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Thread: Ready to buy - jointer or planer?

  1. #1
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    Ready to buy - jointer or planer?

    Hi all, first post here! Though I've lurked for a while...

    A little about my WW background and tools first. At one point, one of my roommates I lived with was a professional WW and had all General equipment (TS, jointer, planer, bandsaw) as well as numerous hand tools. Needless to say, I got spoiled. He's since moved out, and I've been building up my shop and am ready to buy either a jointer or planer to clean up some rough lumber I bought. I currently have a TS and router w/ table, as well as quite a few hand tools (but no planes yet).

    I know this has been asked before, and I've done a lot of reading on the topic but i can't seem to find the answer to my question. I'm building a trestle table for the kitchen out of curly maple that I bought rough cut: the boards for the table top are all under 7" wide, and I bought 12/4 soft maple for the trestles (legs). As I said, I'm ready to buy either a jointer or planer and would really like to not have to buy both, since money is tight.

    I have two theories.

    1) Buy a 6" jointer. After ripping the boards down to just over 6" (to take out the major high/lows), I can put it on the 6" jointer to plane the face. Once this face is planed down, I can turn it on edge to get a nice 90* edge. Then I can go to the other face and edge and have 2 parallel surfaces. I know the flaw in this is that it will be tough to get all the boards for the table top the same width, as a planer would do. I was going to buy the Ridgid JP0610.

    2) Buy a 12"+ planer, and figure out how to make a "sled" that I've read about to make the faces flat and parallel. Then use the TS or router table on the edges to make them flat and parallel. I haven't decided on which planer to buy, suggestions are welcome.

    I know it's best to have both, but could either of my theories work?

    I *could* spend $600 on a jointer and a planer, but I would like to make it work on the smallest budget possible.

    Thanks in advance!

  2. #2
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    I'd recommend #2. I was also faced with the same decision and my mind was made up for me by finding a great deal on a used jointer. I attempted what you described in number one with...how should I say it...less than desirable results. Measuring the thickness of that board at the four corners provided four very different results. I think you'd have much better results with the planer/sled.

  3. #3
    matt welcome

  4. #4
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    Matt (and Matt), welcome to the Creek!!! (Gee, how often does one get to do that???) Anyhow, if it's just going to be one of them, get a decent planer and go the sled route. With rough sawn and just a jointer, it would be extremely hard to get two flat AND parallel surfaces out of it. You already know the "whys" and "why nots", so we won't even go there. That said, and knowing you're on a budget, still try to go for the best one you have funds available for. A 12 or 13" "lunch box" planer will serve you well, even if you later get an 8" (or wider) jointer.
    Cheers,
    John K. Miliunas

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  5. #5
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    I would go with #2.
    Jay St. Peter

  6. #6
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    Thanks for the welcome, and the quick advice!

    If I go the planer route, could someone point me at a tutorial or at least some pictures of the sleds we're talking about? I'm pretty sure I understand what to do, but a picture is worth a thousand words as they say. Also, any suggestions on a planer that doesn't break the bank? I was thinking of the Delta ShopMaster TP305 since it's easy to buy at Lowe's and seems to get good reviews.

  7. #7
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    Matt
    I would go with the planer. A good way to joint the boards without a jointer is to use a router, a pattern bit and a good straight edge. Before I got a jointer I had a 6' piece of 1" square aluminum tubing attached to the edge of my bench. Clamp the board to the benchtop so it just overhangs the tubing and run the router along the board with the bearing on the bit riding against the tubing. You need a patern bit with the bearing on the end of the bit. Got very good results with this method.
    Those who sense the winds of change should build windmills, not windbreaks.

    Dave Wilson

  8. #8
    Check Amazon for a reconditioned dewalt

  9. #9
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    Matt D,
    #2 is the way to go!

    Fine Woodworking (aka, FWW) had an article about a cool, adjustable sled. Jan/Feb 2005, #175. They also had a video of it on their website (http://www.taunton.com/) that I can't find anymore. Perhaps it's in the new subscription area of the web site.

  10. #10
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    John,

    I found a link to the sled video (http://www.taunton.com/FWN/ToolGuide...x?dir=Jointers) that's from FWW, but as you can see it's member's only. And even w/ a subscribion it's $60/yr! My Dad's had a subscription since 1982, and he's supposed to pay $60/yr? Anyway....

    I found this article: http://www.rd.com/americanwoodworker...&contentId=351
    which I think portrays the main idea. So let me see if I got it. You put the concave side down (concave being "bottom of the cup") and shim it to the sled so it doesn't rock or wobble. This should give me one side that is true and flat. Then I simply have to flip the board over and run it through w/o wedges, then hit the edges with Dave's router idea. Anything I'm missing?

  11. #11
    Why not buy both..



    Attachment 28908 Attachment 28909




    Then use the rest of the money to buy wood....
    Last edited by Don Baer; 11-30-2006 at 6:14 PM.

  12. #12
    I'm in a pretty similar situation, so this is really interesting for me. What I've been reading generally seems to say, "Jointer first, then planer." But what people are saying here makes a lot of sense.

    The sled article in Fine Woodworking is in issue #175. There was a video on the FWW site, but they pull them after 6 months. It's a torsion box with a set of adjustable bars to support the stock.

    I'm a bit skeptical of the straight bars supporting the stock that the author uses. If the 'back' of the stock is cupped or similarly uneven, it seems that the system of bars would be tough to tweak to keep the stock from wobbling side-to-side. The insane, impractical part of me is imagining a grid of rubber tipped bolts that could be adjusted in height to match the contours of the 'back' of the stock individually. I guess that I'd put t-nuts or similar in the top of the box, and cut hand-sized (3" diam?) holes in the back, so I could reach up and adjust the bolts by the heads.

    My other question about this setup is: if the cup of the board causes the rollers to loose contact in the middle of the process, is it a big deal to just push the sled through until it contacts the rollers again?

    Oh yeah, while we're talking about this, has anyone here actually used one of these?

  13. #13
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    Matt, yup you got the idea! The thing to watch for, as well, is not just cupped boards, but also, those which have a twist. On those, find the side which rocks the least on the sled and hot glue your wedges to keep it from rocking until you get the top surface flat. Flip it over and now you're ready to continue planing as you would after face joining. Once done with the surfaces, you're ready to go on to Dave's method or, you can do as Mark Singer does: If you have access to a lo-o-o-o-o-ong aluminum square tube or similar, you can use it as a straight side on one side of your board and trim off the garbage on the other side right on your table saw. Either way works fine. I have a circular saw guide system, so that's what I usually happen to use. Lots of ways to skin that cat!
    Cheers,
    John K. Miliunas

    Cannot find REALITY.SYS. Universe halted.
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  14. #14
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    I don't know where your located, But I have a 6" Delta jointer for sale in the classifieds.

  15. #15
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    Hi Matt and welcome. The debate about which to get first is nearly as old as alot of theological discussions! I'd go with the planer first because it can be made to flatten boards, but it's very difficult (to impossible) to get a jointer to create parallel faces at uniform thickness. Then hope to get a jointer soon after...of course a DC usually comes soon after a planer too!
    Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

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