The Complete "Jointmaker Pro" Review..... A Paradigm Shift in Woodworking

[mckenziedrums]

I just wanted to say... Thank you for this write up. And I'm sorry if anyone that's posted here got beat by me on that auction on Ebay for one of these amazing looking tools. I just nabbed one at a fraction of the price due to someone rejecting the delivery based on a scratch on the table top. (Not that I blame you... if I spent that kind of money on it I'd want the top flawless too!)

I'm hoping to make use of this doing precise angled cuts to build stave and segment drums. It looks like it would be very well suited to that kind of repetitive precision cut where you want a perfect gluing surface and need each piece to fit exactly. After reading this write up I knew I had to get this one. =)

 

[TahoeTwoBears]

Since my JMP is enroute, I went back to review this and was bummed that so many of the pictures seem to be missing. Is it just me?

Mike

 

[RONWEN]

Since my JMP is enroute, I went back to review this and was bummed that so many of the pictures seem to be missing. Is it just me?

Mike

No.  [sad]

 

[DRJONWARD]

THE PHOTOS YOU INCLUDED ARE SPECTACULAR. THERE ARE SOME "image icons" WHICH DO NOT PRODUCE THE IMAGE IT REPRESENTS.

IS THERE A "FIX"?

 

[Alan m]

welcome to the fog.
if they show a little x then click it. if that doesnt work i would PM the poster adn see if they would repost the pics.

 

[peter halle]

I am checking into it.

Peter

 

[DRJONWARD]

Seems to be a long standing problem with some of the photo icons dating back to December of 2010. The photos which are opening properly are quite exemplary. Thanks for working on this issue.

 

[PaulMarcel]

If you are going to WIA '12 (Pasadena or Cincinnati), Bridge City will have a bunch of JMPv2s on demo.  I'm doing demos for them in Pasadena.  It's a fun tool.  This was our demo project at last year's WIA'11.

 

[fritter63]

Would be hilarious if they had an episode of that new "Revolution" show where the JMP was being treated as an incredibly valuable relic because it still worked...

But from what little I've seen of the show it won't last that long....

 

[WillAdams]

I am currently contemplating getting a Jointmaker Pro --- mostly I'd use it for cutting smaller stock to length with hopefully less wasted, but I'm also interested in the idea of using it to resaw (I guess I'd want a rip blade for that).

Has anyone tried resawing stock with it? What would be a reasonable expectation for how wide and long a piece of wood one could resaw with it?

 

[nclemmons]

I don’t recommend it for resawing.  I’ve had one since they were released years ago and upgraded it with new rails, fence, etc. it’s a terrific joint making saw with high precision.  But resawing even with a rip blade is very slow.  And your length of cut is limited. 

 

[WillAdams]

I'm fine with tedium and a limited length --- I guess the limit would be length of saw blade?

Height would be twice the height of the saw blade? (assuming I cut from top and bottom)

It would be for small projects, and fairly expensive stock, but this would be a bonus feature, but hopefully a cost savings which makes this make sense.

 

[Tinker]

I'm fine with tedium and a limited length --- I guess the limit would be length of saw blade?

Height would be twice the height of the saw blade? (assuming I cut from top and bottom)

It would be for small projects, and fairly expensive stock, but this would be a bonus feature, but hopefully a cost savings which makes this make sense.

I think the design of the JMP limits it to only cutting in cross cut mode. I don't think it makes sense to try to feed wood into the JMP in any other way, the same as you would not feed wood into your sliding miter saw. I value my fingers more than trying to save a small piece of wood, no matter how valuable the wood. Granted, the blade is not moving. At some point, the blade does come up above the wood.
Tinker

 

[WillAdams]

Okay, I finally broke down and got one (the recent ad/sale about the 1957 Soviet Submarine aesthetic and the price caught me at a weak moment).

First cut was (of course) amazing, and I'm now looking at actual usage, and wondering what accessories I want/need.

The thing is, the current project is bookbinding, and that needs a plough and press (a traditional bookbinding tool for cutting a book block to size) --- making one seemed like the likely option, but then I considered how much overlap there is between the mechanism of that tool and the Jointmaker....

Has anyone tried using it to cut paper?

I figure if I put a sacrificial piece of wood across the top to hold the folded sheets in place it should work well.

One obvious concern is how much this would dull a blade --- anything else I'm missing?

 

[nclemmons]

I don't think you'll get a clean cut, even with paper sandwiched between pieces of wood.  The JMP is not great for wide cuts.  I've had one since they were first introduced and used it a lot of joinery and smaller pieces, but I don't think you'll be pleased with cutting something that's over maybe 2" wide.

 

[WillAdams]

Thanks!

I finally broke down and purchased a guillotine, but I've been doing well w/ the JointMaker Pro cutting box parts and so forth, and in this case, cutting a box apart: