8" jointer but very high shipping costs

[Jim Dory]

I'm wanting an 8" jointer and live up in rural Alaska where shipping is by jet or by barge in summertime. If I want to buy a 500 lb. jointer, say from Seattle and ship to here in Nome, then a rough Alaska Air calculator gives something like $650 for shipping. Barge would be somewhat cheaper but it is a 3 week journey and first barge won't leave for a few months yet. I doubt I could get it much below $1/pound.. even shipping from Anchorage.

So curious what kind of jointer people might try to get based on weight. I've looked at Matthias's homemade jointer using an old planer (I have an old Ryobi 10" that snipes so bad I want to get rid of it) and could try that, but that is a lot of work for questionable results (in my hands). Or I've seen other cutterheads advertised here and there. I've seen that little $350 (or whatever) Jet benchtop unit but it doesn't look all that practical for my needs. I do like to do a bit of boat building and being able to joint longer pieces would be beneficial.

I've googled around a lot looking at weights of various brands but curious if anyone here has ideas?

cheers, Jim

[Jim Andrew]

Not a lot of help here, but my opinion is that Grizzly's G0609 is a great jointer for the money, although it weighs about 900 lbs. Can't imagine building a jointer myself. Like mine with the helical cutterhead. You can buy more expensive jointers than Grizzly's but can't imagine they are a lot better. Mine cuts perfectly with no snipe. If you add 900 to the price of a grizzly for shipping, you would be about where other brand jointers start. Just don't buy a small one because of cost, because you will be wishing you had a bigger one as soon as you start using it.

[Jim Dory]

Not a lot of help here, but my opinion is that Grizzly's G0609 is a great jointer for the money, although it weighs about 900 lbs.

That looks like a great thing for a shop of my dreams all right. Perhaps a bit out of budget though. And I would be a bit worried about my wood floor construction.. built up on blocks/beams off the permafrost. But might handle it - I've parked my CJ5 Jeep in there before.

I vacillate between helix/straight and parallelogram/other after doing a bunch of reading here.. got a lot to spend money on so if I go high on something, I have to cut others. But right now it is basically a jointer and good dust collection I'm trying to put together. thanks for reply and data points. cheers, Jim

[Tai Fu]

I think for sea shipping its more about volume than weight... so if you find a jointer that is heavier than bulky then the cost may not be as much.

[joe milana]

Damn..If I was thirty years younger, and gas was cheap, I'd drive it up to you...always wanted to drive to Alaska...;)

[david brum]

Would it be cheaper to have a dealer disassemble a jointer and ship it in smaller pieces, or are you just charged by weight?

Another idea would be to get a competent planer, say a Dewalt 735, and make a planer sled. There are several good plans and people seem to like them, although I'm not sure if they work for edges.

[Jim Dory]

Damn..If I was thirty years younger, and gas was cheap, I'd drive it up to you...always wanted to drive to Alaska...;)

That would be quite a trip... don't think anyone has driven here before, not counting dogsled. Unless you're talking sno-go. :) But then you would have a hell of a time with a 400 - 900 lb. load in your sled.

[Jim Dory]

I think for sea shipping its more about volume than weight... so if you find a jointer that is heavier than bulky then the cost may not be as much.

Yes, some shippers like to "cube" the item, which is sometimes multiplying out the dimensions of freight and somehow figuring in the weight as well. So compact and heavy is better than long and heavy. But these barge companies coming to Nome like to ding you for poundage.

[Jim Dory]

David, it pretty much is by poundage, but for something like a long planer they may well want to add in cubed weight. So it might be cheaper if the tables were disassembled. That Jim Andrew went and put that 12" in my mind now so maybe the freight on an 8" isn't seeming so bad now.. since I'm actually considering the larger one. I'll have to get some freight quotes from the various companies. It sort of boggles my mind.. lots of calls or emails to figure it out. There's Northland barge service out of Tacoma, Alaska Logistics too. And there's freight consolidators that can barge or truck from Seattle area to Anchorage then either fly on choice of airline - Everts, Northern Air Cargo, Lyndens, maybe a few others, or wait til the sea unfreezes and barge with one of those two barge companies.

The Dewalt idea could work perhaps if I had a 6" planer (easier on the shipping) for edge joining. Perhaps I'll kick that idea around.

[John C Bush]

Hi Jim, Try calling freight brokers(Forwarders??? not sure of exact nomenclature) and see if you can share space for your new G0609ZX!!!!! in a container heading up north. I know some guys in the fishing business here in Seattle that are about to head up for the season. Maybe you could hitch a ride. JCB.

