What size jointer do you have?

[Troy Turner]

Started out with and still have/use my Craftsman 6" jointer. Bed is small and fence is well, it's a craftsman. Scored some old arn a couple months ago. It's an old Powermatic 5000. Have to restore and get it in the shop. It too though is a 6". Longer bed though

[ed vitanovec]

I had 4", 6", 8" and now a 12" combo, I think the 12" will be the last one for me. I found out as my experience grew so did the size of my projects, of course at the time had a larger home workshop too. I think an 8" would be more that enough jointer for most anyone.

[Jeff Erbele]

I voted. 4"
In theory it should joint an 8" wide board. ...never mind the little ridge in the middle

It came with the used Shop Smith Mark V, I was seeking. It is four more inches of jointer capacity than I ever owned, ever.
I've never plugged it in, turned it on, much less ran a board thru it.

Maybe I skewed the poll, but not sure what good it does anyway, as the best jointer is the one that works and meets your needs. Be darned if I am going to buy any machine for bragging rights.

The truth is I'll be buying wood shop machines staring later this year as I set up a new shop as the need arises, but at this point I don't know my needs much less what I want yet.

At this point I am wondering why I want a jointer at all when maybe one great combo jointer/planer and/or drum sander may be a better investment. ....how many machines does one need to get stock square and to finished size?

[Jeff Erbele]

No, the jointer flattens one face and edge, and the planer then cleans up the other face. You can't flatten stock on a planer without resorting to some sort of jigs or other funky setups. If you mill a fair amount of rough stock at some point you may grow out of the small jointers.

"so conventional wisdom would say you want a large planer…"

As for the planer it really doesn't have to be any wider than the jointer, though they usually are if you buy separates. I run a 20" planer which is all I need for my work. If I had a larger shop with more power then I might be tempted for something bigger. But the 20" handles all I need it to

good luck,
JeffD

Collectively, that makes my head spin and makes me as or more confused than Tia.

My understanding is the main job of a
jointer (typically the narrower cutter) is cleaning up and creating an edge - the width of the stock is vertical
planner (typically the wider table and cutter) is cleaning up the face - the width of the stock is horizontal; laying flat on the machine table

Why can't one flatten stock (the face, the wider dimension) on a planer? Why would one need a jig; lay it on the table and plane away?


These, two consecutive statements are in conflict:
* "so conventional wisdom would say you want a large planer…"
* As for the planer it really doesn't have to be any wider than the jointer,

Discounting my 4" Shop Smith jointer included in my used Shop Smith purchase; the machine purchased primarily as a quick fix to universal multi-capabilities and long term primarilly drilling and boring mill), at low cost, with a small foot print; as a practical matter, I don't own a jointer, planner, or drum sander. I plan on buying some or maybe all of those as I set up shop, figure out my needs and what best suites them. Money is not an obstacle, but buying stuff I don't need, want or will use will bother me greatly.

Side bar note - In the early '80's I bought a new Shop Smith. About 20 years later, I could not tote it around with me and sold it; and missed it ever since. It is not a lot of things, but it is what it is and does what it does.

So, as I set-up a new, gee whiz shop, I struggle with justifying a jointer at all. Whats wrong with a combo machine? Why can't I plane one side and rip a square edge on a higher end table saw? Both machines should repeat the opposite two surfaces.

[David Weaver]

22" millers falls...22" lie nielsen and 28" jt brown

(i checked none- no power jointer, but i do have a power planer. jointing by hand isn't bad, but thickness planing by hand is pretty tough.)

[Jeff Duncan]

Jeff, the job of a jointer is to make one plane of a piece of wood flat. So if your trying to get a straight edge you would run the edge down to the cutter, with the wider part, (face), against the fence. If on the other hand your trying to remove bowing or cupping, (which would be on the face), then you must run the board face down on the jointer. All a planer will do is run a board through and remove material from one face. If the board is bowed or twisted going into the planer, it will still be bowed or twisted coming out. It's the jointers job to get a flat surface which references against the planer bed and allows the planer to make the other surface flat and parallel to the first.

As for the sizes it really depends on what your trying to accomplish. for the average guy doing a couple hours a week it's probably fine to have the jointer the same size as the planer. For larger shops the planer is almost always bigger. There are several reasons for this. For one, you can feed multiple boards at a time through the planer, the jointer not so much….(it can be done but that's not within jointing 101). You can also run wider glued up boards through a planer. And some shops buy their stock skip planed so that they don't need a bigger jointer, but can just run the stock through the planer right off.

I'm not going to argue the idea of getting wide stock flat on a narrow jointer, I don't believe it's a safe or accurate way to work, but that's my opinion and others will disagree. I'm also not going to tell you whether or not you need one as that would be silly. One must decide for themselves what tools they need to accomplish what they desire to do. I will say the jointer is a mainstay of almost every furniture and custom cabinet shop. It's considered one of the basic machines of woodworking and I couldn't imagine trying to build anything without one….but that's just me

good luck,
JeffD

[Loren Woirhaye]

In many professional applications boards are straightlined on a sliding table saw, which is probably more accurate and consistent than a straight-lining on a jointer, not to mention faster.

Many smaller face frame cabinet shops do not use a jointer. Face frame stock is often brought in surfaced and ripped on a gang saw. Warped pieces are discarded or used for smaller parts. Edges may be straightened on an edge sander, which is probably easier for employees to learn to do and probably a safer tool since the main risk is sanding back a finger tip. I have also seen long router tables or shapers with extension tables set up for straightening edged. This takes a lot of room of course.

