Will I need 12" capacity on my tools?

[Tom Hassad]

I am thinking of buying better tools (jointer, planer, bandsaw). I started out with hobbyist level junk (Harbor Freight). I'd sure love top of the line 12 inch or more capacity tools but I think the only time I used such a wide board was to make a table top for an entertainment center. I would like to make a combination of furniture items in the future and even try my hand at boxes.

I was wondering where 12 inch or wider pieces are used except for table tops or perhaps case sides? as for resawing - I am not sure where I would need 12 inch wide resawn wood?

I can save perhaps $1000 ore more by buying tools that will handle as wide as 10 inch and I am trying to determine if it is worth it to have the extra two inches of capacity. I am thinking I could get by with a 14 inch bandsaw for resawing and look at getting a 10 inch jointer/planer.

Any suggestions or ideas to guide me? Thanks - Tom

[Harvey Pascoe]

I would think that the frequency with which you need such large machines would be the determining factor. I do not have large machines though occasionally it would be nice if I did, but I always manage to get by just fine without them.

As for resawing, I rarely used thin boards over 8" wide due to the tendency for cracking of thin, wide panels. If I need anything wider I veneer a piece of plywood instead. I added a riser block to my 14" B.S. but now find that I rarely even need that much capacity. Plus, I find that resawing or veneering of wider boards eats up band saw blades like crazy and so it gets costly. I'd rather joint smaller pieces than saw really wide pieces.

Have you ever tried pushing a 10" wide piece of hardwood through a jointer? It can be quite an experience.

Its also nice not to have to foot the bill for maintenance of larger, more costly machines and their blades.

[glenn bradley]

Harvey speaks true. Only you know what type of work you do. A good cast iron 14" bandsaw is a staple in many shops. For re-sawing it is not the best beast on the block but many add riser blocks and do great.

I did require better resaw capability than I had. I added up all the bolt-ons and decided to go with a 17" machine. But, that's me, not you. I dumped my 6" jointer almost immediately because it was too narrow 90% of the time. Oddly (and again, this is me, not you) my 8" machine is wide enough 99% of the time so there's your 2" rule in action.

I have a 15" planer as I was spoiled by the spiral head in the jointer and had to have one for the planer. The cost of a head for my lunchbox planer was significant enough to make me save my pennies for awhile and get the larger machine. If I did different work I would have morphed in a different direction.

I make tables, chests of drawers, picture frames, wall cabinets and jewelry boxes so far. Make a list of the things you want to make and see how they fit your tool list. Most important; enjoy the ride.

[Cody Colston]

A 10" jointer is great until you have an 11" or wider board to straighten. Like Glenn, I have an 8" jointer that is sufficient most of the time but there are times I wish I had a wider one.

I've seen lots of shops that have a wide jointer for face jointing wide boards and a 6" jointer for edge jointing and facing narrow boards. Same thing with band saws...some have both a big bandsaw, 17" or larger, for re-sawing and a 14" saw for general scrolling cuts.

But, as was noted, your needs will depend on your particular type of work and, more importantly, your budget.

Even with basic homeowner-type tools, there is always a way to accomplish a task. The bigger, better tools only make it easier and more expeditious.

[Curt Harms]

I am thinking of buying better tools (jointer, planer, bandsaw). I started out with hobbyist level junk (Harbor Freight). I'd sure love top of the line 12 inch or more capacity tools but I think the only time I used such a wide board was to make a table top for an entertainment center. I would like to make a combination of furniture items in the future and even try my hand at boxes.

I was wondering where 12 inch or wider pieces are used except for table tops or perhaps case sides? as for resawing - I am not sure where I would need 12 inch wide resawn wood?

I can save perhaps $1000 ore more by buying tools that will handle as wide as 10 inch and I am trying to determine if it is worth it to have the extra two inches of capacity. I am thinking I could get by with a 14 inch bandsaw for resawing and look at getting a 10 inch jointer/planer.

