If you build it, will it joint

[Tim Allaire]

After all my thoughts about buying 6in jointer, I like the challenge of making my little Jet 8" jointer work for me. Any thoughts on making/building infeed/outfeed tables that might work (I am going to fix the table at a 1/16 make it true and leave it there forever)? I thought about attaching my jointer to a fixed table and attach the infeed/outfeed extentions to the wall of my workshop shed. Or are there any tables/rollers people would recommend?

Tim

[Nathan Conner]

Hey, Tim. I'm not sure I understand the challenge. Is there something wrong with your 8" Jet? Why would you downgrade to a 6"? If it's something like missing beds or...missing parts?

As long as you use a stable and flat surface for your tables, have a good square fence of some sort, and are easily able to change the blades and adjust them, I couldn't see why you wouldn't do this.

But the jointer in my shop is the single scariest tool I own. I wouldn't want to be making wooden tables and depending on their rigidity to keep my hands out of that spinning head. I hear it hurts when they get sucked in after a piece gets ripped from your hands and slammed against the wall. Make sure whatever you do, you have a reliable guard in place...

Please clarify the challenge...I may be missing something.

[Tim Allaire]

Nathan, no the jointer is fine. The outfeed table is just really short. Any stock over, say, four feet is really hard to joint. I have a bed to make and I dont have the time nor the space to make a sled for my planer. All I need is something to support the piece as it goes in and comes out.

Here is the jointer http://www.toolguys.com/files/products/707400_main_0.jpg

tim

[Tim Allaire]

the only thing is tha

[Tim Allaire]

Anyone have a Rousseau planer table? Is there a way to adjust the height of the wings? That may work.

[Harold Burrell]

I don't know if this is something you could do or not...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxAd-t2VBV0

[Tim Allaire]

I dont have that ledge on my outfeed but I was going to make it fixed into the wall.

[James Carmichael]

Take all the time and energy you would spend fiddling with something that probably will not work, and channel it towards a temporary, part-time job to pay for a new J/P.

[Julian Nicks]

I'm with James on this one. I love to tinker also, but I feel as though no matter how much you tinker, you'll end up with a system that won't really work well. Save up and keep an eye on craigslist, as I see jointers pop up on there quite often.

[Josiah Bartlett]

Yeah, I just got a 6" Davis and Wells jointer on CL for $150. Only problem was the knives were slightly dull. The week before there was a Jet for $220.

[Phil Thien]

I once saw some neat table extensions at the Inca yahoo forum.

They were simply legs that attach to the either side of each table, and then an adjustable piece that you set to the height of your infeed/outfeed table.

I've included a pic of what I'm talking about. If you go over to the Inca @ Yahoo forums you'll be able to see more pics.

The table in the pic has been removed from the jointer and is sitting on a bench, BTW.