Jointing the opposite edge with a tabled router

[Craig Earls]

It is obvious that router table with a split fence can be used to joint the edge of thin stock. It seems that I could make the opposite edge of the board parallel to the freshly jointed edge if I moved the fence away from the router bit by the desired width of the board plus a skosh, maybe making a few passes. Aside from the obvious safety problems, are there any fundamental problems? The fence would need to go on the opposite side of the router bit so that it was a climb cut...

Using a table saw for this is too easy, and I don't have one yet...

[Dave MacArthur]

Norm has a show on this, as well as TheWoodWhisperer.com... his is called "the Jointer's Jumpin' ". I did this for years. You can use a piece of formica held on with doublesided tape on the outfeed side of a single fence also, or various other thickness items that are similar. You don't have to climb but, nor are there any particular safety issues.

[Mike Cutler]

Nope. It should work. Be careful though.
Consider using an endmill, or a spiral upsweep bit. The cutting edges will be helical and tend to grap a whole lot less than a straight bit on end grain if it comes to that. A little built in safety margin.
Remember that you are pinching the wood between the bit and the fence in this method.

[Michael Schwartz]

If the board is wide or it is thick (8/4 for instance) you can put it throgh the planer on edge.

In my shop I Rip the board parallel on a tablesaw and then, clamp the two boards to be joined together in a vice and take a few passes with a well tuned handplane.

[Art Mann]

I have tried this technique before and it works fine, particularly if you remove a very small amount of stock at a time. I am not sure I understood your post but it sounds like you plan to feed the material so that it does a climb cut. I predict you are going to have a lot of trouble if you do it that way.

[Mike Marcade]

Maybe I misunderstand, but can't you just switch your feed direction so that it isn't a climb cut?

[Craig Earls]

Maybe I misunderstand, but can't you just switch your feed direction so that it isn't a climb cut?

I was thinking backwards when I wrote "climb cut". Yes I will feed the material such that the cutting edge is coming back towards me, rather than pulling the material in.

[Mike Marcade]

Good deal, much safer and more controllable.

[pat warner]

A hazardous way of jointing and sizing, especially for the novice.
Expect hell itself if the work jams or kicks back. It will self distruct and you can be part of the distruction.

[Jim Becker]

Craig, you must rip the board parallel before dressing the edge. Edge jointing it will only clean it up, not make it parallel to the other edge. And the board should never be between the fence and the cutter as Pat points out. Major safety issue!

[Dave MacArthur]

ahh, I mis-understood and thought you were just talking about jointing one edge... you are talking about making a planer out of your router essentially! I withdraw my support ;)