Jointer Bed Length

[Jonathan Spool]

Is the short bed length of jointer/planer combos a significant detriment to them compared to full length jointer tables?
Jonathan

[Andy McCormick]

Its all about the length of the Jointer bed. The Longer the bed the easier to joint long material. It all depends on what you intend to use it for.

[Casey Gooding]

They probably won't be quite as accurate as long beds. I think that is offset by the convenience and space saved.
I have a combo machine on my wish list.

[Jamie Buxton]

I have a combo with 54" bed length. I regularly joint on it anything which is furniture-length -- say less than 7 feet -- and it does a fine job. If I need to joint something longer I set up roller stands to help.

[Steve Griffin]

I think you have put your finger on one of the overlooked compromises to the combo machines.

Even on my normal griz 8" jointer, I found the infeed to be too short and added about a foot to the infeed side with melamine and steel bar stock. The outfeed is less of a problem and a roller stand can lend a helping hand on that end.

-Steve

[Jim Becker]

Practically, no, it's not an issue unless you regularly must flatten and edge very long boards for projects that require very long boards. It's never been an issue with my combo J/P, however. I'll skim a long board to "see what's in it", but I leave final milling flat and true for after I've reduced to over-size components. Rarely do I work with something over 5.5-6' for that reason.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I'm in the not really catagory. As the other guys said, how often do you need to joint longer then 7'? I'd throw in a power feeder to the list of things that can really increase the effectivness of a shorter jointer. Add on tables are out there too if you really think you need to joint monster lumber.

[Wilbur Pan]

Is the short bed length of jointer/planer combos a significant detriment to them compared to full length jointer tables?
Jonathan

No.

I have a 10" jointer/planer combo. The bed on this is about 40" long. I was able to successfully face joint a bunch of 8 foot long 4x4s on it to make a workbench top. My neighbor did come over to help me out, but that was mainly because of the length of these beams.

Edge jointing those beams was trickier, with less than perfect results, but that was due to fence issues, not the bed length.

[Jonathan Spool]

7'-8' is the maximum I work with. Isn't the straightness you will get really determined only by the ounfeed table length, as the infeed provides zero reference to the finished product?
Jonathan

[Frank Drew]

Isn't the straightness you will get really determined only by the ounfeed table length, as the infeed provides zero reference to the finished product?
Jonathan

Not exactly, since the infeed table provides half the support for the wood you're surfacing or edge jointing; the finished face or edge does ride on the outfeed table, but it had to have gotten there in the first place (impossible without the infeed table) and the infeed and outfeed tables are really two parts of a whole system and must be parallel and coplanar.

I like a long jointer, and they certainly make life easier, but you can find a way to make any decent tool work for you.

[Chip Lindley]

Bed Length is not THE issue. I successfully jointed LOTSA hardwood on an old 6" Delta/Milwaukee jointer with 32" bed! (infeed/outfeed total) Then I graduated to a 42" bed. Now I have an DJ20 with 77" bed. The longer bed makes for more convenience, but not necessisarily more *accuracy*.

Unlike many other power tools, there is much intuitive *finesse* involved in using any jointer. I would equate jointers with riding a motorcycle. Some can hop right on and take off the first time. In a day they are *poppin' wheelies*! Others balk from fear or just a natural lack of mechanical dexterity, and take forever, OR NEVER, to get the *hang of it*.

With a jointer, *hands-on* is the best teacher. Learning to read the grain of a board is as important as the machine set up. A longer bed jointer does not automatically assure better results.

[Rod Sheridan]

I also have a combo jointer/planer (Hammer A3-31) and haven't found a need for longer tables for accuracy.

I have however found that a longer table supports the wood, instead of me having to do that.

So if you often joint really long heavy pieces, purchase the removable table extension for your machine.

Being removable, it's not in the way when you're not using it, and it's there when you need it.

As most people have said however, you probably won't need it.

Regards, Rod.

[Steve Griffin]

7'-8' is the maximum I work with. Isn't the straightness you will get really determined only by the ounfeed table length, as the infeed provides zero reference to the finished product?
Jonathan

The longer infeed table allows the jointer to average out a wavy board or if it has one big bow it starts it at a better angle. The outfeed is also very important, but once you have a flat, straight surface on your board, it seems you need less table as a reference point.

