was a useless suggestion, which is 100% factual.)

I have hand planed boards that length. It is sweaty and not a great deal of fun. But the shop was closed on a Sunday.

In a small space what are the options?
I am all ears.

 

[marmot]

I recently picked up a very small Craftsman King-Seely 4-3/8" jointer (#103.23340).  It's pretty awesome - small enough to fit on a bench/table top, and it's cast iron.  I flattened the tops - which needed minimal work anyway.

Mine can't joint a board 7' long.  I agree with Jesse Cloud - I'd hound Craigslist and get a full-size jointer at a discounted price and keep it tucked against a wall.

 

[teocaf]

The best question:  why even respond with such an assumingly negative and unhelpful connotation?

The best answer:  Some people on any given forum, not just this one, simply can't help it.  It's a medical condition loosely known as "diarrhea of the forum poster".  There is no known cure, the only relief being to let it all spew out in projectile fashion all over the threads of the day.
So it's best to leave the poor guy alone.  After all we should not make fun of disabilities.  Besides, he's got a lot of ground to cover to meet his quota for the day...

...and that is my saturday morning editorial, folks!

 

[NHSP759]

I was in a similar boat with a small basement woodshop and space was a concern for me too. I ended up getting a Powrmatic helical head 6" jointer and put it on a shop built mobile cart. It's big but still retains a small footprint.

 

[waho6o9]

A jointer plane with a fence will square it up in short order.

Lie Nielsen or Veritas spring to mind for quality planes.

A pair of winding sticks can  take a twist out of a board where as machines don't have that
capability.

 

[Moparfan90]

Thanks for all the responses. I guess I'm in the market for a full size jointer now. I'll make it fit

 

[monstrol]

My 2 cents are as follows,
get the best 6-8 inch jointer you can afford, put on a sturdy base with 4 inch casters, locate an area in garage with enough clearance front and back, build infeed and outfeed extensions that can be adjusted to line up to jointer's infeed and outfeed tables. The extensions obviously need to be flat and stay that way when jointing longer pieces. They can be attached to base of jointer or not. Hitachi had a cute jointer/planer combo that had a foldable out feed table that might provide inspiration. In my work I am not jointing long boards that often and cut down rough pieces to an acceptable length before jointing to avoid problems with it slipping off both infeed and outfeed tables while jointing. You may want to use melamine laminated stock for the extensions. Be creative!
Matt

 

[grbmds]

Thanks for all the responses. I guess I'm in the market for a full size jointer now. I'll make it fit

I would agree that getting the best jointer you can afford is a good idea if you want this to be a permanent purchase rather than just a starter. However, there are jointers that are a step below the best and significantly less expensive that may serve your needs just as well. I purchased a Jet 8" long-bed helical head jointer about 3 years ago. Since I do woodworking as a hobby, this will be sufficient for me forever. It is clearly not the best. A Powermatic 8" HH would have been better, but more expensive. For me, the improvement in the results from a small 6" short-bed jointer to even the Jet 8" was almost unmeasurable. I can now flatten almost all rough hardwood I purchase on the first side before planing, if needed and the jointing results with the long bed can't be beat. The point is that, while the Powermatic would have been a better jointer with better quality helical head, the difference in results between those 2 jointers isn't significant. I'm sure there are other jointers  that would serve your needs, both more expensive and less expensive. Check some of the woodworking magazine reviews over the past couple of years. They aren't always the complete answer but they do give you useful information about tool quality, value, and features that you might or might not need.

 

[Holmz]

For me I do not do enough timber to warrant the space.
Therefore I pretty much Follow Jesse Cloud's recommendation, and get the timber yard to it. They do not charge a whole lot, and I am starting there anyhow, so it not a wasted trip.
(But sometimes the boards spring or twist when recut, and I have to head back over ~2 miles/3km. Or get on the end of the big jointer hand plane)

If nothing else, Jesse's timberyard approach would give you time to craig's list your way around until one pops up.