Any suggestions or ideas to guide me? Thanks - Tom

Hi Tom

It depends on how and how much you work but I think you're on the right track. I have similar to what you're thinking about. 14" Band Saw w/13" resaw (Rikon 10-325) and Jet 12" jointer/planer. At the time my choices in J/P combos were Jet & Grizzly 12". Hammer makes an excellent Jointer/Planer but there is a price premium for it. I went with Jet but it was a close call. Today Grizzly offers a 10" Jointer/Planer though I haven't seen any reviews on it. http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-Jointer-Planer-Combo/G0675. Some don't like the shorter jointer tables on the combo machines. I cut my stock to rough length then face joint and don't find 55" jointer table length limiting. Jet also markets a line of benchtop jointer/planers, I've seen less than glowing reviews of those. A bigger band saw that would handle carbide tipped blades would be nice because I find myself using a band saw more and table saw less. I'm not sure a larger saw would fit my space or budget. Then again I don't spend that much time in the shop. Good luck and enjoy the process.

[Peter Quinn]

Yup, size the tools to the work. The size and quantity of your work will help determine which tools are best for you. I started with a 14" bs and riser, it resawed just fine, I did 10" no problem. I stepped up to a 20" machine with the same resaw height but twice as much table, motor and weight, And it resaws much faster and with less effort. But with the large table at a lower height I find myself using the bs more for thins I would previously have done on the TS.

As far as jointer, that's a hard call. At work I use a 20", and that covers 99% of the boards I work with. Seriously, we handle some pretty large stuff. Door panels out of a single 18" wide board, 14" selves of one board, stuff like that. But you don't have to work with such wide wood, and if you prefer not to , you certainly don"t need the larger machine. In my own shop I have an 8" jointer that does 90% of what I need and I figure out how to do the rest with work arounds. A 10" would. Handle 95%' a 12" maybe 99%? But the 8" fits my shop and budget better, so that is what I chose. I"d really like to have a 16" j/p combo, but that's in the future.

[Stephen Cherry]

I'd sure love top of the line 12 inch or more capacity tools

I think you answered your own question.

You are buying used, aren't you? If budget is an issue, you get a lot more bang for the buck. If you are patient, you could buy your dream shop for the price of "just OK" tools.

Look at it this way, you have already bought tools that you don't like once, why do it again? I like to think of good used machines as close to being money in the bank. But you need to know what to buy, and also you need to pay a good price. Not necessarily a bottom feeder price, but you can't overpay.

[Paul Murphy]

I have a 16" jointer and a 20" planer because I prefer using wide boards and am willing to pay the premium for that stock and the machinery. I don't think I can justify the extra expense on paper, but with a clean slate I would end up with the big machines and wide boards again.

If you rarely use wide stock you can invest in a nice #7 or #8 hand plane, and manually flatten the stock wider than your jointer. There are articles on clever ways to process wide stock on a narrow jointer, or use a sled in a planer to joint stock. See what makes sense for you and the work you think you will be doing.

[John Coloccia]

It depends. If your jointer and planer have 12" capacity, then you will certainly need 13" capacity.


:D

[Paul Murphy]

It depends. If your jointer and planer have 12" capacity, then you will certainly need 13" capacity.


:D
Isn't that the truth! Years ago I went looking for a 12" jointer, and found a 16" jointer instead. Found a small operation an hour away that sometimes has boards 20"-23" wide. I now have some walnut and cherry wider than my machines:rolleyes:. I have a nice Lee Valley jointer plane that doesn't care how wide the boards are, and a new excuse for why I work so slowly:).

[Will Blick]

Tom, you got some great responses....

Its good you ask, as these are tough calls...

A few other considerations....how much space do you have? Its often forgotten just how much more space larger tools take up vs. slightly smaller ones.... they get disproportionately heavier, so larger footprint stands, harder to move, harder to build / buy stands to make them mobile, etc.

Also, based on your budget, often you can get higher quality tools that are smaller, vs. lower quality larger tools, so consider the quality issue as well.... since you are coming from HF tools, you may appreciate the value of better made mid range tools vs. the higher end.

And as suggested above, if you only occasionaly work with larger woods, then consider some good hand planes and hand power tools, its pretty amazing what you can do with simple tools. Cause if you buy the smaller power tools, which are MUCH more competitively price due to their high volume, you will have lots left over for hand tools :-)

[John Coloccia]

In all seriousness, I have a Jet JJP-12, and it does everything I need it to do. I also have a Jet 22-44 drum sander so once I've joined a board, I can still final sand it down to a very precise dimension. I use it for guitar building so I don't ever need anything wider than 18" typically.

