Proper Jointer Technique?

[Mac Cambra]

I found today when trying to face joint a long board, roughly 8', that keeping consistent pressure on the board over its entire length led to less than perfect results. The cut depth varied which indicates that I am doing something wrong.

I guess the question is that should moderate pressure be applied to the board on the infeed side of the board just in front of the cutter?

When should the pressure be applied to the outfeed side?

Or should only light pressure be applied to the board on the infeed side and let the outfeed receive the board?

I think I am flexing the board during the jointing process and defeating the flattening process, I am just not sure how to choreograph the pressure being applied to the board.

Thanks

[Craig D Peltier]

Light pressure on infeed table just enough to not let it bounce. Once theres enough board on the outfeed table use a little more pressure there but not near blade, so you dont cause varying thickness because of the pressure over blade forcing it to cut .
I think someone will chime in with more experience than me but I know these are the basics.


I found today when trying to face joint a long board, roughly 8', that keeping consistent pressure on the board over its entire length led to less than perfect results. The cut depth varied which indicates that I am doing something wrong.

I guess the question is that should moderate pressure be applied to the board on the infeed side of the board just in front of the cutter?

When should the pressure be applied to the outfeed side?

Or should only light pressure be applied to the board on the infeed side and let the outfeed receive the board?

I think I am flexing the board during the jointing process and defeating the flattening process, I am just not sure how to choreograph the pressure being applied to the board.

Thanks

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I hope some of the more experienced folks will chime in.....When I joint I use a light pressure on the infeed side until there is enough board over the outfeed table. Then I put more pressure on the board over the outfeed table while still putting light pressure on the infeed side of the board.....just so the knives can't kick the board up......I hope this makes sense.

[Paul Simmel]

Jointers are used for more than one thing.

Face jointing means you want to get one flat surface as a reference for planning.

In this case, you could use a power feeder on the outfeed side of your jointer, and have a flat surface in one pass so long as your cut is deep enough. That’s making one surface flat.

I’ll explain edge-jointing… a completely different operation but which will help you understand what your machine does, and why.

Edge jointing is done in order to get a straight edge.

Any pressure should be on the fence to keep the board square.

Crown up.

The knives, as you feed, will pull the piece down. Your fingers just guide, not push.

Because you are trying to put on a straight edge, you do not want to influence the machine.

Very slight pressure on the outfeed side will be ok, but what you really want to do is feed the board over the cutters with NO downward pressure at all, anywhere. Just keep the piece pushed sideways against the fence to keep it square.

The whole purpose of jointing an edge is to get it straight. If you push down on a crowned board, it will remain crowned.

The jointer does a few things really well.

a) Makes ONE side of an otherwise twisted/warped board flat.
b) Makes ONE edge of a bowed/twisted/warped edge straight.
c) Makes two sides, square so long as you use the fence.

That’s it. The jointer is one-half of the equation. The second half of the equation is the planer.

The jointer references two sides of a board for the planer. Without a planer, you will never have dimensioned stock. Without a jointer, you will never have straight, square boards.

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For flattening only (without consideration of a straight edge) pressure on the outfeed table (only on the milled, newly flattened side) will yield you a flat board (but not straight necessarily… just flat).

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When building furniture pieces, I want my stock to be straight and flat. So I use the edge jointing technique for both surfaces.

If I’m splitting 2x6” lumber on the band saw for beaded “V”-grove T&G ceiling material, I don’t care that 16’ stock is straight on the flat side… just that it is flat (for the planer). Lots of pressure on the outfeed table is okay because my ONLY concern is flat stock. Furniture pieces… I want straight and square sticks… so it’s a feather touch with particular care.

A jointer is a perfect machine, but it is absolutely only one half of the process. All a jointer does is flatten/straighten HALF of the board… to be a reference for the planer which finishes it off.

I am amazed with the “What Should I Get First, Jointer Or Planer” threads here. There is utterly no way these two machines can function, one without the other. A planer can function by itself so long as you have dimensioned (jointed) lumber to feed it, but a jointer is worthless without a planer.

[Jeff Craven]

I found today when trying to face joint a long board, roughly 8', that keeping consistent pressure on the board over its entire length led to less than perfect results. The cut depth varied which indicates that I am doing something wrong.If the board doesn't need to be 8' long, then you could crosscut it closer to final length before face jointing, so it is a more manageable size.

[Mac Cambra]

If the board doesn't need to be 8' long, then you could crosscut it closer to final length before face jointing, so it is a more manageable size.

That is what I normally do but I am making a workbench with a laminated hard maple top. The long, heavy (8/4) boards are pretty hard to manage during the jointing process.