Tom M King
07-13-2022, 8:57 PM
Many have been mislead by more than a few telling how that the piece you can straighten on a jointer is limited by the length of the jointer tables. That is simply not true.
I needed two straight 88" long pieces of dry treated lumber 1-15/16 by 2-15/16. Normally, I keep a good supply of treated lumber drying under a shed for years. That supply is about depleted, since I've been tied close to home looking after my 106 year old Mother. The only piece I had left was a 16' 4x4 that I could get those two pieces out of.
It was bowed some, and twisted enough that you could look at it and see three sides. I cut it in half, and started with each piece with the convex side of the bow down, at first making a small flat spot in the middle. I just sighted it, and adjusted the next pass accordingly until the flat got longer and longer.
I wish I had taken more pictures, but hope these will give you an idea. Once I had once side flat, that side was held against the fence, and the second side flattened. I had to turn the piece end for end a couple of times in the process.
Sorry, I expect the pictures will be sideways, but hopefully they will be self-explanatory. These 8' long 4x4's were about as long as I would want to joint by myself, but have straightened edge of treated 2x12x16's plenty of time with a helper and a 3' bed 6" jointer. You just need to make a flat spot, and go from there. If the first couple of passes don't leave a flat in line with what you want, do a tapering cut of the flat part to get it in line. This is where you need to be able to see straight.
The first picture is probably after I had made 5 or so passes. The first 3 were taking 1/8", and changing to 1/16" after that. I was by myself, so didn't have anyone to take a video, but it didn't take that long. After straightening those two sides, I left them sitting for a few days to see if they moved any. These didn't but the longer ones I made out of 11 and 12' pieces I cut out of 4x6's, a few of them needed a little help with a no. 8 plane.
Do yourself a favor, and forget what you've heard about being limited to length because of the length of your jointer.
edited to add: I had a few more pictures, but we're limited to 8 per post, and I'm not sure the others would make things any more clear.
I needed two straight 88" long pieces of dry treated lumber 1-15/16 by 2-15/16. Normally, I keep a good supply of treated lumber drying under a shed for years. That supply is about depleted, since I've been tied close to home looking after my 106 year old Mother. The only piece I had left was a 16' 4x4 that I could get those two pieces out of.
It was bowed some, and twisted enough that you could look at it and see three sides. I cut it in half, and started with each piece with the convex side of the bow down, at first making a small flat spot in the middle. I just sighted it, and adjusted the next pass accordingly until the flat got longer and longer.
I wish I had taken more pictures, but hope these will give you an idea. Once I had once side flat, that side was held against the fence, and the second side flattened. I had to turn the piece end for end a couple of times in the process.
Sorry, I expect the pictures will be sideways, but hopefully they will be self-explanatory. These 8' long 4x4's were about as long as I would want to joint by myself, but have straightened edge of treated 2x12x16's plenty of time with a helper and a 3' bed 6" jointer. You just need to make a flat spot, and go from there. If the first couple of passes don't leave a flat in line with what you want, do a tapering cut of the flat part to get it in line. This is where you need to be able to see straight.
The first picture is probably after I had made 5 or so passes. The first 3 were taking 1/8", and changing to 1/16" after that. I was by myself, so didn't have anyone to take a video, but it didn't take that long. After straightening those two sides, I left them sitting for a few days to see if they moved any. These didn't but the longer ones I made out of 11 and 12' pieces I cut out of 4x6's, a few of them needed a little help with a no. 8 plane.
Do yourself a favor, and forget what you've heard about being limited to length because of the length of your jointer.
edited to add: I had a few more pictures, but we're limited to 8 per post, and I'm not sure the others would make things any more clear.