Here's the thing with wide boards. Even if you're not going to use the full 12" width, there's something to be said for dimensioning a larger board, and then slicing off what you need. Everything will be the same thickness, and you'll have a nice, consistent look across the entire piece. That's the real advantage right there, even for small items. I can carefully cut out my items keeping their use in mind, and then line up the grain patterns when I do the glue up. It's not necessary, but it's a really nice finishing touch.

Of course, you can do much the same by breaking down a larger board and dimensioning the smaller boards as a group.

The JJP-12 was a slam dunk for me because of size and cost. It would have been more expensive to purchase a separate jointer and planer in the sizes I needed, and they would have taken up a lot more space. Part of that is my personal belief that it makes no sense for me to have a planer that's wider than my jointer, and individual planer/jointer sizes just aren't really matched up very well. I don't think I've ever used the full 12" capacity but it was the most cost effective option that I could fit in my shop.

[Rod Sheridan]

I have a 12" jointer/planer. a Hammer model A3-31.

I don't regret spending the money on it, excellent quality, absolutely zero snipe, and a good range of accessories such as table extensions and digital readouts.

I have the quick change knives and wouldn't purchase a jointer or planer that doesn't have that feature. (or a helical carbide head).

I use the Hammer cobalt knives and haven't found a need for the carbide head.

Prior to the Hammer, I had a General planer and jointer, and don't regret buying the Hammer.

Spend good money and get a good machine that will be your last machinery purchase. I wouldn't go with a 10" machine when the 12" machines are so reasonably priced.

Note that that doesn't mean I'm suggesting you go with a 16 or 20" machine, they're in another price and weight bracket.

Since this a machine that will last you the remainder of your wood working lifetime, I personally wouldn't buy a machine that isn't from the manufacturer (such as MiniMax, Hammer/Felder). They own the intellectual property and 20 years later they have the drawings and can supply spare parts. You may not be that lucky with re-badged machines.

Regards, Rod.

[Tom Hassad]

I probably need to change my mindset a little - it is the one that got me to purchase cheap tools to begin with and I think I know what I want with a band saw. That is good to think about as to whether I will really ever need to resaw a 12 inch wide board. That helps focus what I want in a band saw. As to the jointer/planer issues, I will probably get a combo machine that is 12 inch because I have not seen a lot of positive feedback yet on the 10 inch models. I have my eye on the Jet 12 inch but I definitely want a helical cutterhead because it produces less noise. I have only part of the garage o use and I live in a suburban setting so I want to reduce noise. All posts have helped me think about this differently so I can decide on what I want - I told myself last year I would make the purchases this year but due to unforeseen issues I may need to wait another year but I am getting closer to buying new tools. I figure with the two tools or three - I am going to have to spend $3500. I was thinking of at least the bandsaw later this year if I am lucky.

[Gary Hodgin]

As a hobbyist, my choices are influenced heavily by space requirements, electrical considerations, and budget. My guess is that there are far more woodworkers wishing for larger capacity than those wishing for smaller capacity.

[Tony Bilello]

If you have the space and the money, the bigger the better. Usually when you buy "the next size up" you are not just buying 'bigger' you are also buying a higher quality machine...more weight, longer tables, better motors, beter bearings, etc.
If it turns out that you dont need that wide of a joiner, you have that much more blade to use up resulting inless blade sharpenings and changes.

Besides, you may find yourself building bigger things.

[Stephen Cherry]

If you want a nice bandsaw, and you are willing to wait, start searching every day for "bridgewood band saw" and "bridgewood bandsaw". The PBS series?

It's kind of like the geo prizm (aka toyota corolla) of bandsaws. You really do not need to spend the big money. Also, in the bandsaw world, size matters.

[Van Huskey]

On thing that has not been mentioned is quality, often (not always) the bigger machines are built for heavier duty use. Case in point is J/P combo machines, the 12" J/Ps tend to be a significant step up from the 10" versions.

On the jointer side it is true I find a LOT of nice wood that a 8" won't handle BUT there isn't much wood I see that a 10" won't handle but a 12" will.

On the bandsaw side you really don't realize how useful 15 or so inches of resaw can be until you use a large serious BS.

[Josiah Bartlett]

The nice thing about bandsaws is that a 17" or 19" doesn't really take up much more floor space than a 14", and the extra horsepower, table size, and stability is worth it even if you never resaw at the full capacity. The effortless ease of use of the bigger bandsaws will make you look forward to using them instead of dreading it.