Jointer - how necessary?

[Ben Silver]

This year my father was kind enough to give me a thickness planer for Christmas (Porter-Cable PC305TP). It is the first planer I have had and there is something I have never given much thought. In the instruction manual it says that a jointer should be used before running a board through the planer. Since I have not gotten into purchasing rough boards, is that going to be necessary? As long as the boards have no serious defects (badly warped, bowed, etc) it should really be an issue.

Looked at hand planes . . . aside from the learning curve, a power jointer would be less expensive from the ones I looked at (outside of refurbishing legacy planes). My father offered to give me his 6" jointer if I wanted, he says he has not used it as much as he thought he would (he has been woodworking since high school in the 1950's) so he wouldn't miss it much.

What are your thoughts as more serious wood workers to a hobbyist?

[Marty Tippin]

A planer makes the two side of a board parallel, it does nothing to correct for bow or twist.

If you want to work with rough lumber, you really need a jointer. If you're only buying S4S lumber, you probably don't need one.

[Jim Rimmer]

A planer makes the two side of a board parallel, it does nothing to correct for bow or twist.

Right on the money. ^^^^^^ There are ways to get by without a jointer but life is too short to live with work-arounds. If you don't want to use hand planes, I suggest you take Dad up on his offer of the jointer.

[Pat Barry]

It seems to me that when using the jointer to ''remove bow or twist' you must not press down on the piece too hard because that will remove the bow and the jointer will just trim the piece evenly. Basically its the same thing as running through the planer if you press down so much.

[Matt Day]

Take the free 6" jointer. You either need a power jointer or really really want to learn how to use hand tools.

[Mark Bolton]

Remeber too the planer will do relatively nothing to remove cup. That's a task for the jointer. That said, in my shop (full time business) I rarely plug in my jointer. It sits in the corner gathering dust most of the time. A lot depends on the type of work you do, and as has been stated, the type of material you work with.

[Ben Silver]

Remeber too the planer will do relatively nothing to remove cup. That's a task for the jointer. That said, in my shop (full time business) I rarely plug in my jointer. It sits in the corner gathering dust most of the time. A lot depends on the type of work you do, and as has been stated, the type of material you work with.

Type of work and materials has been one thing I have been thnking about. For the moment I have zero intention of doing custom work or work requested by others (well, other than my wife). That is what I do in making jewelry and I charge accordingly (with nuisance charges ;) ). Working for myself I think I can fairly easily stick to buying wood that doesn't need special attention. But . . . free tool . . . not a cheap tool, either (Delta-Rockwell 6" jointer, belt driven, at least as old as I am).

[Mike Ontko]

Another way to look at justifying the cost/need of a jointer, is that having one will make it possible for you to purchase and mill s2s or rough materials, which you can get at a better price than s4s, and in most cases this will give you access to a much broader range of species and wood/grain quality options.

[eugene thomas]

Take you dad's and get to making shavings.

[Raymond Fries]

There are planer sleds that can be used to flatten one side of a twisted board or cupped board. Then you can turn it over and plane the other side parallel. I have one on my to build list. I saw a video of one being used and I thought it looked like a real nice addition. I do have a 6" jointer but the sled would be great for wider boards.

[Chris Hachet]

Take the free 6" jointer. You either need a power jointer or really really want to learn how to use hand tools.




This. Most of my work is with hand tools, and most of my lumber is S2S when I get it. But I still need one. thankfully right now I ahve a jointer at work I can use and a friend nearby who has one.

[Mark Bolton]

Type of work and materials has been one thing I have been thnking about. For the moment I have zero intention of doing custom work or work requested by others (well, other than my wife). That is what I do in making jewelry and I charge accordingly (with nuisance charges ;) ). Working for myself I think I can fairly easily stick to buying wood that doesn't need special attention. But . . . free tool . . . not a cheap tool, either (Delta-Rockwell 6" jointer, belt driven, at least as old as I am).

Itd be hard to disagree with taking your dad's jointer as long as he wont miss it. No brainer for sure.

Custom work or not, you can do virtually all of your edge prep for glue-ups and so on on the TS with a good blade and a long straight auxiliary fence (one thats twice the length of any board your working with). We do absolutely zero jointing for glue-ups or straight lining on the jointer. Its all done straight of the saw. Having your dads jointer will be handy though for occasional face jointing for flattening and for cleaning up saw marks on an edge that will go without a profile. Thats about all I ever use one for.

