Jointer question

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-07-2002, 12:14 PM

Can a jointer be used as a thickness planer as well?

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-07-2002, 12:14 PM

Can a jointer be used as a thickness planer as well?

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-07-2002, 12:14 PM

Can a jointer be used as a thickness planer as well?

**Bruce Hooke** · 10-07-2002, 12:25 PM

I've seen combo machines that were designed to be both a jointer and a thickness planer but as far as I know a standard jointer cannot be used as a thickness planer. You could flatten both sides of a board using a jointer but there is nothing in the design of the jointer that would result in those two flat sides being parallel...which is the point of a thickness planer.

**Bruce Hooke** · 10-07-2002, 12:25 PM

I've seen combo machines that were designed to be both a jointer and a thickness planer but as far as I know a standard jointer cannot be used as a thickness planer. You could flatten both sides of a board using a jointer but there is nothing in the design of the jointer that would result in those two flat sides being parallel...which is the point of a thickness planer.

**Bruce Hooke** · 10-07-2002, 12:25 PM

I've seen combo machines that were designed to be both a jointer and a thickness planer but as far as I know a standard jointer cannot be used as a thickness planer. You could flatten both sides of a board using a jointer but there is nothing in the design of the jointer that would result in those two flat sides being parallel...which is the point of a thickness planer.

**capt jake** · 10-07-2002, 12:26 PM

Not really. It would be hard to maintain even pressure over the knives. Also would be rather dangerous. I had used it for this purpose in the past, but only on small pieces that weren't critical of uniformity.
Great tool to have in the arsinal though.

**capt jake** · 10-07-2002, 12:26 PM

Not really. It would be hard to maintain even pressure over the knives. Also would be rather dangerous. I had used it for this purpose in the past, but only on small pieces that weren't critical of uniformity.
Great tool to have in the arsinal though.

**capt jake** · 10-07-2002, 12:26 PM

Not really. It would be hard to maintain even pressure over the knives. Also would be rather dangerous. I had used it for this purpose in the past, but only on small pieces that weren't critical of uniformity.
Great tool to have in the arsinal though.

**Dave Fleming** · 10-07-2002, 01:54 PM

A Jointer has 2 main functions in woodworking.
1. It makes the narrow edge of a board perpendicular to the wide face of the board and at the same time straightens the edge if bowed or humped.
2. It 'faces' a rough board/plank, or in other words, it makes a wide face smooth and provides a flat surface for the board to be run through the planer and come out with the 2 wide faces parallel to each other.

Was not unusual in days gone bye to have a separate machine called a 'Facer'in the mill.
Wide Jointer with a feed roller setup, usually chain driven, just for facing a bunch of rough stock prior to planing to thickness.

There are such things as 'over and under' machines that combine the functions of both jointer and planer in one machine. More popular in Europe than North America.
Makers such as Wadkin, Robland, SCMI, Panhans, Felder all make or made such machines.

For the average home woodworker/boatbuilder a 8 inch jointer and a 12 inch planer make a nice combo. Especially if they are both from General of Canada. And no I do not own any stock in the company! [img]smile.gif[/img]
IIRC, General is family owned.
Nothing wrong with old 'arn' either.
Parks, Powermatic, Delta, Delta Rockwell, Walker Turner, Crescent are some old makers.
I have not nor do I intend to use any of the newer tools flooding in from the Pacific Rim.

Things to look for in old 'arn', are thickness of castings, frequency of casting webbing, 3 blade cutter heads vs. 2 blade square cutterheads( very bad for fingers)in joiners. Sectional chipbreakers, Sectional Infeed Rollers. Adjustable Table Gibs on both joiners and planers
Roller Bearings vs. Babbitt Bearings.
Though nothing wrong with a Babbitt Bearing machine if still in good shape, just getting hard to find a shop to do re-babbitting these days.
Ya folla?

[ 10-08-2002, 11:49 AM: Message edited by: Dave Fleming ]

**Dave Fleming** · 10-07-2002, 01:54 PM

A Jointer has 2 main functions in woodworking.
1. It makes the narrow edge of a board perpendicular to the wide face of the board and at the same time straightens the edge if bowed or humped.
2. It 'faces' a rough board/plank, or in other words, it makes a wide face smooth and provides a flat surface for the board to be run through the planer and come out with the 2 wide faces parallel to each other.

Was not unusual in days gone bye to have a separate machine called a 'Facer'in the mill.
Wide Jointer with a feed roller setup, usually chain driven, just for facing a bunch of rough stock prior to planing to thickness.

There are such things as 'over and under' machines that combine the functions of both jointer and planer in one machine. More popular in Europe than North America.
Makers such as Wadkin, Robland, SCMI, Panhans, Felder all make or made such machines.

