Old Jointer question

[Jeff Horton]

I was given an old Delta 6" jointer with a short bed. It needs cleaning but is in working condition. I was in the market to buy a new 8" when I came into this one. The beds are short compared to what I was looking at. I figure I will give this a quick cleaning and try it out.

Am I correct in assuming that the shorter bed is only really a problem in longer peices? I am a big fan of old iron but this thing really looks small and not so useful. But I am going to give it a whirl first. Might find it suits my needs just fine.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Jeff, the rule of thumb is you can joint a piece twice as long as your jointer bed. I've found I can only joint something about 1 1/2 times my jointer bed length reliably.