Ready to buy - jointer or planer?

[scott spencer]

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!

[Jeff Borges]

Welcome Matt, hope you enjoy this place as much as I have ....


I recently upgraded my shop with a planer, my figuring was that a buddy had a jointer.. it usually had everything sitting on it.. but the planer was always clear and ready to use. (his mess made my decision easy??!!)

Anyhow, ebay... found a number of refurbed dewalts 13 inch, nice planer.. now everything in my shop is clean and square.. stay tuned for the workbench to come!!! (leg and stretchers are complete)

also, I have always thought of my table saw as a poor mans jointer.. with a little finesse and care you can get a lot of the truing work done there..

Jeff

[Jim Becker]

Like most others, I'll suggest starting with the planer first if you can't aquire both a jointer and planer now. Using a sled to flatten will get old after a bit, but thickness planing is something that will greatly enhance your ablity to keep proportion in your projects, etc. But keep the jointer on your short-list...

[Allen Bookout]

Matt, If you dicide to get the planner before the jointer look at the Dewalt 735 (DW735). I purchased a reconditioned one (DW735R) from ToolKing last year and really like it. Everyone that I have seen report on it seem to feel the same way. I could not tell that mine was not brand new and have not had any problems with it.

Buying factory reconditioned saves a few bucks and ToolKing has some ridiculous standard shipping fee like about eight bucks or something, I do not remember the exact amount for sure. I have bought four Dewalt factory reconditioned tools from them. The planner and the two nail guns were like brand new. I could tell that the Dewalt 621 router had been used but that is probably because I got the last one that they had at the time. However it is still running great.

It may seem like that I work for ToolKing but that is not the case. It is just that they have a lot of reconditioned, as well as new stuff, on hand most of time and at as good a price or better than I could find anywhere else. At least it is a good place to get a price to compare to some other retailer.

That is a great loss - the General tools I am talking about ---------- and may be the roommate also.

Good Luck! Allen

looks like that I am to late. I did not notice his 12:22pm post. Oh well!!!! I needed the typing practice anyway.

[Homer Faucett]

My first 3 tools were a circular saw, a router, and a planer. I just got a table saw last year, and I was given an old jointer at about the same time that I just got up and running. My planer, a (don't laugh) Ryobi 12", is about 6 years old, and has run a lot of rough sawn oak through it.

As others have said, a router with a decent straight edge does a pretty good job of jointing boards. My table saw now does good job, too, although I need some more work on my technique to be more consistent.

The jointer is nice for face jointing, but I'd go with the planer first.

[Chris Barton]

Hi Matt, welcome to the creek. Where do you live? I have a 6" Ridgid jointer and 13" planer that I would package together for $600. Both are in very new like condition and complete. You should be able to find a similar deal where ever you live.

[Rob Millard]

I would go with the planer. I consider the jointer to be one of the least useful tools in a shop, because of the capacity issue, ( that is why I don't own one) A 12" jointer may be a useful tool, but a large and expensive one.
Flattening stock is an easy and quick process. I use a portable power plane, or a scrub plane depending on the amount of stock to remove. I'm only interested in getting the face flat, not appearance, so I can send it through the planer without rocking.
Thicknessing stock by hand is a useful skill, and I do it often, but I'm glad I have my planer. No other tool I own, does more to remove the drudgery of woodworking, than the surface planer.
Rob Millard

[Rick Thom]

I would suggest the planner too. I have a "Glue-line" blade in my TS and that certainly produces a straight, smooth edge that is ready for gluing.
On the planner, I have a 12" Delta ($200 cheapy) I got on a good sale at HD a while ago. I have put a lot of BF through it and it has done the job for me, the only disappointment being more snipe than I would like. There are much better units around for a little more money and others will recommend brand/models. No regrets really because when the time comes I will just replace with what I need for the long(er) run.
We have a WW shop fairly close to where I live that is fully equipped with commercial equipment and you can use the shop and their equipment for $10/hr. There is an additional charge for planning/ BF if that's what you are doing. Quite a few guys take advantage of this if they need to use a specific tool they don't have, need more space, their equipment breaks down etc... They often do all their cutting, planning etc and take the pieces home to assemble. Good way to get that big contract done quickly, get paid and save to buy the good bread and butter equipment they need long run.

[Robert Mickley]

I got by with just a planer and an old hand plane for several years till I got a jointer. even though I have the jointer I still edge joint long boards with a straight edge and router

[John Miliunas]

Hey Matt, after looking through this thread again, I just realized that, if you happen to be in the Wisconsin area, I also happen to know someone selling their portable planer and a 6" jointer! Both in nice shape, mild use, only 2 o 3 years old and I believe the planer has just been through a factory service/tweak recently. They're both Craftsman, if I recall and the guy is looking for right around $450.00 for the pair! Let me know if you're interested and I can hook you up!

[Kent Cori]

Welcome to the Creek Matt. I'd go with the planer. I can work around the lack of a jointer pretty easily but there is no substitute for my planer.

[Matt Day]

Thanks for all the advice guys! I editted my profile to show that I live in Virginia. I'm heading out to Lowe's to pick up a planer right now and some MDF to make a sled. But I might break down and get a jointer while I'm there!

[Scott D Johnson]

I bought a new Jet 6" Open Stand Jointer for $350 and a new Dewalt 735 13" planer for $475.
They work just fine for a "hobbyist" type shop. Of course max 6" width boards "in the rough".

[Andy Henriksen]

I'm jealous! I am in the same boat - needing at least a planer but willl have to keep that on hold for at least a while, due to finances. When you get your sled done and give it a go, be sure to post your results/impressions of this method. You asked in an earlier post if anyone had used this method, and nobody responded, so you may be the first. Hopefully within a few months, I may be looking to do the same thing, so I'll be watching this post closely.

Enjoy!
-Andy

[Quesne Ouaques]

I have had excellent results with a planer sled in my 13 inch Delta. Until I get my new 6" Ridgid jointer set up (bought it yesterday...still in the box!), the planer sled and my router table (using a home-made jig), have been my only method of jointing.

My standard sled is a 38" x 13" piece of 3/4" plywood (MDF might hold it's true longer). At each end I have wood cleats glued along the top edges so the workpiece has something to rest against as it's being planed (whatever you do, don't use screws....those cleats are bound to eventually get planed!).

Using a hot glue gun and shims to secure the board to the sled, I run it through until the planed face is parallel to the bottom of the sled. When I need to flip the board, the glue comes off pretty easily with a chisel and my fingernails.

The edge jointing on the router table is accomplished with a vertical "table" assembly (laminated plywood or MDF) trued to the bit and clamped to the router fence. The outfeed table is simply a second layer of laminate which covers 1/2 of the "table". Line up the outfeed table with the edge of the router bit using a machinist's square (or whatever) and you're jointing!

I've also used the sled to plane very small and delicate workpieces. When doing that, it's best to attach "runners" to the sled on either side of the workpiece (two pieces of scraps slightly thicker than the workpiece).