Why buy a jointer when you can use a router table?

[Stephen B]

[size=11pt]

At steps 3 and 4 in #39 by Birdhunter.

If there is a slight bend/cup make that face the one to flattern on the jointer, otherwise if you try to flattern  the opposite face,  the timber may rock as it passes over cutter head.

Also for thin timber lengths, consider jointing and thicknessimg the edges first so you still have sufficient thickness to ensure timber is vertically stable as it passes through the thicknesser (planner).

 

[grbmds]

There are articles in Fine Woodworking (from Marc Adams I think) which describe the flattening, jointing, and thicknessing, but you seem to understand. There is nothing out there that replaces a jointer and planer (or jointer/planer combo) to flatten faces and joint edges. The best purchase I ever made was an 8" jointer with carbide segmented cutter head a couple of years ago. It has improved my capabilites to flatten the first face, joint one edge, then use my DeWalt planer to get it to the right thickness. No one could ever convince me that I would get better results any other way. Unfortunately not everyone has these tools nor can find the space or money to get them. I was in that position many years ago when I started woodworking and, of course, did things by hand or with lesser power tools. That was a learning experience and it makes me appreciate my current jointer and planer even more.

 

[SittingElf]

Birder,

Here's a Jointer/Planer that you can get in Europe. It's a review by our own FOG member Peter Parfitt.

10" Jointer/Planer (Though he used British terms) that has a pretty compact footprint.

Cheers,

Frank

 

[MichaelW2014]

thank you all for the precise replies, i greatly appreciate them all. i'm working from a purely theoretical standpoint, having never had instruction or even seen jointing done, other than on youtube. i do believe i understand this process perfectly well at this point, as well as the tools and many of ways to go about making a board perfectly perpendicular and straight.

hopefully i won't have to wait too long to get either a jointer or a jointer/planer combo and the necessary duct collection system to go along with it.

 

 

[lumbajac]

Birder,

Here's a Jointer/Planer that you can get in Europe. It's a review by our own FOG member Peter Parfitt.

10" Jointer/Planer (Though he used British terms) that has a pretty compact footprint.

Cheers,

Frank

Got tired of trying to joint with TS75 and square with planer sleds, etc.  Finally gave in and bought the Jet jointer/planer combo machine myself, though the 12" helical head version, to outfit my small basement shop.  Went with helical head primarily to reduce noise levels when planing.  Been sitting on shipping pallet in my garage for a week plus waiting for me to clean shipping grease and get setup.  Will use rainy day coming up soon to do so.

 

[grbmds]

Birder,

Here's a Jointer/Planer that you can get in Europe. It's a review by our own FOG member Peter Parfitt.

10" Jointer/Planer (Though he used British terms) that has a pretty compact footprint.

Cheers,

Frank

Got tired of trying to joint with TS75 and square with planer sleds, etc.  Finally gave in and bought the Jet jointer/planer combo machine myself, though the 12" helical head version, to outfit my small basement shop.  Went with helical head primarily to reduce noise levels when planing.  Been sitting on shipping pallet in my garage for a week plus waiting for me to clean shipping grease and get setup.  Will use rainy day coming up soon to do so.

How are you getting it into your basement? That was the reason I ended up with an 8" helical Jet Jointer; less weight to get down the stairs. I think it's a great purchase. The price isn't that much more than the 8" and you get a full 12" jointer. A great deal, I thought. Just couldn't get it into the basement and didn't want to leave it in the garage where the humidity isn't controlled. Good luck.

 

[semenza]

Michael,

     Looks like you have received lots of good advice.  You will find that it is of paramount importance to get that one true flat reference face or edge on a board for successful woodworking. Once you have that reference you have  a starting point to work from for all the rest of the operations.

    My track saw jointing method is actually a work around for not having a large jointer. And can also be useful for large, heavy, unwieldy pieces. Something to remember with track saw jointing , especially if only cutting one edge at a time, is that the surface the track is on must be flat (and the saw blade dead square to the base) in order to get a perfectly square (edge to face) edge. If the surface the track is on has any ups, downs, or twists the edge will not be true and square. That is why the track saw method I use, cuts both edges at once to guarantee mating edges even if the board face is a little out of whack. Of course you still then need to go back after gluing and flatten the surface by other methods.

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-how-to/edge-jointing-a-countertop-with-the-ts75-(or-ts55)/

Seth

 

[lumbajac]

"How are you getting it into your basement? That was the reason I ended up with an 8" helical Jet Jointer; less weight to get down the stairs. I think it's a great purchase. The price isn't that much more than the 8" and you get a full 12" jointer. A great deal, I thought. Just couldn't get it into the basement and didn't want to leave it in the garage where the humidity isn't controlled. Good luck."

I have a 5' wide staircase leading from garage directly into basement.  Will leave machine bolted to shipping pallet, round up a couple friends to help me, slide it down staircase, into basement, and onto mobile base.

 

[Paul G]

Haven't read the whole thread so this may be a repeat, but there is the router sled method of flattening the face, can save the day when no jointer is available or the wood is too big for your jointer.

 

[grbmds]

"How are you getting it into your basement? That was the reason I ended up with an 8" helical Jet Jointer; less weight to get down the stairs. I think it's a great purchase. The price isn't that much more than the 8" and you get a full 12" jointer. A great deal, I thought. Just couldn't get it into the basement and didn't want to leave it in the garage where the humidity isn't controlled. Good luck."

I have a 5' wide staircase leading from garage directly into basement.  Will leave machine bolted to shipping pallet, round up a couple friends to help me, slide it down staircase, into basement, and onto mobile base.

Good luck! That is what I did with the 8" jointer and that was a handful even with 3 guys. I know the jointer/planer is probably even heavier. It will be worth it though.

 

[MichaelW2014]

Michael,

     Looks like you have received lots of good advice.  You will find that it is of paramount importance to get that one true flat reference face or edge on a board for successful woodworking. Once you have that reference you have  a starting point to work from for all the rest of the operations.

    My track saw jointing method is actually a work around for not having a large jointer. And can also be useful for large, heavy, unwieldy pieces. Something to remember with track saw jointing , especially if only cutting one edge at a time, is that the surface the track is on must be flat (and the saw blade dead square to the base) in order to get a perfectly square (edge to face) edge. If the surface the track is on has any ups, downs, or twists the edge will not be true and square. That is why the track saw method I use, cuts both edges at once to guarantee mating edges even if the board face is a little out of whack. Of course you still then need to go back after gluing and flatten the surface by other methods.

http://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-how-to/edge-jointing-a-countertop-with-the-ts75-(or-ts55)/

Seth

thanks seth. i appreciate your input. i hope to one day get a track saw for cutting plywood. but for now, the next machine i hope to buy is a jointer or a combo machine. i just need to get a bigger home and a nice little savings stored up in order to make that happen.

 

[Birdhunter]

You might want to look for a woodworking club or a woodworking store like Woodcraft and take some classes before you dive into buying equipment. These tools can hurt you if you don't know what you are doing. Most woodworkers love to share their craft and they can teach you good practices.

The first thing you need to buy are a pair of safety glasses. Wear them before you reach for any tool.

Bag type dust collectors can catch the large particles but let the small stuff into the air. It is the small stuff that hurts the lungs.

Take some lessons, build some experience, learn safe practices, and enjoy a fine hobby/profession.