For the average home woodworker/boatbuilder a 8 inch jointer and a 12 inch planer make a nice combo. Especially if they are both from General of Canada. And no I do not own any stock in the company! [img]smile.gif[/img]
IIRC, General is family owned.
Nothing wrong with old 'arn' either.
Parks, Powermatic, Delta, Delta Rockwell, Walker Turner, Crescent are some old makers.
I have not nor do I intend to use any of the newer tools flooding in from the Pacific Rim.

Things to look for in old 'arn', are thickness of castings, frequency of casting webbing, 3 blade cutter heads vs. 2 blade square cutterheads( very bad for fingers)in joiners. Sectional chipbreakers, Sectional Infeed Rollers. Adjustable Table Gibs on both joiners and planers
Roller Bearings vs. Babbitt Bearings.
Though nothing wrong with a Babbitt Bearing machine if still in good shape, just getting hard to find a shop to do re-babbitting these days.
Ya folla?

[ 10-08-2002, 11:49 AM: Message edited by: Dave Fleming ]

**Dave Fleming** · 10-07-2002, 01:54 PM

A Jointer has 2 main functions in woodworking.
1. It makes the narrow edge of a board perpendicular to the wide face of the board and at the same time straightens the edge if bowed or humped.
2. It 'faces' a rough board/plank, or in other words, it makes a wide face smooth and provides a flat surface for the board to be run through the planer and come out with the 2 wide faces parallel to each other.

Was not unusual in days gone bye to have a separate machine called a 'Facer'in the mill.
Wide Jointer with a feed roller setup, usually chain driven, just for facing a bunch of rough stock prior to planing to thickness.

There are such things as 'over and under' machines that combine the functions of both jointer and planer in one machine. More popular in Europe than North America.
Makers such as Wadkin, Robland, SCMI, Panhans, Felder all make or made such machines.

For the average home woodworker/boatbuilder a 8 inch jointer and a 12 inch planer make a nice combo. Especially if they are both from General of Canada. And no I do not own any stock in the company! [img]smile.gif[/img]
IIRC, General is family owned.
Nothing wrong with old 'arn' either.
Parks, Powermatic, Delta, Delta Rockwell, Walker Turner, Crescent are some old makers.
I have not nor do I intend to use any of the newer tools flooding in from the Pacific Rim.

Things to look for in old 'arn', are thickness of castings, frequency of casting webbing, 3 blade cutter heads vs. 2 blade square cutterheads( very bad for fingers)in joiners. Sectional chipbreakers, Sectional Infeed Rollers. Adjustable Table Gibs on both joiners and planers
Roller Bearings vs. Babbitt Bearings.
Though nothing wrong with a Babbitt Bearing machine if still in good shape, just getting hard to find a shop to do re-babbitting these days.
Ya folla?

[ 10-08-2002, 11:49 AM: Message edited by: Dave Fleming ]

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-07-2002, 06:32 PM

Thanks, all, for the input. I have a planer, and I'm going to get a jointer as well, I just didn't know if having both was redundant. I appreciate the help.

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-07-2002, 06:32 PM

Thanks, all, for the input. I have a planer, and I'm going to get a jointer as well, I just didn't know if having both was redundant. I appreciate the help.

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-07-2002, 06:32 PM

Thanks, all, for the input. I have a planer, and I'm going to get a jointer as well, I just didn't know if having both was redundant. I appreciate the help.

**ken mcclure** · 10-08-2002, 08:03 AM

Definitely not redundant.

I use the jointer to provide the initial straightening of stock prior to thicknessing.

I rip a board on the table saw to get a "straight" edge. Then I run that edge on the jointer to get a truly straight, square edge.

I then run a flat side to true it, making sure that any bow in the stock is "up" so that the jointer takes stock off of the ends of the piece first. If you don't do it this way, the planer will simply squeeze the stock and keep the bow in.

Once one edge is trued and one side is dead flat I send the piece through the table saw again to square the other edge, and then I joint that edge.

Last step is to put the piece through the planer to achieve the needed thickness.

One thing to note is that when you need a board that is thin (1/8 or 1/4 or some such) the only way to get it is with a planer.

[ 10-08-2002, 09:05 AM: Message edited by: ken mcclure ]

**ken mcclure** · 10-08-2002, 08:03 AM

Definitely not redundant.

I use the jointer to provide the initial straightening of stock prior to thicknessing.

I rip a board on the table saw to get a "straight" edge. Then I run that edge on the jointer to get a truly straight, square edge.