[Jamie Buxton]

Inca, a Swiss company which is now gone, used to make a 10" jointer/planer that was quite light. It was mostly aluminum. I occasionally see them on the used market. Here's an old review ---http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/inca_570.shtml

[Bernie Kopfer]

A question I would be asking is - is there rust problem, if you ship by boat, on a big chunk of iron like that? And if you have a good planer you could make a sled for that and use that to flatten one face. And a router table could be set up as a edge jointer.

[Jim Dory]

I used to lust after those Inca tools from the old Garrett Wade tool catalogs. I'm keeping an eye out.

Bernie: not much of a rust problem for most shippers since they coat the tools in oil or something. They are usually plastic wrapped and stuffed into shipping containers. In the past we've ordered food up on barges - the dry goods or canned - with no problem.

The planer/sled option may be something to try - if not just for the short term. Definitely be affordable.

[Richard Coers]

Makita makes a 6 3/4" power hand planer, less than 20 pounds, 21" long. Not a replacement for the 8", but something you might consider. It's made for taking it to timbers.
http://www.amazon.com/Makita-1806B-10-9-4-Inch-Planer/dp/B00004YOD2

[Joe Angrisani]

Jim,

Just thinking out loud. Google says Nome has 3700 people. That's small enough that practically everyone knows everyone. Have you tried getting word out that you're looking for woodworking equipment? Maybe someone brought one up years ago for any one of a number of reasons that would lead to it sitting around depreciating ever since. For all you know, Larry's friend Steve knows a guy who's Dad has a.....

Craigslist, no. But you might be able to use the small town thing to your advantage.

[Shiraz Balolia]

Hi Jim,

Try calling our customer service line and see what you get back for a quote.

[Chuck Saunders]

Plane, Barge, dogsled, and now strapped to the back of a bear, the options are endless

[Tai Fu]

I am not sure if you want a lightweight aluminum jointer... might have stability issues.

[Phil Thien]

I am not sure if you want a lightweight aluminum jointer... might have stability issues.

The Inca units have no stability issues. They are time-tested (been in use for decades).

Another option is making one from the parts of a planer, as done here:

http://woodgears.ca/jointer/homemade.html

Sort of on my list of things to try.

[Jim Dory]

Hi Jim,

Try calling our customer service line and see what you get back for a quote.

Thanks Shiraz, I will do. I have ordered in the past.. got an older model 16" bandsaw and the older 1029 dust collector.. so way back then shipping wasn't too onerous. Things have changed mightily though now.

I may have to downsize my desires here.. got a lot of good ideas from this thread so need to re-evaluate. I just had to drop $3k on my old pickup to keep it running so I'm in a bit of financial shock.. but have some projects coming up so need to work something out.

cheers, Jim

[Jim Dory]

Another option is making one from the parts of a planer, as done here:

http://woodgears.ca/jointer/homemade.html

Sort of on my list of things to try.

I have considered that home-built - that guy is inspiring. /jd

[Jeff Willard]

And a router table could be set up as a edge jointer.

Or there's always the good ol' Bailey #7.:eek:

[Andrew Joiner]

I do like to do a bit of boat building and being able to joint longer pieces would be beneficial.



If your doing long stock sleds are wonderful. Just for the effort they save in not having to lift and push down as you feed a jointer by hand. Search here for planer sleds and "straight line" rip sleds.
I use a cheap lunch box planer and simple light weight sleds. I have long infeed and outfeed tables on my planer and table saw so heavy long stock is easy. A decent blade on a table saw gives glue joint edges with NO chip out.

I can afford any jointer I want. But my sleds work so well I have no need for a jointer.

With your shipping situation I'd highly recommend it.

[Jim Dory]

If your doing long stock sleds are wonderful. Just for the effort they save in not having to lift and push down as you feed a jointer by hand. Search here for planer sleds and "straight line" rip sleds.
I use a cheap lunch box planer and simple light weight sleds. I have long infeed and outfeed tables on my planer and table saw so heavy long stock is easy. A decent blade on a table saw gives glue joint edges with NO chip out.

I can afford any jointer I want. But my sleds work so well I have no need for a jointer.

With your shipping situation I'd highly recommend it.

Thanks Andrew.. this has been suggested before and I have taken a look at some online sleds. I was actually doing this a bit with my little Ryobi so am familiar with the concept. Maybe I just taped shims to the workpiece and shoved it through without a sled, since I had built a table all the way through the planer trying to minimize (without success) snipe on the thing. (I've since learned from Matthias how to help minimize snipe on that unit by using roller blocks but think I should upgrade the unit to one that locks down in the corners - at least.)

Appreciate the extra data points! cheers, Jim

[Jim Dory]

Or there's always the good ol' Bailey #7.:eek:

I have some Stanley planes from the seventies but not sure they're quite Bailey quality. I'll admit I could get better at using/sharpening these guys.

[Andrew Joiner]

Thanks Andrew.. this has been suggested before and I have taken a look at some online sleds. I was actually doing this a bit with my little Ryobi so am familiar with the concept. Maybe I just taped shims to the workpiece and shoved it through without a sled, since I had built a table all the way through the planer trying to minimize (without success) snipe on the thing. (I've since learned from Matthias how to help minimize snipe on that unit by using roller blocks but think I should upgrade the unit to one that locks down in the corners - at least.)

Appreciate the extra data points! cheers, Jim

Cool, so you have a table all the way through the planer. If this table is flat your ready to go. You can use a sled as thin as 1/8" to keep weight down. Masonite or hardboard works as a sled here because your table is flat. Just screw a stop on the end that enters the planer.

I have color coded shims of 3 taper sizes most are from 0" to 1/8". They are rough sawn on a bandsaw. The rough surface keeps them in place without hot glue or tape, this is much faster! I set the stock on the sled,hold it to the front stop and lightly slide in shims till the stock is firm. The shims don't move as it goes thru the planer.

The key to success with this method is a flat setup area level with the infeed table of your planer bed. You can't disturb the "package" of the stock shimmed firmly on the sled before it gets pulled in by the infeed roller. I grab the stock and push it tight to the sled as it comes out of the planer sliding on my outfeed table. If I need to take off more I crank up the planer 2 turns I can slide the "package" back thru without disturbing the shims. I check the shims before the second pass, but they are usually good or just need a slight shift to be firm.

I have a 9' long sled and feed tables. I use a 4' long sled too. The beauty is you can flatten planks as long as room size by yourself.


Here's more on my thoughts as I worked this out:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?134633-A-Lightweight-8-Foot-Planer-Sled (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?134633-A-Lightweight-8-Foot-Planer-Sled)

[Cali LaFollett]

Or there's always the good ol' Bailey #7.:eek:

Thats exactly what I was gonna recommend. Or splurge and get the Veritas Bevel Up Jointer plane with the PM-V11 blade. They are offering free shipping right now too. :)

[Rich Riddle]

I used to lust after those Inca tools from the old Garrett Wade tool catalogs. I'm keeping an eye out.

Timing is everything. I just gave away an Inca 550 on Friday morning; it likely weighed less than 150 pounds and worked flawlessly.

[Jim Dory]

Thats exactly what I was gonna recommend. Or splurge and get the Veritas Bevel Up Jointer plane with the PM-V11 blade. They are offering free shipping right now too. :)

Thanks - will take a look. Free shipping is for you lower 48 guys though. At least they would knock off some, though they won't tell me the shipping charges until I give a credit card and place the order. Part of the price for living in paradise. Ordinarily those of us in places not served by UPS ground, and even many places in Alaska that do.. we end up subsidizing free shipping in the cost of the items - since I'm sure shipping costs are built into the price structure.

[Dave Zellers]

Part of the price for living in paradise...
Awesome. Love the attitude. When I was young I really wanted to experience Alaska but then I hooked up with a woman who didn't.

The rest is history. But I still use that phrase living on Cape Cod.

[Keith Weber]

Maybe you could order one from Russia, since it's closer. Do they have an Igor's List?

[Tai Fu]

Hell, I wish I could order stuff from China but they only deal in container quantities.

[Darcy Forman]

No offence here but six fifty sounds pretty reasonable to me for shipping. I had a mini max j/p shipped from Ontario to Alberta and it cost me 1000 dollars. Your shipping distance would be about the same distance.

[Cali LaFollett]

Bummer on the not so free shipping. A hand plane isn't necessarily what you want I'm sure but even a real nice one considerably is cheaper than a cheaper grizzly 8" jointer including the extra freight charges. I can say a hand plane is magnitudes quieter and lighter though! :)

[Baileigh Inc]

Not much help here either unfortunately. I quote machinery to Alaska all of the time, and freight always kills the deal. What is your ZIP? I will see if I can beat your deal.

[Jim Dory]

No offence here but six fifty sounds pretty reasonable to me for shipping. I had a mini max j/p shipped from Ontario to Alberta and it cost me 1000 dollars. Your shipping distance would be about the same distance.

