Using a power feeder with a benchtop jointer

[Al Crooks]

I recently purchased a baby power feeder and I am looking to try and use it in conjunction with our bench top j jointer. My son and I do some production work out of our shop and originally purchased it to use on our router table. I think it would make jointing a lot of boards easier if we could use it on the jointer also. Problem is there isn’t any place to mount it on the small jointer. I was considering trying to mount it right to the heavy duty workbench that the jointer resides on. Anybody have any experience with this? Or any suggestions on how to safely use the feeder with the smaller jointer? A full size jointer is out of the question but I have to believe there is a way to make this work.

[Frank Pratt]

I don't see how this would work. Jointing a board involves more than just pushing it through. Depending on how the board is cupped or twisted, you have to be selective about how much pressure is applied where.

[J.R. Rutter]

Bolt everything onto a common surface to keep it in place. Feeders on jointers work best if all wheels are on the outfeed table. This lets you finesse the infeed. Depending on how big your jointer is, you may need to fab up a custom cutterhead guard, like a euro-style.

[Kevin Jenness]

J.R. is right. Bolt everything down securely and keep the pressure on the outfeed. The rigidity of your jointer will be the controlling factor on the results. "Benchtop jointer" doesn't sound very robust. I have seen successful results with a heavy 12" jointer and a powerfeed mounted on a stanchion bolted to the concrete floor. Proceed with caution. Relatively flat stock will work best. Significantly warped material will need some hand fed finesse.

[Brad Shipton]

I had a large steel frame to support my power feeder over the jointer for years, but I recently took it down. Unless you pay close attention to the finessing like JR mentions you can turn your jointer into a planer. When I first built the frame I was doing 50-150bf batches of stock. I found my yield lessened with the feeder when I got lazy. I have been told the Comatic jointer feeder works better (http://www.shopgearinc.com/products/co-matic-power-feeders/af114j-jointerfeeder.php)

[J.R. Rutter]

When I had a power fed jointer, I would use pinches of shavings or slivers of wood under the high rear corner of twisted boards to help keep them from twisting as they fed. Worked pretty well. I would also skew boards so that the low front corner was under the feeder wheels, so it was flat off of the cutterhead and was not likely to rock.

[Dave Zellers]

I think this might be the craziest thread title I've ever seen here. :cool:

That's not to say if I had just purchased a baby power feeder, I wouldn't be thinking of creative ways of putting it to use.

But seriously, WTH is a baby power feeder? A type A mom with a deadline?

Even seriouslyer, where do I get one?

[J.R. Rutter]

A type A mom with a deadline?

LOL!

Here is Grizzly's version: http://grizzly.com/products/Baby-Power-Feeder/G4173

[Dave Zellers]

Very interesting. Looks like a belt sander on an arm. I guess the biggest question (to the OP) is what is it's limit? What are the expected capabilities?

Can you use it to drive a 12' board over a small jointer or should one limit it to 6'?

I would think as long as you provided both proper infeed and outfeed support there would be almost no limit. But the in and out support would be critical. Rollers, not just flat, friction producing support.

That would be an awesome addition to my main router table but before I bought that, I would buy another Incra router lift for my other router table.

Sigh.

[Al Crooks]

Thank you for the replies:)

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Al, here's a photo of my jointer with a stock feeder.

I was making flooring.

J.R. is correct, with light pressure a feeder works very well on a jointer, there is even a single wheel feeder made for jointers............That said, I don't think your jointer is up to the task...Regards, Rod.

332526

[Al Crooks]

Ok best leave well enough alone