As long as your not buying your material at the home center its hard to argue working from rough material. There is simply no way you can do it as cheaply as the yard can. That said, having the ability to take advantage of it if it ever were to happen isnt a bad capability to have.

[David Ragan]

I agree completely with the power jointer crowd. I just love hand tools, and especially the feel of a beautiful tool with a razor sharp iron as it cuts through wood. Nothing better.


Get the power jointer.

[John TenEyck]

One or two projects with rough lumber w/o a jointer will convince you to graciously accept Dad's offer.

John

[glenn bradley]

They work as a team. I used a planer sled for about a year and a half while I saved up and cleared space for an 8" jointer. The time spent making the jig paid big dividends and I still pull it out now and again for wider stock. Would I have liked to continue without a jointer? No. Even your S4S lumber is not straight. The jointer makes a surface flat, a planer makes the opposite surface parallel. Your tolerance will depend on what you are making but, most of all, don't let anything stop you from enjoying yourself. If you have room for the jkointer I would take it in a heartbeat. If you don't, make a sled and rock on.

[Myk Rian]

If your board looks like a banana when you put it in the planer, it's going to come out as a thinner banana.
You can make a planer sled, (many plans are available) or get a jointer.

[J.R. Rutter]

That said, in my shop (full time business) I rarely plug in my jointer. It sits in the corner gathering dust most of the time. A lot depends on the type of work you do, and as has been stated, the type of material you work with.

Ditto. When we do use it, it is wonderful to have, but isn't needed for much. Depends on your lumber and what you are making.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Definitely depends on what you're making.

For me, I make furniture. Every single piece of wood that goes through my shop eventually says hello to the following machines:

Jointer
Planer
Table Saw
Miter Saw

I can't imagine life without a jointer. Even when I buy milled lumber, it goes through those machines to dimension it and make sure everything is perfect before doing any joinery.

If it's free, what do you have to lose?

[Kevin Wolfe]

I started out with hand tools and a table saw. I now own a used planer and jointer. I have limited time for my hobby and didn't want to spend 50% or more of it squaring and flattening boards. Maybe someday but not today.

[Mark Bolton]

didn't want to spend 50% or more of it squaring and flattening boards. Maybe someday but not today.

50% more for what?

[Mike Ontko]

If it's free, what do you have to lose?

Possibly floor or counter space :rolleyes:

[Kevin Wolfe]

Time. Sorry, darn phone

[Larry Edgerton]

Definitely depends on what you're making.

For me, I make furniture. Every single piece of wood that goes through my shop eventually says hello to the following machines:

Jointer
Planer
Table Saw
Miter Saw

I can't imagine life without a jointer. Even when I buy milled lumber, it goes through those machines to dimension it and make sure everything is perfect before doing any joinery.

If it's free, what do you have to lose?

What he said........

Larry

[Myk Rian]

Your Father wants you to have his jointer, and you're debating it?

[Peter Aeschliman]

Possibly floor or counter space :rolleyes:

Fair enough, good sir!

[J.R. Rutter]

Possibly floor or counter space :rolleyes:

Ferndale eh? Swing by some time and say hi. harmonicdesignworks dot com for my address.

[mreza Salav]

Ditto. When we do use it, it is wonderful to have, but isn't needed for much. Depends on your lumber and what you are making.

I'm surprised by the answers of Mark and J.R. Unless you do mostly work with sheet goods or dressed lumber, why don't you need your jointer very often?

[J.R. Rutter]

Since I have not gotten into purchasing rough boards, is that going to be necessary? As long as the boards have no serious defects (badly warped, bowed, etc) it should really be an issue.
What are your thoughts as more serious wood workers to a hobbyist?


I'm surprised by the answers of Mark and J.R. Unless you do mostly work with sheet goods or dressed lumber, why don't you need your jointer very often?

I just went back to the way the question was framed. If I were working with rough lumber, or lumber that had defects, then I would use the jointer. As it is, my process starts with S4S material. To be fair, I dress it in-house through the moulder, but it still comes down to selecting the best stock for the longest parts. It was a difficult mental leap for me to go from using a pair of jointers set up with power feeders to hit EVERYTHING that came through my shop to feeding strips into an S4S moulder. But honestly, I have fewer issues with flatness now than I did back then and the process is MUCH faster. For the lengths that could be handled successfully over a short jointer, a table saw jig could handle straight lining. If OP wants to expand his hobby, then a jointer would be a good tool to master. Otherwise, it will just be in the way. At least that was my thinking...

[John Coloccia]

I was going to ask too, but I knew there was more to J.R.'s story. LOL.