jointer technique question

[Howard Pollack]

I have a 6" jointer and I'd like to be able to face joint boards wider than that. I seem to remember that there is a technique for that. If I simply reverse the board and take a second pass one of those passes will be against the grain. Is it as simple as two passes with the fence removed? If so how well do the two passes come into registration with each other? Thanks.
-Howard

[Grant Wilkinson]

Are you planing them after jointing?

[Matt Day]

Remove guard
Face joint 6"
Cut plywood to fill the jointed area
That plywood will be the reference face and face down going through the planer
Planer
Flip to plane remaining amount from jointed face.
This is the quick version, there are better more detailed descriptions if you search around. This is only good for a few inches or so more than your jointer capacity IME. Note the guard needs to be removed, so be careful.

[Dimitrios Fradelakis]

Remove guard
Face joint 6"
Cut plywood to fill the jointed area
That plywood will be the reference face and face down going through the planer
Planer
Flip to plane remaining amount from jointed face.
This is the quick version, there are better more detailed descriptions if you search around. This is only good for a few inches or so more than your jointer capacity IME. Note the guard needs to be removed, so be careful.

This should help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_R8mD5IKII

[glenn bradley]

Matt's method is sound but, I find a planer sled to be a good investment of a few hours of work for years of service when required.

[Frank Drew]

Howard,

I've face-jointed material considerably wider than whatever jointer I was using at the time, up to almost twice the width of the cutterhead/knives (e.g. 11" board on a 6" jointer, 15" on an 8" machine, etc.)

Remove the guard; the workpiece will completely cover the cutterhead so will be your guard.

You want to joint slightly over half the width of the board each pass, so adjust your fence accordingly. Take a pass, then pivot the board and joint the other half of the same face. Continue jointing and pivoting until most of the surface has been jointed, meaning that the board is flat enough to now go through the planer with the face-jointed surface down on the planer tables. N.b. the face-jointing is only to give you a reference surface, straight and flat enough to run through the surface planer, but the jointed face will be uneven where the cuts overlapped -- it doesn't matter since you'll be cleaning up that face through the planer once the other side is all nice/nice.

In my experience, this method is safe and efficient and much faster than some alternative methods, and gives excellent final results (boards straight and true).

[Matt Day]

Frank,
I've never heard of your method. How do you deal with twist that way? My gut is telling me that youd end up with two flat but not parallel surfaces.

[Frank Drew]

Matt,

For any flattening method to work, there has to be a straight, flat board of the size and thickness you need inside the cupped, or bowed, or twisted board you start out with. If there's more than minor twist, for example, you might need find the high corners with winding sticks and knock them off first, with hand planes or the jointer, before trying to flatten the whole length of the board. Essentially, if you can get the board you need out of the board you have using only hand planes, you can also do it with the jointer, but much more quickly.

I like wide stock and don't like unnecessary glue joints -- would do anything to avoid them, really -- and with creative flattening have rarely had to rip then reglue a board, but it can be a last resort if it looks like you can't preserve the necessary thickness any other way. Bottom line, of course, the board has to end up suited to its intended purpose, and usually the whole job, furniture, cabinetry, whatever, is easier with straight, flat stock.