No offense taken. I wouldn't live here if I didn't expect high shipping charges. Keep in mind that trucking is usually by far cheaper than air freight or barge, which are my only options. And I suspect I would be quite higher then sixfifty, but haven't called yet - still weighing my needs I guess. Reason I first asked the question was to see what was out there that didn't weigh quite as much as these usual planers that you see advertised all the time. Hoping in that to save some dollars - more value to my shop in a limited budget. And although the answers here are pretty much what I already knew, it has helped me (and hopefully maybe some lurkers) to re-evaluate what I'm trying to do so I can make a better decision. Even the hand plane advice is a consideration as I do love hand planing when things are going well (sharp plane and non-contrary grain in the wood - which are probably the same issue) but that would also cause me to finally rebuild a workbench for the needed sturdiness.
thanks, JD

[Jim Dory]

So I was going to buy some router slot mortising bits from Lee Valley and the order totaled around $48. I submitted the order and then got the email that shipping would be $64, so canceled it. I understand these outfits not wanting to use USMail - good reasons - but it always sends me off looking for some company that will mail - some still do. I tried ordering 10 $3 bronze bushings from a company for an order total of around $33. Shipping on that would have been $85. Off to Amazon and luckily found some with prime free shipping. Tried buying some carbide router bits from Amazon and they refuse to ship them to Alaska... always a crap shoot whether something can be shipped by Amazon to Alaska - they never give a reason when they won't. (I haven't exhausted all attempts - probably be able to find a router bit that will ship..) Or I just wait to I make a trip to Anchorage and bring back on baggage.

[Jim Dory]

Not much help here either unfortunately. I quote machinery to Alaska all of the time, and freight always kills the deal. What is your ZIP? I will see if I can beat your deal.

Thanks for the offer Shane! But I don't have a deal quote yet to beat - but a company in Seattle/Tacoma area will have an advantage over any further south or east in shipping. But I'll definitely not discourage you, looks like you have some fine machinery there. Zip is 99762, which is in a UPS 2nd day air at least zone, no ground shipping though some companies have been able to somehow circumvent that. Others that have tried have failed so not sure how they do it. Or barge/air freight is other option. One could truck to Anchorage then catch the summer barges to Nome, or a cargo jet. There are also some companies that regularly barge from Sea-Tac to Anchorage if cheaper than trucking. Same problems getting any wood products. cheers, JD

[Jim Dory]

Since the local jointer I found didn't work out, I asked Grizzly for a quote. They found a freight forwarder that will ship, and total shipping charge for the G0490x machine, at around 556 lbs., is $1038. So that puts that machine at well north of $2k, and hence I will probably be trying to adjust my dreams for a good lunch-box planer sled and possibly some hand planes. Unless I start feeling rich for some unknown reason. thanks for all advice, JD

[Joe Shinall]

Since the local jointer I found didn't work out, I asked Grizzly for a quote. They found a freight forwarder that will ship, and total shipping charge for the G0490x machine, at around 556 lbs., is $1038. So that puts that machine at well north of $2k, and hence I will probably be trying to adjust my dreams for a good lunch-box planer sled and possibly some hand planes. Unless I start feeling rich for some unknown reason. thanks for all advice, JD

:eek:

That's all I have to say about that.

[Mark Woodmark]

Would that be a logistics company?

[Jim Dory]

Would that be a logistics company?


They quoted from a "freight forwarders" company, that I assume has deals worked out with shippers. There is a possibility of finding a cheaper source and I'm still poking around. But I've got a lot of expenses coming up so my heart isn't really into it at the moment. Trying to get a load of lumber up and the freight forwarder's quote was for $862 shipping and I found a competing barge company who quoted around $499. (not that much wood, either).

[Paul Symchych]

A company that fits the freight broker description is Expeditors International which is based in Seattle. They could be a useful contact for a small shipment.
http://www.expeditors.com

[Joe Shinall]

I've got the perfect solutions:

1. Move
2. Get rich

[Matt Meiser]

I've got the perfect solutions:

1. Move
2. Get rich

3. Get Discovery or History Channel to do yet another Alaskan reality show where you spend a crazy amount of money to make a little and call it "profit". :D

[Jim Dory]

3. Get Discovery or History Channel to do yet another Alaskan reality show where you spend a crazy amount of money to make a little and call it "profit". :D

Prepare yourself for another season. Discovery channel was just packing up yesterday and heading south after another winter of filming under the sea ice gold mining. Crazy gold rush up here.. looks like a Minnesota ice fishing derby out on the ice with all the shacks people have put up out there. Maybe I should jump in and mine me some gold.

Telling a friend here my tale of woe and he said he thinks he knows where a "big old jointer" is squirreled away in a connex at his place of employment that they will never use. Ha! so another lead to get me back in the game. Only problem is now that I'm excited to learn of this machine, he has just broken his leg in three places and won't be back to work for weeks probably. Can still drink beer though. /jd