Anthony Whitesell
05-28-2009, 7:28 AM
I just received my local WW guild publication (GNHW The Journal) and a gentleman by the name of Tom Cama (I believe that;s his last name. Sorry Tom) described a nice technique for jointing boards wider than your jointer. It doesn't involve any expensive or complicated jigs. You just need a planer wide enough to handle the board and a cheap jig for the planer.
Step 1: Set up the jointer to "rabbet" as much of the face as possible. So much the fence as far back as possible and remove the guard.
Step 2: Pass the board over the jointer to face joint as much of the board as possible. This will result in a flat face with an edge that's still rough.
Step 3: To the planer. Place the rough cut board with the jointed/rabbet face down on a carrier (MDF or melamine, you may want to add a cleat to the end) with the rough remainder of Step 2 hanging over the edge of the carrier.
Step 4: Pass the board through the planer until the top side has been smoothed.
Step 5: Remove the carrier board, flip the piece over, and pass the board rabbet-side-up through the planer to remove the rough cut lip that remained from Step 2 has been remove.
TA DA. Jointed and planed.
All credit to Tom.
If the width of the board approached 50% wider than you jointer (9" board and 6" jointer) you may have tipping issues when running it through the planer when using this technique. Where the unsupported rabbeted edge may cause the board to tip to that side if it was much higher than the opposite side. If you set the jointer up to rabbet most of each side (~4" from each edge on the 9") leaving a T-shaped board with the rough in the middle. The use two carrier boards each ~4" wide placing one under each edge would prevent the board from tipping.
I have seen lots of ways to handle jointing boards wider than a given jointer and this is by far the simpliest. It might have been nice to have gotten a wider jointer last year when I purchased my G0490, but not now. Now, I wish for (want/need) a larger planer :D although I'm not sure where I'd put it. :rolleyes:
Step 1: Set up the jointer to "rabbet" as much of the face as possible. So much the fence as far back as possible and remove the guard.
Step 2: Pass the board over the jointer to face joint as much of the board as possible. This will result in a flat face with an edge that's still rough.
Step 3: To the planer. Place the rough cut board with the jointed/rabbet face down on a carrier (MDF or melamine, you may want to add a cleat to the end) with the rough remainder of Step 2 hanging over the edge of the carrier.
Step 4: Pass the board through the planer until the top side has been smoothed.
Step 5: Remove the carrier board, flip the piece over, and pass the board rabbet-side-up through the planer to remove the rough cut lip that remained from Step 2 has been remove.
TA DA. Jointed and planed.
All credit to Tom.
If the width of the board approached 50% wider than you jointer (9" board and 6" jointer) you may have tipping issues when running it through the planer when using this technique. Where the unsupported rabbeted edge may cause the board to tip to that side if it was much higher than the opposite side. If you set the jointer up to rabbet most of each side (~4" from each edge on the 9") leaving a T-shaped board with the rough in the middle. The use two carrier boards each ~4" wide placing one under each edge would prevent the board from tipping.
I have seen lots of ways to handle jointing boards wider than a given jointer and this is by far the simpliest. It might have been nice to have gotten a wider jointer last year when I purchased my G0490, but not now. Now, I wish for (want/need) a larger planer :D although I'm not sure where I'd put it. :rolleyes: