Jointer on a budget,info please.

[Joel Jepsen]

Hello all, not woodworking as much as I like but hopefully will get there soon. I have been actively watching CL, ebay, local auctions for a much needed jointer. Thinking a 6" will suit most of my needs. See alot of 37-280's around and sears/craftsman. I wish I could splurge on a long bed 6 or 8", but thats not in the cards at this time. How well will a 37-280 or similar jointer serve me? I would guestimate going through 300-400 bdft a year at the most.
Thanks
Joel

[Don Morris]

I had a 6" Jet for a while and it sufficed for a lot of my needs in the beginning, but not all of them. Trouble is, I found a lot of boards common to wwing projects I wanted or liked were at least 6" - 10" wide. When you got the edges trimmed and even, that brought many of them down to around 8" wide or so. Eventually, I ended up with an 8" jointer and have been 97% happy with that. The % happy the 6" left me just didn't hack it. However, in the short term, and without sufficient funds, a small shop space that hadn't been expanded yet, as long as I didn't mind glued joints, and picking my projects, the 6" jointer worked fine.

[Jules Dominguez]

Joel, I don't know what your experience level is or what shop tools you have, but a jointer is not a necessity for making things from wood, even nice furniture, in a home workshop. And that includes projects that start with hardwood lumber which doesn't have a straight edge or a flat face.

One of the easiest jigs to make - because it doesn't require a fence - is a ripping sled for straightening the first edge of a crooked board on a tablesaw. The second edge can then be straightened wiith a standard rip cut. This can be done to a level of accuracy and smoothness that's adequate for edge gluing. Touchup, if any is needed, can be done with handplanes.

Handplanes and/or planer sleds can be used to flatten the first face of a board so that it can be thickness-planed.

I don't disagree that a jointer might be nice to have in a home workshop, and might be a practical necessity in a pro shop, but jointers come with their own set of problems and limitations and require a separate set of skills to use successfully. If you're just starting out in woodworking, and you're doing it as a hobby, you might want to consider doing without a jointer, at least at first. You'll not only save money and shop space, you'll probably learn more about working wood, and may get more satisfaction from your efforts.

[Jamie Buxton]

What do you think you'll be using the jointer for? If you're only going to do edge-jointing, a narrow jointer will do. Me, I use a jointer for face-jointing. I use it to flatten boards before I do anything else to them. If you're going to do this, width matters. Without going through extraordinary shinanegans, you only get to work with boards as wide as your jointer. For the lumber in my dealers, a 6" jointer isn't wide enough. 8" is marginal. 10" would pretty much do anything I like. I actually bought a 12", because when I bought it there weren't many 10" units around.

[John Thompson]

Most lumber you purchase at a hard-wood supplier will be random width and average 5 1/2" -7".. There are some species you can get much wider. But.. if you do only 300-400 a year.. you can get by on the 6" by rip and re-glue. I did it for about 27 years before moving up to a larger jointer.

Sarge..

[keith ouellette]

As said previously (and I'm quite a novice so take this with a grain of salt) you can get by with just edge jointing for many things. I have a 8" grizzly para jointer. I got that because I understand that many boards are 6 to 8 inches but my wood working skills are such that I am often better off edge jointing boards with semi rough faces for a glue up and then just running the showing part of the work piece through the planer and then sanding to make it smooth.

the glue line rip on the table saw is also a great idea I have experimented with lately. Try that for a while first and then decide on a jointer.

[Myk Rian]

Keep looking around. I found a nice Jet 6" on CL for $300.

[Carlos Alden]

Keep looking and talk to anyone you know or who knows someone who does woodworking.

Last summer I took a new friend sailing with me. I learned he did cabinetry on the side and was buying some new stuff for his garage/shop. I casually mentioned I was sniffing around for a jointer. Just happened that he had one in his garage, given to him by his wife's boss who had started woodworking a long time ago but didn't have time for it, and gave it to him. He didn't need it, having just bought a Rigid.

I went and looked at it. 6" older Jet, tables flat, co-planar enough for my usage (edging board for glue-up) and I offered a donation to the guy to give to his friend so it wouldn't be insulting: $75. I cleaned off the surface rust, and I had the blades sharpened and bought an extra set.

Not everything is on craigslist. They're out there.

Carlos

[Joel Jepsen]

I have some experience and need to get my own toys instead of asking to come over to a good friend's. I have straightened out boards as mentioned with tablesaw jig and ripping but not a planing by hand. Don't want to sound stubborn but I think a decent 6" will serve me well for most duties and I can always hope for a good deal on an 8 or bigger.
As for 6" jointers, are there models to stay clear of? Particular models that are a bang for the buck? All the help is much appreciated.
Joel

[Chip Lindley]

YES, Jointers are pretty necessary for real productivity in the shop! Always 2 or 3 ways to *skin the cat* but I Really enjoy using the machine that was meant to do the job BEST!

