What to do when the jointer breaks?

[HarveyWildes]

So here's the story.  Young man is using a well-outfitted shop to make a couple of Christmas presents for the family.  He is definitely a newbie at the craft, but he is careful and methodical, and has done a couple of nice pieces.  The jointer breaks.  Won't be fixed until close to Christmas, maybe after.  He wrote me and asked my advice - should he try to buy a plane and do the jointing by hand?  The only edged hand tools that he owns are a (nice) set of chisels.  I'm not sure what other tools the shop has, but I don't think there is anyone else who uses the shop that he could depend on for guidance.

What guidance would you give him?  He's too far away, so he can't use my shop.

 

[tjbnwi]

Jointing just for edge truing? TS-55.

Tom

 

[HarveyWildes]

Jointing just for edge truing? TS-55.

Tom

Nope - jointing to flatten one face.

 

[ScotF]

Router and sled.

 

[Wooden Skye]

A hardwood dealer may be able to surface his lumber for a charge. 

 

[nickao]

I don't use the jointer for woodworking for anything other than dressing rough lumber.

For guys that don't buy lumber in the rough and I am guessing that's most here, what do you need a jointer for? There are many way to get an edge trued up and if you buy the lumber planed, straight line ripped one side, you don't even have to do that. Just reference off that straight line edge.

For a hobbyist, especially guys still working regular jobs, I tell them  don't bother with the rough lumber use your time making projects and skip the time planing and jointing as much as you can.

If  buying in the rough the wood can still be trued up and squared without using a jointer, but its so time consuming it's a waste of time in my book. You will nullify the cost savings of the rough lumber with the time spent. May as well just buy the lumber from the supplier ready to work.

So to answer the question when the jointer breaks purchase the lumber straight line ripped and planed one or both sides and ready to work. When you get the jointer go back to the rough lumber.

 

[Corwin]

Planer sled.

Simple, cheap (assuming he already has a planer) and there are lots of good YouTube videos to give him guidance.

 

[grbmds]

I would agree that the easiest, since the jointer will be fixed at some point, is to buy the wood planed from a local hardwood dealer. Actually, I understand that, although it's probably expensive, Lowe's and/or Home Depot have started to sell some hardwoods planed and jointed.

Depending on the table saw, there are rip blades which will give an excellent edge. I ripped some maple the other night and the edge showed no saw marks at all - a Freud This Kerf 30T - also comes in full kerf I believe. While I still joint the edges, I have found that they are almost perfect for everything other than edge gluing panels.

 

[derekcohen]

I would prepare the face and four square the boards with hand planes.

However, you need more than a jointer (Stanley #7 with straight or very faintly cambered blade). You also need a jack plane (Stanley #5 with cambered blade).

Mark the high spots and take them down with the jack. Once this is done, you can take thick shavings with the jointer. Finish by taking fine shavings with the jointer. Better still, finish with a smoother.

An alternative approach is to use hand planes and a bandsaw ....http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/Preparing a board without a thicknesser.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[grbmds]

For a long term solution, hand planing may be a great way to learn more about woodworking but, for a short-term, temporary solution while the jointer is being fixed, hand planing would require a significant investment in hand-tools. The most significant issue, though, is the actual development of the hand planing skills. For a temporary solution, the easiest is to find a place that either sells surfaced wood or surfaces on demand. Then, get a good glue line rip blade for the table saw and no jointing will be required.

 

[ear3]

If he has a lunch box planer, then either the planer sled as already suggested, or, if he's more adventuresome, a jack plane. YOU don't have to get one side completely flat with the jack plane to run it effectively through the plane, just the high spots and a semblance of flatness so it presents a flat face to the blades. Then when that side had been sent through the planer, board can be flipped to do the fine flattening on the handplaned face.