Domino Or Jointer

[Tim Wagner]

getting ready for another purchase. But with enough for only one tool.

choices:

8" Edge jointer, or a Domino?

I wanted a plainer also, But I can get by for now with a belt sander.

[Bruce Benjamin]

getting ready for another purchase. But with enough for only one tool.

choices:

8" Edge jointer, or a Domino?

I wanted a plainer also, But I can get by for now with a belt sander.

Hmmm...That's like trying to decide between a roast beef sandwich or a new pair of socks. ;) :D The planer and the belt sander don't really have a lot to do with each other either.

The jointer is a basic tool in many/most shops while a Domino is a luxury with many substitutes. There are several different ways to edge joint but using a jointer is the best way to face joint a board. Edge jointing can be done with a router table, a hand held router with an edge guide, on a table saw with a jig, or with a guided circular saw system like the EZ Smart.

All of these can be done with hand planes too but that's a whole different story. I like power tools.

But if it were me I'd go for the planer. I'm assuming you're talking about a thickness planer and not a hand held planer. With a thickness planer you can use it as a surface jointer by using a jig called a jointer sled. With a jointer only you'll be able to straighten one edge and one face but you'll have a heck of a time ever getting that second face parallel to the first without a thickness planer. I have a belt sander but it seldom sees any use. It won't really take the place of a either a thickness planer or a hand held planer. What kind of work do you do or do you want to do?

Bruce

[Mike Cutler]

Tim

Planer, Jointer than the Domino would be my list of importance, but of the decision between a Domino and a jointer, I say jointer.
In a fully outfitted shop the jointer is the first machine in the milling process.

[John Stevens]

only one tool.
8" Edge jointer, or a Domino?


Hi, Tim. I own all three at this point, and all I can say is that the Domino won't be very useful unless your wood is four-square. If you're somehow getting it that way with a belt sander, more power to you! Otherwise, you may want to try getting a planer first and using a sled to substitute for a jointer. The Domino is very nice to have (IMO), but as I said, only if your wood is four-square.

Regards,

John

[Chris Rosenberger]

Like John, I own all 3. I could get by without a planer & Domino. I could never get by without a jointer. I use a jointer on every project. You can buy wood that is already planed & there are cheaper options to do what the Domino does. I setup my first woodworking shop in 1974. The first tool I bought was a jointer. Someone gave me a tablesaw. It was 9 years later before I bought a planer & 33 years later before I bought a Domino.

[Joe Jensen]

My priority
1) Saw
2) Jointer
3) planer
4) everything else

[Charles Wiggins]

I'm with John and Chris on this. I would consider a Domino a luxury. There are a lot of less expensive ways to reinforce and align a glue joint, but it's all pointless if your stock isn't flat, straight, and true. I "get by" without a planer, although I desperately want and sometimes need one, but I'd be completely lost without a joiner.

[Joe Mioux]

I would go Planer, Jointer, and Domino much later.

I have two planers, jointer and a domino.

You can find good used lunchbox planers out there for around $250-$300.

joe

[Bob Marino]

Tim,

Like others have said, get the jointer. It's really a must for woodworking.

Bob

[Kyle Kraft]

I vote jointer.

[Mike Cutler]

Tim,

Like others have said, get the jointer. It's really a must for woodworking.

Bob


Now I know he should get the jointer first.;)

[Dick Latshaw]

Originally Posted by BOB MARINO http://sawmillcreek.org/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=785496#post785496)
Tim,

Like others have said, get the jointer. It's really a must for woodworking.

Bob
Now I know he should get the jointer first.;)

One always gets straight answers from Uncle Bob.:):):)
Wouldn't think of buying a Festool product from anyone else.

[Jim Becker]

If you don't have a planer, than the jointer is less useful since you'll be limited to edges, sorta...as it will only be as accurate is the faces of the pre-surfaced lumber you are likely buying. I'd buy a planer before I'd buy the jointer since there are so many ways to put a straight edge on a board, but only two, more or less, to surface and thickness a board...a machine or by hand with planes.

