Jointer, Planer, Sander or all of the above?

[Chris Bruno]

This is my first post here...I've been lurking for a few months and appreciate all the insight I have gleaned.

I have been revamping my workshop since my wife and I moved into a new house in October. For the past 7 years, or so, I been spending more time on metalworking and motorcycle-part-making than woodworking. But with the new house comes a plethora of wood project opportunities, so my focus for now has shifted.

I upgraded my old TS (and old Craftsman Model 113.29991 '100' series) to their new hybrid zip code saw 24124 and I picked up a Rigid 14" bandsaw which I threw on a 1.5HP motor that I had. I also got some new hand power tools for Christmas - a Dewalt Biscuit Jointer, Bosch Jig saw and a new Craftsman VS router set and a Porter Cable dovetail jig.

For the most part, these should serve me pretty well for the projects I have planned:
-Complete garage workshop construction
-back to back L-shaped desks for my wife and I in our office
-All the carpentry and finish work for our basement & attic
-A number of miscellaneous built-ins that we have talked about, primarily some full height bookshelves in our formal living room.

However, with the desks and the bookshelves particularly, I would like to use more solid lumber than I have in the past. Previously I would only use solid lumber for small face frames, and never had the need to get a jointer or planer. I did all my sanding by hand, so a drum sander was unnecessary.

I don't expect to really ever go beyond 6" board widths, so I was thinking that all I probably needed was a jointer. My thought was that between a good jointer and a good TS, I could do without the planer, as long as I stayed to about 6" widths.

Is my thinking flawed? In what situations might I be cursing myself that I don't have a planer? I don't mind spending a little bit of time with the hand plane and sander, but will it be excessive?

Your insight is much appreciated.

Thanks,
-Chris Bruno
http://home.comcast.net/~chrisbruno (http://home.comcast.net/%7Echrisbruno)

[Anthony Whitesell]

My thought would be to hold off on the sander until last. A final light pass with a sharp blade on either the jointer or the planer will minimize much of your sanding.

One of the first two items should be either a jointer or planer. The table saw can be used as an edge jointer by installing a sacrificial fence, which can be any length whigh will also be helpful for the longer boards. The planer can be used to joint the faces if you take light passes on each side and alternate faces on each pass. I don't have a jointer and use a router and straight edge for the edge jointing and the planer for face jointing. The advantage to the jointer and or planer will be the ability to use rough sawn lumber and save some $$$. The planer will make both sides parallel to each other, while the jointer will be better at removing cups, bows, and twists in the wood.

The other thought with all three machines is; do you have a dust collector? The planer and jointer makes piles of chips in a hurry and the drum sander will make a large cloud of dust.

[Alex Carrera]

Go with the planer. I have a 6" long bed jointer, and it's great, but it's not a necessity and 6" is really limiting. With the options to edge joint on the table saw or router table, that's what I would do. The planer was a huge benefit to me when I finally got one. A sled makes jointing faces in the planer pretty easy, and you won't be limited to 6".

[Josh LaFrance]

Buy a jointer then a planer. Don't skimp on the jointer and go right to an 8". If you get a 6" you'll just want to upgrade 6 months later.

[Tom Cowie]

Hi Chris

I have all three but I bought them over a 6 year period. A good tool is always better than three junk ones so which ever you choose quality should come first. I agree that an 8" jointer is better than a 6" but I have a 6" and make due with that. I have a 15" planer and would say that a 20" is better but I have a 25" dual drum sander that makes it all come together in the end. I will say 1 planer 2 jointer 3 sander. Just my 2 cents.

Good luck and let us know what you get. Tool gloats are always fun to read.

Tom

[Jim Becker]

Buy a jointer then a planer. Don't skimp on the jointer and go right to an 8". If you get a 6" you'll just want to upgrade 6 months later.

I agree with the jointer capacity and the cost differential isn't enormous, especially over the life of the equipment. That said, I don't agree with the order. Outside of just doing edges, a jointer isn't going to be a good choice without a planer available to thickness after flattening. You cannot do that with just the jointer. A planer will be more immediately useful, IMHO.

[Chris Bruno]

I'm impressed that there's some varying views... I had visions of everybody coming back with the same advice....

If you made successive passes with a 8" wide board on an 8" jointer, and then flipped it over to do the other side, how likely is it that the 2 sides would be so far out of parallel to be noticeable to the project? I guess this is sort of the key difference...

I had been thinking jointer, because I was much more concerned about flat and square on one side, figuring that I could flip it over and flatten the other side on the jointer. But I guess that breaks down if the two sides are enough out of parallel to make a difference...

Hmmmm.......

-Chris

[Steve Schoene]

Odds are quite good that the two sides would be significantly out of parallel.

Jointers and planers should be thought of as a set. Planer's don't flatten, nor do they give square edges. Jointers don't thickness. Both are necessary to get 4-square boards from lumber.

And, with jointers wider is better and there is lots of rough lumber available in the 7-8" range. A table top, or dresser side glued up from 8" boards is likely to more aesthetically pleasing than one glued up from 6" boards. Besides preparing wood for glue up is time consuming tedious work.

[Greg Muller]

Chris,
Maybe you've already noticed, but you are getting answers from all sides. Here's one that covers your bases. I was in this quandry not too long ago and ended up buying the jointer first. That meant I had a lot of 90* edges, but not the correct thickness, so within a month I had to buy the planer. Now I wish I would've done what I'm about to suggest to you...

Buy the jointer/planer combo machine. :)

You will save money, space and sanity. Ask a few of the guys here that have them what they think. I believe they will tell you they are happy with their decision.

Greg

[Peter Quadarella]

I think Greg has the best answer. I have my sights set on the Jet machine so far. At $1700 it is about twice as much as the next most expensive machine I have planned, but then it really is 2 machines in one. And you get that equal capacity and space savings. It's the perfect choice... if it was $1000 cheaper the choice would be even easier ;).

[Steve Schoene]

Yes, I agree with the Jointer/Planer combo if it is doable. I went with a 16" combination, but there are some nice 12" combinations. Surprisingly, the change over from jointer to planer and back turns out not to be a hassle.

[scott spencer]

A planer and jointer in conjuction is best IMO, but I'd go with the planer first. A planer reduces thickness, smooths, and makes one side parallel to the other. A jointer smooths, flattens and straightens adjacent edges to 90° square. With the help of a sled, a planer can be coaxed into flattening a board (a primary jointer job), then making the opposite side parallel to it, but a jointer can't be made to consistently make one side parallel to the other. You can edge joint with a router or TS in the jointer's absense too.

[Ben Grunow]

I was just given a J/P combo and I dont know how I lived without it. Having both is what is needed to do a job right.

[Chris Bruno]

Thanks everybody! I guess I see the value in getting the planer first now... but I will take a close look at the combo machines. I'm not sure if that's quite in my budget though, we'll see.

Will post when I get whatever I can afford.

THANK YOU!!

-Chris

[Simon Dupay]

I would get a planer first. People get so hung up on face jointing so they want the widest jointer they can get but most times face jointing isn't necessary and they just dull up their knives. A planer can remove minor warp so I would get the planer first.