8' is plently long to gain some benefit from a longer table, but as others have mentioned, you will probably be fine with good technique.

-Steve

[Curt Harms]

There's is another factor which make Jim B.'s idea of cutting stock to rough length before face jointing a good one. If a board has any defects i.e. bow,twist or warp it requires removing more thickness to remove the problem from a longer board than from a shorter board. Think about the amount of deviation from flat per foot. The more feet the more thickness that must be removed to get a board flat. I Hope this makes sense.

Curt

[Leigh Betsch]

My MiniMAx FS41 is 79", not exactly short! ;) Unless I do my part it can still make junk out of a nice board.:eek:

[Joe Jensen]

It's funny how people's machines seem to align with their views :p

I been doing this for 30 years. Started with a 6" 1960s Craftsman. Then a PM60 with a 60" bed, and now a 12" SCMI with an 84" bed. I used to think that I got boards straight when I had the short Craftsman. It was hard to hold the longer ones down, but I got the job done. I did have to clamp the heck out of some glue ups to pull the boards together but it all worked. Then I upgraded to the PM60 and jointing was easier and interestingly I found that I needed less clamping pressure. My boards were straighter. Now with the much longer beds, I can make a board very straight with only a couple of passes.

Years ago I found an article that showed mathematically how many passes you need to take on a board relative to how long it is compared to the infeed bed. If the board is the same length or shorter, it's one pass. If the board is up to 2X the length of the infeed bed, it took a manageable number of passes, I think 3 (can't remember and can't find the article). If the board was 3X or longer, then you basically couldn't get it truely straight, and you need to use a different method.

How long do long you need? I'd say 1/2 the length of the longest board you need to make truely straight.

If anyone remembers the article I'll send massive rewards to them to have it available :D

[Jim Andrew]

I like the new style jointers with the long infeed table. Like the dj20. I got a griz go609 and it's not bad, approx 83" total length. Considered a combo machine, but already had a woodmaster, and like the extra length you get on a 12" jointer. Was looking at the 16", but with all the price increases for fuel and steel last year, settled for a 12".

[Danny Burns]

I just set-up my shop so the tablesaw and jointer are the same height.

I have my drill press on wheels, so I can adjust the table height for support and move the DP to where it is needed.

I also have a support stand that has the ball bearing surface for the runners, and a tube roller attachment for when I want to support something thin, or something that demands directional stability.

Having a short bed jointer should not be a work stopping problem, but if I was running real long stock through it all the time, then I would see having longer tables as a plus.

[John Carlo]

I like Chip's comment on finesse. I've worked 17' oak planks for box beams on my 8" Pm jointer. You develop a feel for it after a while. I have sometimes employed a precisely positioned outfeed roller and this really helps. Of course, in assembling box beams you aren't exactly dealing with accuracy requiring thousandths of an inch precision. A board that long is going to have some flex.

I now use an alternate method for jointing extra long boards. I rely on my Festool TS 55 saw with a 118" track and add the stock 55" track to that if necessary. If I feel like it, I then make the final pass on the jointer. This sure saves time if you have to deal with a badly curved board with a lot of waste to remove.

[Allan Froehlich]

I think I remember hearing a comment in Fine Woodworking that the capacity of a jointer is double the length of the infeed bed.

[Mike Wilkins]

I'm not sure about the other owners/users of combo jointer/planer machines, but I have not had a problem jointing 8 footers on my machine, with a 60" total bed length. The key for me is to use constant pressure in the correct places to insure good contact with the beds. I have not let the length of my machine limit its use.

[Jeff Duncan]

In my opinion the longer the better....if needed. My 16" is a short bed at 90" and I'd happily extend that out another foot if I could. I regularly run stock over 8' and occasionally over 12'. I'm also in the camp that it's nearly impossible to get a crooked board that's more than twice the length of your jointer truly straight. If you think about it for a while you'll understand. I overcame this when using a 6" jointer though by adding extension tables to both ends, almost doubling the practical length of my tables. The problem with a roller is it only supports the stock at one point. Ideally you want a continuation of the table.
If your only building furniture and won't run long lengths too often then I think a combo would be fine. But the long beds do come in handy for working with long stock.I guess if I had to choose between length and width though I'd go for width. You can always add the extensions for length, but your stuck with whatever width your cutterhead is.
good luck,
JeffD