The Domino is a very attractive machine, but you can do much of what it does with other methods while you fill in your major machines and the other basics.

That said, the answer to your question is...what to you need more for your projects "now"?

[J. Z. Guest]

Another vote for jointer, unless you're going to be working mostly with sheet goods.

..or unless you meant 'biscuit joiner', in which case I'd go with the Domino. ;)

[Peter Quadarella]

I vote planer first. Normally I would say jointer next, but in my space limited shop I am going to try other methods of flattening (I wouldn't attempt this if I didn't get a planer first) and therefore I will say Domino second.

[jason lambert]

I would do a joiner, then a plainer unless you buy finished wood and you have a router table you can use as a joiner, I did the router table thing for a while worked good enought and bought a domino. Really depends onthe wood you buy and how good it is.

[Bruce Benjamin]

If you don't have a planer, than the jointer is less useful since you'll be limited to edges, sorta...as it will only be as accurate is the faces of the pre-surfaced lumber you are likely buying. I'd buy a planer before I'd buy the jointer since there are so many ways to put a straight edge on a board, but only two, more or less, to surface and thickness a board...a machine or by hand with planes.


I agree with Jim on this one.
The jointer or planer first argument has been brought up so many times and I never understand how so many people could argue the Jointer first. The only use for a jointer without a planer is to straighten the edges. There are other ways to do that fairly easily but but if you flatten one face there isn't really any other easy way to make the other face parallel other than with a hand plane and that isn't exactly easy. But with a planer you can pretty easily make a sled so that you can use the planer as a face jointer and even as an edge jointer if you need to. And then it will be easy to make the opposite side parallel to the first side.

As has been said, a lot depends on if you pay someone else to machine your lumber for you or not. I save money and get much flatter and straighter lumber when I do it myself. I frequently have had to flatten the face of a piece of lumber when it was presurfaced. After doing that it's useless until I run it through my planer. When I didn't have my jointer I used my planer with a sled. I couldn't have made the projects I did using the wood I used if I have only a jointer first.

Bruce

[Tim Wagner]

That said, the answer to your question is...what to you need more for your projects "now"?

um a dovetail jig. LOL

Me thinks I'll hold on the money for a sweatdeal to come thru on a planer.

[Bruce Benjamin]

um a dovetail jig. LOL

Me thinks I'll hold on the money for a sweatdeal to come thru on a planer.

I think you're making a good decision. Good luck. Unfortunately, there's lots of varying opinions on what brand and type of planer to buy...;):D

Bruce

[Ben Cadotte]

I vote vote jointer first as well. Planer second. Domino third of the choices you have listed.

[Ken Potts]

Tim,

I just bought my first jointer, this is a very handy tool. Get one, you won't be sorry.

Ken.

[Grant Vanbokklen]

Then there is always the option of waiting just a bit longer and then getting a combo jointer/planer machine, especially if space is a factor. That is what I wish I did now. And still might

[Randy Klein]

I would get a scrub plane (instead of jointer) and thickness planer first. Milling lumber is a pre-req for joinery.

[Bruce Benjamin]

I'm not trying to start a heated debate but I do think the OP deserves some good advice with an explanation backing up the advice. Many have suggested buying a jointer first but I don't see a logical reason for picking a jointer over a planer as it relates to preparing rough lumber that needs to be face jointed.

Unless you're only buying a jointer to edge joint boards, the face jointing function of a jointer isn't very useful if you don't have a planer to make the opposite side flat and parallel to the first side. You can certainly use a hand plane but if we're talking power tools...

I don't own a decent hand plane that would be suitable for face jointing a board. And if I did I don't have the skills to do so. Edge jointing with a jointer plane is one thing but I would think that hand planing a face so that it's not only flat but parallel to the other side would be a bit more challenging. As I said, I am ignorant when it comes to this task so I could be wrong about this.