Don't underestimate the 6" jointer! They are very usable, and I have found in the past 20 years very few times when I absolutely NEEDED a board wider than 6", and hated to rip it. I have done all my work on a Rockwell 6"/42" bed, until just the past 2 years. Finally I found a *gloat* Delta DJ20.

Pay your dues and learn how to joint on a 6"! When the time comes and you can afford an 8" long-bed, you will be deserving of it!

[Stephen Edwards]

I agree with Chip. Find a decent 6" jointer that's within you budget and you'll be off to a good start. Do you have a certain amount budgeted for this machine?

[Don Morris]

Jointers are pretty basic machines. Not too much to go wrong with one after it's set up properly and if you use it correctly. The common brands out there, Jet, Grizzly, Delta, Steel City, Sunhill, Powermatic, General, all have their followers and about the only consistantly negative I ever hear is on Sears, but you hear good things about them too. I don't have experience with other than Jet, Sunhill and Delta. They worked well for me. Have you done a "Search" on this site yet? Sometimes that reveals good info.

Agree with prior comments, I love my jointer, but there are other ways....just would hate to have to go back to those ways.

[frank shic]

rockler's got a killer deal on an open stand 6" jointer right now

[Tom Adger]

I bought a very slightly used Ridgid model 06101 6" jointer on ebay about 4 months ago for $215. This was a steal, and this type deal doesn't come along too often, but they are out there. Check ebay and craigslist. After 4 months of use, I could not be happier with this jointer. Do a little Googling, and read some of the reviews. They are sold new at HD, but I would look for a good used one first.

[george wilson]

The Grizzly jointers are perfectly good machines.I advise getting one of those rather than off of ebay,where you get no customer support,spare parts,or guarantee. I bought an 8" Grizzly for where I worked before retiring. It checked out emminently accurate,to my relief. Grizzly 8" jointers were among the most accurate tested by Fine Woodworking magazine a few years ago. I am sure that also applies to their 6".

[Mike Gager]

well if the board is too wide for the jointer you can use your planer and a sled to flatten a face

[Bruce Wrenn]

well if the board is too wide for the jointer you can use your planer and a sled to flatten a faceRead the article in newest issue of FWW on jointing wide boards on a 6" jointer. I have done this for years.

[Myk Rian]

Read the article in newest issue of FWW on jointing wide boards on a 6" jointer. I have done this for years.
Yep. I just did a 10" board on my 6" jointer and the planer.

[Mike Gager]

havent read the article but im assuming you are talking about removing the guard and doing half the board at a time?

[Tom Adger]

Bruce, which issue of FWW has the article? Maybe a link?

[Glenn Lewis]

well if the board is too wide for the jointer you can use your planer and a sled to flatten a face

I agree. i have a 6" Rigid Jointer but a 12" planer. I tried the sled method out for the first time last week on a nice wide piece of birch. Took less than 30 minutes to make the sled, and a little while later, i had nice wide piece of birch all squared up.

[Myk Rian]

havent read the article but im assuming you are talking about removing the guard and doing half the board at a time?
Basically, yes.
You joint as much as you can of the board, creating a wide rabbet. Double-side tape a flat board to that which you have just jointed, and place that side down and run it through the planer. When the top is planed, remove the backer board and plane that side, removing the rabbet.

[Chip Lindley]

BOY! Now that's a *PITA*! IF one is proficient at the jointer, the same board can be ripped, flattened, edge-jointed, reglued, and thickness planed before you scrape off all that double sided tape!

We know there are many ways to accomplish the same result. But, sometimes *Inquiring Minds* must ask....WHY Bother?

[Matt Day]

What about this? A little over your budget, but might be worth a look.

http://www.amazon.com/Jet-JJP-10BTOS-10-Inch-Jointer-Planer/dp/B001O0D6OC/ref=pd_bbs_6?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1235618949&sr=8-6

[lowell holmes]

IIRC, there is an article in the current Fine Woodworking showing how to flatten boards that are wider than your joiner. It does require having a thickness planer though.

[Rod Sheridan]

Jointers are pretty basic machines. Not too much to go wrong with one after it's set up properly and if you use it correctly. The common brands out there, Jet, Grizzly, Delta, Steel City, Sunhill, Powermatic, General, all have their followers and about the only consistantly negative I ever hear is on Sears, but you hear good things about them too. I don't have experience with other than Jet, Sunhill and Delta. They worked well for me. Have you done a "Search" on this site yet? Sometimes that reveals good info.

Agree with prior comments, I love my jointer, but there are other ways....just would hate to have to go back to those ways.

If you find a General jointer in good condition buy it. New they are 4 or 5 times the price of any of the machines you mentioned, and are true industrial grade machines made in Canada.

There is no comparison between a Delta, Jet, Grizzly etc and General.

Regards, Rod.

P.S. recently sold a General 8" jointer for $2,000, and the 14" planer for $2,400..........Rod.