I then run a flat side to true it, making sure that any bow in the stock is "up" so that the jointer takes stock off of the ends of the piece first. If you don't do it this way, the planer will simply squeeze the stock and keep the bow in.

Once one edge is trued and one side is dead flat I send the piece through the table saw again to square the other edge, and then I joint that edge.

Last step is to put the piece through the planer to achieve the needed thickness.

One thing to note is that when you need a board that is thin (1/8 or 1/4 or some such) the only way to get it is with a planer.

[ 10-08-2002, 09:05 AM: Message edited by: ken mcclure ]

**ken mcclure** · 10-08-2002, 08:03 AM

Definitely not redundant.

I use the jointer to provide the initial straightening of stock prior to thicknessing.

I rip a board on the table saw to get a "straight" edge. Then I run that edge on the jointer to get a truly straight, square edge.

I then run a flat side to true it, making sure that any bow in the stock is "up" so that the jointer takes stock off of the ends of the piece first. If you don't do it this way, the planer will simply squeeze the stock and keep the bow in.

Once one edge is trued and one side is dead flat I send the piece through the table saw again to square the other edge, and then I joint that edge.

Last step is to put the piece through the planer to achieve the needed thickness.

One thing to note is that when you need a board that is thin (1/8 or 1/4 or some such) the only way to get it is with a planer.

[ 10-08-2002, 09:05 AM: Message edited by: ken mcclure ]

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-08-2002, 08:11 AM

Thanks Ken for the needed instruction. What jointer model do you use, and are you happy with it?

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-08-2002, 08:11 AM

Thanks Ken for the needed instruction. What jointer model do you use, and are you happy with it?

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-08-2002, 08:11 AM

Thanks Ken for the needed instruction. What jointer model do you use, and are you happy with it?

**Jack Heinlen** · 10-08-2002, 08:20 AM

I only got as far as Dave Fleming's post 'cause he knows his ****.

I would only add that while bigger is almost always better, you can do amazing things with a six inch or even smaller.

Image the machine without it's fence or guard. Now imagine you have a piece of rough stock that is ten inches wide and two thick, but with quite a twist over its six feet. You want to end up with a piece that an inch and a half thick and flat. Now imagine you are going to carve down the high spots at two corners in order to get one side of the piece reasonably flat before running it through your planer. And to do that, you use your jointer just as if it were an upside down mounted power plane. Mind you, you do this carefully, 'cause the blade is just there.

Anyway, I like Dave's recs for sizes for a home shop, but if you can't afford the 8 buy a 6.

**Jack Heinlen** · 10-08-2002, 08:20 AM

I only got as far as Dave Fleming's post 'cause he knows his ****.

I would only add that while bigger is almost always better, you can do amazing things with a six inch or even smaller.

Image the machine without it's fence or guard. Now imagine you have a piece of rough stock that is ten inches wide and two thick, but with quite a twist over its six feet. You want to end up with a piece that an inch and a half thick and flat. Now imagine you are going to carve down the high spots at two corners in order to get one side of the piece reasonably flat before running it through your planer. And to do that, you use your jointer just as if it were an upside down mounted power plane. Mind you, you do this carefully, 'cause the blade is just there.

Anyway, I like Dave's recs for sizes for a home shop, but if you can't afford the 8 buy a 6.

**Jack Heinlen** · 10-08-2002, 08:20 AM

I only got as far as Dave Fleming's post 'cause he knows his ****.

I would only add that while bigger is almost always better, you can do amazing things with a six inch or even smaller.

Image the machine without it's fence or guard. Now imagine you have a piece of rough stock that is ten inches wide and two thick, but with quite a twist over its six feet. You want to end up with a piece that an inch and a half thick and flat. Now imagine you are going to carve down the high spots at two corners in order to get one side of the piece reasonably flat before running it through your planer. And to do that, you use your jointer just as if it were an upside down mounted power plane. Mind you, you do this carefully, 'cause the blade is just there.

Anyway, I like Dave's recs for sizes for a home shop, but if you can't afford the 8 buy a 6.

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-08-2002, 11:14 AM

I will pose this question to all: What brand and size jointer do you use, and what do you like and hate about it?

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-08-2002, 11:14 AM

I will pose this question to all: What brand and size jointer do you use, and what do you like and hate about it?

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-08-2002, 11:14 AM

I will pose this question to all: What brand and size jointer do you use, and what do you like and hate about it?

**Jack Heinlen** · 10-08-2002, 11:44 AM

Garrett,

I've been away from a shop for too long; ain't got no jointer. But if you go to your library and look up recent reviews in Fine Woodworking you'll get some good advice.

