Grizzly 10" Jointer/Planer Combo Machine--41" bed?

[Danny Thompson]

I'm in the market for my first jointer and am trying to heed the general advice around here. The three pieces of advice that have stuck with me are:

1) 6" is too small,
2) any size you buy will be 4" too narrow,
and 3) buy the same width as your planer.

Money is always the problem. My lunchbox planer is 12", but a matching jointer is at least $1500. My budget is closer to half that.

Casting about for options, I thought maybe I could rationalize a jump to a combo machine. The new Grizzly 10" Jointer/Planer Combo is under $1200. I've been trying to rationalize the jump in price, but noticed one potential problem--the jointer bed is only 41" long. Is 41" enough for anything longer than a cabinet door rail?

http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-Jointer-Planer-Combo/G0675

If I don't go with that, is an 8" jointer really getting me much more than a 6"?

[Dave Verstraete]

Danny
I made do with a 6" jointer (PM) for a long time before realizing that I really needed a longer bed as well as a wider. I bought an 8 " Grizzly (G0490X) and haven't looked back. Yeah, wider is nice but I feel longer is just as important.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I've been living with a 6" jointer for 20 years. Not a big problem. Most of the wood I buy is already surfaced to some degree so I can see the grain quality. I stay away anything that is cupped. I assume the wood is unstable. Therefore, my jointer is used 99% for edge jointing.

A 41" table length is a bit short though. My 6" jointer is 48". A jointer with a 60" bed would be the best for me.

But a combo jointer/planer is all about saving space. Hence the short beds. However, I would have liked to see the 10" grizzly with an option for quick release table extension. I suppose one can make them.

Another option would be to use a carry sled for the planer if the boards are not too long. There are several designs posted on the internet.

-Jeff :)

[Barry Vabeach]

Danny, according to this site, and I have read this elsewhere, the maximum length you can joint is twice the length of the tables http://www.newwoodworker.com/basic/usejntr.html

Thus you can joint up to about 82 inches. In general, it makes sense to cut to slightly oversize before you joint or plane, so the question is how ofen do you anticipate you will need to joint lumber longer then 6 1/2 feet. For the things I do, that is a very rare occurance. I think that often the manufacurers keep adding features, or capabilities, that may be used only rarely, but really increase the price. I know it is often said that you get what you pay for and you should just cry once, but assuming you are going to spend a certain amount on woodworking tools in your lifetime, I think you have to think about bang for the buck and if you have saved nearly $700 on this purchase, that will buy a lot of tools and make up for the fact that there may be a time you have to break out the hand plane to joint that really long board for that special project. I don't think that the Grizzly is the same as that entry level tool or machine that won't work well. OTOH, it looks like a different design than the 12 J/P from Grizzly and I would look for a review before I bit on it - I notice it has 2 knives not 3, and a different fence system, and can't tell how you do the changeover.

[Jim Becker]

The question I would ask of you is in general, how many times do you need to flatten and mill a project component that is longer than 82"? I make this point in that I have never felt a need for longer beds on my own combo, which is slightly larger than the one you are contemplating, but nonetheless shorter than a stand-alone jointer of the same capacity might typically be.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I second Jim's comment. But I've found that my 48" does about 1-1/2 (or a 6 ft length board) comfortably. I'm guessing that a 41" bed would probably do 5 to 5-1/2ft boards comfortably.

That ain't bad.

-Jeff :)

[Scott Haddix]

As with everything, the answer partly depends on what you plan to build. That said, I definitely think the difference between a 6" and an 8" matters, and I'd go with an 8".

I've only had a few times when I wished my 8" was wider, but I run boards wider than 6" through my jointer all the time (Grizzly G0586). I'd definitely be frustrated with a 6" model.

Good luck!

[Danny Thompson]

I wasn't aware of the 2-1 ratio. I'll have to think about that. 84" is a about as long as the longest board I have needed to joint (dining table). For that project I imposed on a friend with a 6" Jet that was somewhere in the neighborhood of 46".

Scott, the G0586 is what I was considering. Have you encountered any troubles realated to 2hp v 3hp?

[Jim Becker]

Danny, I have actually flattened boards longer than the 2:1 ratio with my MM J/P quite successfully. It's very easy to add additional support that allows you to keep the board flat on the tables and as we have already discussed, this is an infrequent need, anyway. Final flattening and edge work really should be saved until the components are pieced out. Skimming longer stock for grain and color doesn't have to be perfect.

[Wilbur Pan]

the jointer bed is only 41" long. Is 41" enough for anything longer than a cabinet door rail?

