Jointer clearance?

[Greg Parrish]

How much clearance do you leave after your jointer? I guess I'm asking how long of a work piece do you run through your jointer realistically? Mine is a Powermatic 54a and I'm thinking about turning it which would cut the clearance after the cutter. Just curious how much usability I'm giving up. Thanks for any insight.

[glenn bradley]

My jointer is one of the few tools I have on a mobile base (integrated). This allows me to do a lot of stuff in place and to swing one end or move the whole machine to provide a path for those occasional long jobs. If you take this route, don't cheap out on your mobile base. You don't want to sacrifice stability for most of your cuts just to make getting to the occasional cut easier.

[Greg Parrish]

I've got it on a nice mobile base now. Guess I would just need to leave more flex hose to give me some movement flexibility. I'm wanting to rotate it 90 degrees from it's current location. Currently I have about 7' of out feed clearance without moving it but probably not that much in feed clearance. If I move it a bit though I could increase the in feed and get out feed to be indefinite. That said if I rotate to where I want I'd have about 5' to 6' of in feed and out feed clearance with a little movement as needed during use.

Do you guys have more space than that? I've run some 10' stock through my planer but nothing long through the jointer so I'm not sure if that is even practical on my jointer.

[Bud Millis]

I have a long bed Delta 8" jointer. I can do 8' pre/post knives. So about 16' 4" total run. If I want to do longer, I'd have to open the overhead door - the outfeed is more limited unless the overhead is open. I think the longest I've ever run is 10'.

[Greg Parrish]

Thanks guys. Sounds like I'll be pretty limited if I move it and it also sounds like I need to add more flex hose so I can move mine for more clearance as needed. Maybe I can work it out to move it 90 degrees but leave enough duct to pull back near it's current location for the occasional job with longer stock. Thanks again.

[John K Jordan]

How much clearance do you leave after your jointer? I guess I'm asking how long of a work piece do you run through your jointer realistically? Mine is a Powermatic 54a and I'm thinking about turning it which would cut the clearance after the cutter. Just curious how much usability I'm giving up. Thanks for any insight.

I think it depends primarily on what kind of things you do. I don't make cabinets and furniture but mostly small things. I have the PM 8" long bed jointer and I allowed space for a 6' board. That is plenty for what I do. I might put it on wheels to move it occasionally but then I would have to deal with the DC ducting.

I have thought about what I would do if I did want to do some longer things. Since I have plenty of room for the out side but not in the in, I might consider cutting and framing an access port in the exterior wall. Sounds crazy, but why not.

JKJ

[glenn bradley]

Like John says, it depends on what you do. I don't joint long boards and then cut smaller parts out of it; I cut down stock and then joint. Parts for tabletops, low boys and hutch-like pieces do come longer though. My "normal" position leaves about 5 feet in front and behind the cutter head. Having more in one place than the other doesn't really get you much, right? I do have enough extra hose and power cord to swing it out to where I have half the shop at infeed and out the door for outfeed.

[Jim Becker]

I very rarely will run even an 8' piece across the jointer and then only for skimming faces for grain/color. I have things arranged so I can do that with a ten footer if I need to, but that would be even rarer. I generally don't flatten and thickness lumber that's not already cut down to approximate length needed for project components.