Jack

**Jack Heinlen** · 10-08-2002, 11:44 AM

Garrett,

I've been away from a shop for too long; ain't got no jointer. But if you go to your library and look up recent reviews in Fine Woodworking you'll get some good advice.

Jack

**Jack Heinlen** · 10-08-2002, 11:44 AM

Garrett,

I've been away from a shop for too long; ain't got no jointer. But if you go to your library and look up recent reviews in Fine Woodworking you'll get some good advice.

Jack

**Cecil Nickerson** · 10-08-2002, 11:47 AM

I have the Hitachi F2000 (I think). It's a combination machine with a 6" jointer and a 12" planer. I'm very satisfied with it. The only drawback for me is the folding jointer table extensions, but you have to accept these as a part of being somewhat portable (it weighs a lot being mostly cast iron). The knives last quite well between sharpenings which I have done locally at $1 per inch. It supposedly leaves a finer surface than the big Makita machine due to the higher rpm. This said, I would go for separate machines if I had the money and the room. I'd like to have a larger thicknesser, say about 15" and an 8" jointer with long cast tables.

Hope this helps,
Cecil

**Cecil Nickerson** · 10-08-2002, 11:47 AM

I have the Hitachi F2000 (I think). It's a combination machine with a 6" jointer and a 12" planer. I'm very satisfied with it. The only drawback for me is the folding jointer table extensions, but you have to accept these as a part of being somewhat portable (it weighs a lot being mostly cast iron). The knives last quite well between sharpenings which I have done locally at $1 per inch. It supposedly leaves a finer surface than the big Makita machine due to the higher rpm. This said, I would go for separate machines if I had the money and the room. I'd like to have a larger thicknesser, say about 15" and an 8" jointer with long cast tables.

Hope this helps,
Cecil

**Cecil Nickerson** · 10-08-2002, 11:47 AM

I have the Hitachi F2000 (I think). It's a combination machine with a 6" jointer and a 12" planer. I'm very satisfied with it. The only drawback for me is the folding jointer table extensions, but you have to accept these as a part of being somewhat portable (it weighs a lot being mostly cast iron). The knives last quite well between sharpenings which I have done locally at $1 per inch. It supposedly leaves a finer surface than the big Makita machine due to the higher rpm. This said, I would go for separate machines if I had the money and the room. I'd like to have a larger thicknesser, say about 15" and an 8" jointer with long cast tables.

Hope this helps,
Cecil

**capt jake** · 10-08-2002, 12:23 PM

I have an old (1947) Delta 4" jointer. Infeed and outfeed tables are a little short, other than that, I love it.

The planer is a Delta 12" portable. Same thought on the tables.

**capt jake** · 10-08-2002, 12:23 PM

I have an old (1947) Delta 4" jointer. Infeed and outfeed tables are a little short, other than that, I love it.

The planer is a Delta 12" portable. Same thought on the tables.

**capt jake** · 10-08-2002, 12:23 PM

I have an old (1947) Delta 4" jointer. Infeed and outfeed tables are a little short, other than that, I love it.

The planer is a Delta 12" portable. Same thought on the tables.

**Dave Fleming** · 10-08-2002, 12:36 PM

That 4 inch Delta with the 8 inch table saw running off the same motor on single stand, along with the 14 inch band soar were the tools of choice for working onboard a vessel installing interior joiner work.

**Dave Fleming** · 10-08-2002, 12:36 PM

That 4 inch Delta with the 8 inch table saw running off the same motor on single stand, along with the 14 inch band soar were the tools of choice for working onboard a vessel installing interior joiner work.

**Dave Fleming** · 10-08-2002, 12:36 PM

That 4 inch Delta with the 8 inch table saw running off the same motor on single stand, along with the 14 inch band soar were the tools of choice for working onboard a vessel installing interior joiner work.

**Jack Heinlen** · 10-08-2002, 12:40 PM

Thank you Cap. Excellent tools are available used. If you can wait till the economy really tanks there will be a bunch out there, for peanuts.

The first jointer I did much work on, in a cottage shop, was and old four inch Crashmen. It was, in retrospect, limited, but for most work it was just fine. The last shop I worked in had a Pollack made 18 inch. Nice!, but it was always demanding something. We spent so much time whoring for it because it was such a presence.

What are you planning to joint, Garrett?

P.S. The only reason to have such a behemouth, in case you're wondering, is that the shop Skip had George Nakashima fantasies. So we were regularly jointing 24-36 inch flitches for later running through the wide belt sander down in the moulding shop down below.

[ 10-08-2002, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: Jack Heinlen ]

**Jack Heinlen** · 10-08-2002, 12:40 PM

Thank you Cap. Excellent tools are available used. If you can wait till the economy really tanks there will be a bunch out there, for peanuts.