FWIW, I jointed and squared up eight 8' long 4x4's tonight on my Rikon 10" J/P combo. Here's a picture of my handiwork, and a picture of my J/P combo, with a 48" rule on it to prove that I have a short bed. ;)

(I never thought I would ever be posting a picture to show how small one of my tools was. ;) )

I should mention that my neighbor helped me feed the boards over the jointer. In planer mode, I was able to do that myself. But the point is, it can be done. If you don't have a really good neighbor, after this experience, I can't see why infeed and outfeed stands couldn't do the same thing for you.

[Kevin Adams]

Wilbur--

Are those fir 4x4's from the Borg? Nice looking wood. Whatcha making with them?

BTW, I have an old Inca J/P with a 31" bed (I think) and I agree 100% with your comments. I also own a wooden jointer that's actually a little longer (maybe 34") that comes in handy, too!

Thanks.
Kevin

[Wilbur Pan]

Hi Kevin,

Yes, those are borg 4x4's. I don't know why, but there is exactly one orange borg in this area close to where I work that carries kiln-dried Doug fir 4x4's. I've been picking over their stack for quite a while, and over time found these eight pieces that are straight grained, tightly grained, nearly quartersawn, and pretty clear. They are going to be a workbench top.

I also learned that you can fit three 8' 4x4's into a Toyota Camry. I'm sure that the lumber area people at the borg must have wondered why every couple of weeks, this guy shows up in office clothes, looks through the 4x4 pile, and buys exactly three pieces. ;)

[Craig McCormick]

Wilbur,

I was going to buy the same combo. I was already to put it on lay-away at Woodcraft when my wife was diagnosed with cancer. I decided to wait and when I was ready to buy one they had discontinued it. I couldn't find another brand in that price range. I ended up buying a used Robland X31 combo machine. The X31 takes a little getting used to but I like it. Are you pleased with your Rikon?

Craig McCormick


FWIW, I jointed and squared up eight 8' long 4x4's tonight on my Rikon 10" J/P combo. Here's a picture of my handiwork, and a picture of my J/P combo, with a 48" rule on it to prove that I have a short bed. ;)

(I never thought I would ever be posting a picture to show how small one of my tools was. ;) )

I should mention that my neighbor helped me feed the boards over the jointer. In planer mode, I was able to do that myself. But the point is, it can be done. If you don't have a really good neighbor, after this experience, I can't see why infeed and outfeed stands couldn't do the same thing for you.

[Sonny Edmonds]

I also learned that you can fit three 8' 4x4's into a Toyota Camry. I'm sure that the lumber area people at the borg must have wondered why every couple of weeks, this guy shows up in office clothes, looks through the 4x4 pile, and buys exactly three pieces. ;)

LMAO! :D
Good one, Wilbur!

Faced with a similar dilemma, I downsized from my truck to a little economy car last labor day weekend.
Then needed to haul home two new vinyl windows for the house. Wife thought no way.
But I showed her we could manage.

Now sheet stock is a big problem...
I do miss my truck in several ways. :(

[Wilbur Pan]

Are you pleased with your Rikon?

I really like it. 10" face jointing capacity for $650? What's not to like?

I could gripe about needing to shim the outfeed table to get the infeed and outfeed tables well aligned, and the fence being a little flexible, but that's really being nitpicky. Actually, the only time the fence has been an issue was when my neighbor and I started milling up these 8' 4x4s, and we were able to figure out a technique to allow us to square up a corner.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Danny, I have a Hammer A3 31 jointer/planer combo and am very pleased with it.

The jointer tables on the Hammer are 51" long, and table extensions are available from Hammer.

I've never needed anything longer, and the performance of the Hammer is incredible, absolutely no snipe when planing ( well just under 0.003), and the jointer works just as well.

In addition the knives take about 5 minutes to change, with no adjustment required.

Regards, Rod.

[Kevin Adams]

Hi Wilbur--

So you're finally going to build that bench...what about the simple beam you've been using? What style bench are you planning?

I've seen those 4x4's at my local borg, but they sure didn't look like yours (and I think they were green, not KD). Maybe I just need to dig through the stack a bit.

Take care,
Kevin

[Wilbur Pan]

Hi Kevin,

New Year, new bench!

This bench is going to be a Roubo. I'm going with a Roubo because it doesn't have an end vise in the front right hand area. Instead, I'm going to put in a planing stop for using Japanese planes. That poplar beam that I had been using since May still works great. I've been able to plane, chop mortises, do chisel work, and saw using it without issues. I think that the reason it's taken me so long to get around to building my "real" workbench is that the poplar beam has worked out so much better than I thought it would. And actually, the main benefit that I think I will get from this bench is extra counter space. I think this benchtop will wind up being about 7' x 22". Over the past several months, I've needed the extra counter space much more than I've needed a leg vise.

It took me quite a while to assemble this group of 4x4s from the borg. I literally spent a year accumulating my 4x4 stash, picking through their piles over that time. And they definitely are kiln dried 4x4s, and NOT pressure treated.

Wilbur