Jointer Operator Issue....thin leading edge?!?!

[Matt Sollars]

Just trying to cut me teeth on this new equipment and i've noticed on some pine scrap that i am consistently getting a thinner leading edge then tailing edge.
I've looked for some video on proper technique but haven't found much.

Any help here?

thanks guys.

Matt

[johnny means]

Your pressing your leading edge all the way down onto the infeed table, raising the tail end out of the cutting plane. You need to be balancing the board on the crown as you begin your first cut. You will know you have it right when your initial pass leaves a jointed area in the middle of your board.

Some people will chime in saying to joint crown up, but their wrong:D

[Tom Hintz]

First, there is nothing stopping a jointer from tapering a board. It only "sees" the edge or face that is on the tables so has no idea if the surface it is cutting is parallel to the opposing face or not. But, you can accellerate tapering if the jointer is not set up right or you are using it wrong. The jointer looks so simple but it really is one of the more technique dependent machines in woodworking.
I have a story at the link below with lots of photos and video on the basics of the jointer. (This has become one of the most-viewed pages on my site!)

http://www.newwoodworker.com/basic/usejntr.html

[Michael Weber]

Nothing causes more problems getting proper results much less expected results than jointers. Maybe more than all the other tools combined. As iterated earlier, proper setup and proper technique is very important. The linked website will get you started. However, don't expect the jointer to act as a good planer even after proper setup.

[Myk Rian]

How much thinner is the leading edge?
I don't worry much about that. Once the face is flat, time for the thickness planer.

[glenn bradley]

IMHO a little too much rocket science is applied to jointing. Jointers make things flat, planers make the other side parallel to that flat side once achieved. Inconsistent results can be silly things like jointing crown down (Sorry Johnny, I couldn't resist :D:D:D).

Seriously, different methods work for different people. For me I apply pressure after the cutterhead as soon as there is adequate material there to do so safely. I then 'hand over hand' feed the rest of the board through via pressure and forward motion in that area. This wil vary with larger or smaller pieces and face or edge jonting.

[James G. McQueen]

Could you post a picture. If not does your piece end up crowned along the length. Look down the edge to see if this is occurring.

[David DeCristoforo]

Picture a board with a bow from end to end. If you lay it on a flat surface with the concave side up, it's like a rocker. When you run it over the jointer, if you are pushing the end down so that it contacts the cutter, you will produce a flat plane from the end to (approximately) the center. The next pass will extend that flat plane to a point beyond the center. How far depends on how extreme the bow is. Subsequent passes will continue to extend the flat until you have removed enough material to flatten the entire length of the board. But, at that point you will obviously have a tapered board, flat on one side but still with a bow in the other. Planing will remove the bow and restore parallel faces.
As long as you still have enough thickness on the "thin end", there is no problem. But it's better if you start by only pressing the board down on the jointer table in the center, allowing the ends to "float". You will still end up with a board with one flat face and one bowed face and you will still need the planer to restore parallel faces. But "working from the center out", you will have only removed about half the amount of material as you would by starting with one end pressed down into the cutter. So you will be able to end up with a thicker board after planing.