After face frames are assembled on a pocket screw table there may be a little twist. The wide belt sander brings the face of the frame to flat and it is attached to the case, pulling it a little flatter if needed.

You can flatten wide boards on a planer sled. I've never done it. I just use bench planes - the surface doesn't have to be perfectly flat, just flat enough to plane the other side flat without using a sled. Then the hand plane side is run through the planer and the board flatness is re-assessed or let to move for a day or two.

[dan sherman]

I have a 6" right now, but once I get into a more permanent living situation, I'll upgrade to a 12".

[Jeff Erbele]

Jeff, the job of a jointer is to make one plane of a piece of wood flat. So if your trying to get a straight edge you would run the edge down to the cutter, with the wider part, (face), against the fence. If on the other hand your trying to remove bowing or cupping, (which would be on the face), then you must run the board face down on the jointer. All a planer will do is run a board through and remove material from one face. If the board is bowed or twisted going into the planer, it will still be bowed or twisted coming out. It's the jointers job to get a flat surface which references against the planer bed and allows the planer to make the other surface flat and parallel to the first.

As for the sizes it really depends on what your trying to accomplish. for the average guy doing a couple hours a week it's probably fine to have the jointer the same size as the planer. For larger shops the planer is almost always bigger. There are several reasons for this. For one, you can feed multiple boards at a time through the planer, the jointer not so much….(it can be done but that's not within jointing 101). You can also run wider glued up boards through a planer. And some shops buy their stock skip planed so that they don't need a bigger jointer, but can just run the stock through the planer right off.

I'm not going to argue the idea of getting wide stock flat on a narrow jointer, I don't believe it's a safe or accurate way to work, but that's my opinion and others will disagree. I'm also not going to tell you whether or not you need one as that would be silly. One must decide for themselves what tools they need to accomplish what they desire to do. I will say the jointer is a mainstay of almost every furniture and custom cabinet shop. It's considered one of the basic machines of woodworking and I couldn't imagine trying to build anything without one….but that's just me

good luck,
JeffD

Thanks for taking the time to explain in detail.

RE: < If the board is bowed or twisted going into the planer, it will still be bowed or twisted coming out. >

I should have mentioned that I was machinist my trade. I can equate those results to a surface surface grinder, the machine shop version of a machine who's main purpose is to produce flat surfaces and with the correct grinding wheel can produce very fine finishes. With the right set up, it also can produce angled surfaces, or a tapered surfaces. The point is though, one can encounter the same problem as you described on the planer. If one has a rather thin piece of stock that is slightly thicker on the ends and slightly thinner in the middle, and one lays it the magnetic chuck; when energizes the electro-magnet, the stock is pulled to the table with an extremely high force, bowing the part, in this example the middle. If one is not aware of what they are working with and fail to correct for it, you can grind away 'til there's nothing left and never obtain two parallel sides. One would clean up the top surface, release the magnet to flip the stock and work the other side. As soon as the magnet is released the stock will spring back to its relaxed state. Next one would flip the part and grind the surface that was face down. Energize the magnet and the part will bow the opposite direction. The fix is in the setup, either an alternate way to hold the stock or shim the low area to prevent bowing.

On another note, the machines I end up buying will be determined by the projects I decide to take on which include cabinets, furniture, a dining room table, an office desk, night stands, work stations for my wife's hobby room, a shop bench, a wood workers bench and more. I think a planer and jointer will be on my list, (or a combo machine). I tend to think the 4" jointer Shop Smith attachment is not going serve my needs. That is not why I bought the Shop Smith but was pleased to learn it was included.

The good news is I have a future new neighbor, (already a great friend), who has a fully equipped cabinet shop. He has all the machines, knows what he is doing and has offered to assist and advise once I start equipping my shop. House framing is scheduled to start next week. With moving, mega-landscaping, wiring & lighting the garage for a shop, plumbing airlines, dust collector etc.; I'm maybe 9 months away from any serious wood shop machine purchases, other than a good table saw as the first and early purchase.

[Jeff Duncan]

Thanks for taking the time to explain in detail.

On another note, the machines I end up buying will be determined by the projects I decide to take on

That is a sound plan! I believe the wisest method of buying equipment is to buy what you need for the work you do. So many posts of folks looking for advice on what to buy before they really start doing any wood working. I say start doing projects first, using whatever is available and you'll learn what you "need" as you go.

Having a friend with a well equipped shop nearby certainly won't hurt either

good luck,
JeffD

[shane lyall]

12 Fay Egan and 6 inch Delta. I started with a little benchtop and went thru a 6, an 8, and now my 12. It's like planers, I always want one a little bigger. I love the 12 but if I find a 16 at a good price, I'll bring it home...if I can hide it from LOML!

[Jim Becker]

wow im kinda new to pro cabinet making and i have to ask what on earth do u guys use a 16 in jointer for?

Flattening faces of material before planing to thickness. Even narrower board can sometimes benefit from a wider bed as you can "skew" heavily figured stock for a more shearing cut. You can also clean up edges of curved constructions, such as bent laminations, easier with a wider tool. As I already mentioned, I almost never do edges on the jointer...the exception being something "unique" that can only be done that way. My sliding table saw does the job otherwise.