G0490/W1741 Jointer "extension table" use?

[Andy Howard]

Hey guys,

I have the shop fox 8" W1741 (same as Griz G0490) and just got done installing a byrd shelix cutterhead for it!! (Stealth Gloat).

Now, what I am wondering is what real world use or purpose does the "extension table" (Grizzly's part name) actually do? This is the small piece of metal that is added on to the very front of the tables. The guard swings out over this piece when you are edge or face jointing a board, but for the life of me I cant figure out what it actually is good for? The manual says to line it up with the infeed table, which is no problem.

I am seriously contemplating leaving this extension table off my jointer so I can joint stock wider than 8" by removing only the blade guard. I have seen in several articles or tips where you can take say a 12" board and face joint 8" of it, while leaving the other 4" untouched. Then put a long piece of plywood under the face jointed segment, and use the planer to bring the other face flat and parallel to the jointed section. Then in theory you can flip the board, remove the plywood spacer, and resume flattening the entire 12" of the side you jointed.

Am I making any sense here, and can anyone please tell me why I should keep this extension table on my machine?

Thanks, and sorry for being long winded.

Andy

[Mike Marcade]

You can use that "extension table" for rabbeting. Similar to the rabbeting ledges you see on some other jointers. Your piece of stock would run along the extension table and overhang the outfeed table. The part overhanging doesn't get cut ... do you understand what I am trying to describe?

[Andy Howard]

Mike,
Thanks for the reply. I am familiar with a rabetting ledge on other non parrallelogram jointers, but I couldnt see this being used for that. It is so small, and seems to me that it would be very hard to rabbet using that extension table piece. We all know there are far better ways to cut a rabbet, so I guess that piece will go in to storage with the original cutterhead.

Thanks
Andy

[Mike Marcade]

I didn't say it was useful, they can just market it as "has rabbeting capability" :D

I don't use it to do rabbets either.