The first jointer I did much work on, in a cottage shop, was and old four inch Crashmen. It was, in retrospect, limited, but for most work it was just fine. The last shop I worked in had a Pollack made 18 inch. Nice!, but it was always demanding something. We spent so much time whoring for it because it was such a presence.

What are you planning to joint, Garrett?

P.S. The only reason to have such a behemouth, in case you're wondering, is that the shop Skip had George Nakashima fantasies. So we were regularly jointing 24-36 inch flitches for later running through the wide belt sander down in the moulding shop down below.

[ 10-08-2002, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: Jack Heinlen ]

**Jack Heinlen** · 10-08-2002, 12:40 PM

Thank you Cap. Excellent tools are available used. If you can wait till the economy really tanks there will be a bunch out there, for peanuts.

The first jointer I did much work on, in a cottage shop, was and old four inch Crashmen. It was, in retrospect, limited, but for most work it was just fine. The last shop I worked in had a Pollack made 18 inch. Nice!, but it was always demanding something. We spent so much time whoring for it because it was such a presence.

What are you planning to joint, Garrett?

P.S. The only reason to have such a behemouth, in case you're wondering, is that the shop Skip had George Nakashima fantasies. So we were regularly jointing 24-36 inch flitches for later running through the wide belt sander down in the moulding shop down below.

[ 10-08-2002, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: Jack Heinlen ]

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-08-2002, 01:11 PM

Jack,

I'm just tired of paying the local lumber shop to joint my wood. They are one of the only custom shops around, so they always have a long wait (8-12 weeks right now, depending on the size).
I bought my planer (a Delta 12 1/2" portable) about a year ago, and it has already paid for itself. So I'm just looking for a quality, all around home workshop kind of jointer. And it's hard to cut a decent dovetail if your wood isn't square.

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-08-2002, 01:11 PM

Jack,

I'm just tired of paying the local lumber shop to joint my wood. They are one of the only custom shops around, so they always have a long wait (8-12 weeks right now, depending on the size).
I bought my planer (a Delta 12 1/2" portable) about a year ago, and it has already paid for itself. So I'm just looking for a quality, all around home workshop kind of jointer. And it's hard to cut a decent dovetail if your wood isn't square.

**Garrett Lowell** · 10-08-2002, 01:11 PM

Jack,

I'm just tired of paying the local lumber shop to joint my wood. They are one of the only custom shops around, so they always have a long wait (8-12 weeks right now, depending on the size).
I bought my planer (a Delta 12 1/2" portable) about a year ago, and it has already paid for itself. So I'm just looking for a quality, all around home workshop kind of jointer. And it's hard to cut a decent dovetail if your wood isn't square.

**Dave Fleming** · 10-08-2002, 01:12 PM

George Nakashima, Soul of a Tree, good read.
Right up there with Jim Krenov's books.

**Dave Fleming** · 10-08-2002, 01:12 PM

George Nakashima, Soul of a Tree, good read.
Right up there with Jim Krenov's books.

**Dave Fleming** · 10-08-2002, 01:12 PM

George Nakashima, Soul of a Tree, good read.
Right up there with Jim Krenov's books.

**Jack Heinlen** · 10-08-2002, 01:59 PM

Garrett,

Go find the latest review of jointers in Fine Woodworking. For ****s and giggles, look in Fine Home Building too.

Pick one of the top two, decide how important money is vs. size, and buy an 8 or 6 inch.

Simple.

It'll probably cost you around 600 dollars. You could also find recent used equipment for a third to a half less. If you're willing to dig and hunt, you could probably find an 8 inch for 150.

And Dave, Nakashima is a wonderful philosopher, and I like some of his creations too. Have you read Merton's translation of Chuang Tsu. Great "essay" on the task of the woodworker and the soul of a tree. Been awhile for this pilgrim; I'll have to read it again.

Jack

**Jack Heinlen** · 10-08-2002, 01:59 PM

Garrett,

Go find the latest review of jointers in Fine Woodworking. For ****s and giggles, look in Fine Home Building too.

Pick one of the top two, decide how important money is vs. size, and buy an 8 or 6 inch.

Simple.

It'll probably cost you around 600 dollars. You could also find recent used equipment for a third to a half less. If you're willing to dig and hunt, you could probably find an 8 inch for 150.

And Dave, Nakashima is a wonderful philosopher, and I like some of his creations too. Have you read Merton's translation of Chuang Tsu. Great "essay" on the task of the woodworker and the soul of a tree. Been awhile for this pilgrim; I'll have to read it again.

Jack

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