If you only use the jointer for edge jointing and you feel you just must have a jointer you can save yourself a lot of money by getting a smaller 4" or 6" jointer. That will do a fine job of edge jointing but there are several other ways to edge joint including a router with a guide of some sort, a router table with a fence, a circular saw on a guided saw rail, a table saw with a a jig, or a good hand plane.

Your choices for face jointing a board are more limited. A jointer is obviously the first choice but without a thickness planer or a hand plane and some really good skills, it's not really going to get the job done. Some people have made various jigs that hold a router and the workpiece at a consistent plane to each other and you slide the router over the wood, again, and again, and again...Not very efficient.

Another choice for face jointing is using a planer with a simple sled that holds the workpiece and keeps it from rocking while you feed it through the planer. After the first side is planed flat you can remove the workpiece from the sled and feed it back through the planer with the good side down. You now have two flat sides that are parallel to each other. This last part is something that you just can't do with a jointer. There's no way to assure that the second side is parallel to the first side with a jointer. It may be flat but it's unlikely that it's a consistent thickness. I've also seen someone post a link to a simple jig for your planer that holds the workpiece on edge for edge jointing. I've never tried this but I can see where it would work. I'd rather use my router and a straight edge or my EZ Smart with the SRK attachment though.

I realize that a jointer is a very useful tool in the shop and I'm very glad to have an 8" jointer as well as my 13" thickness planer. But I thought this through before I bought either and realized that getting the planer first just made more sense for my uses.

If you only ever buy perfectly pre-surfaced lumber that only needs to be edge jointed then a thickness planer isn't really necessary. But how often is pre-surfaced lumber exactly the right thickness and perfectly flat? Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Not only will you spend a lot of time picking just the right piece for grain appearance but now you have to look for something that didn't warp after the lumber mill machined it and a piece that is the thickness your project requires. You'll also usually pay more for this lumber than if you bought less prepared lumber. So you have to spend more time picking through the lumber and you many get a smaller selection unless you have the mill custom mill the lumber for you and you're usually going to pay more. I dunno, it just doesn't seem like a very logical choice to me. But to each their own I s'pose.:confused:

Bruce

[Jason Scott]

My vote is jointer first, only b/c it makes glue ups easier, however if you have a router and a straight edge then I would get the planer first, b/c the planer can also be a jointer with a sled. Domino looks like an awesome machine, but since speed isn't a factor in my shop I do it the old fashion way. :o

[Phil Thien]

Hmmm...That's like trying to decide between a roast beef sandwich or a new pair of socks.

Roast beef sandwich. ;) :D

[Kyle Costlow]

I'm not trying to start a heated debate but I do think the OP deserves some good advice with an explanation backing up the advice. Many have suggested buying a jointer first but I don't see a logical reason for picking a jointer over a planer as it relates to preparing rough lumber that needs to be face jointed.

Unless you're only buying a jointer to edge joint boards, the face jointing function of a jointer isn't very useful if you don't have a planer to make the opposite side flat and parallel to the first side. You can certainly use a hand plane but if we're talking power tools...

I don't own a decent hand plane that would be suitable for face jointing a board. And if I did I don't have the skills to do so. Edge jointing with a jointer plane is one thing but I would think that hand planing a face so that it's not only flat but parallel to the other side would be a bit more challenging. As I said, I am ignorant when it comes to this task so I could be wrong about this.

If you only use the jointer for edge jointing and you feel you just must have a jointer you can save yourself a lot of money by getting a smaller 4" or 6" jointer. That will do a fine job of edge jointing but there are several other ways to edge joint including a router with a guide of some sort, a router table with a fence, a circular saw on a guided saw rail, a table saw with a a jig, or a good hand plane.

Your choices for face jointing a board are more limited. A jointer is obviously the first choice but without a thickness planer or a hand plane and some really good skills, it's not really going to get the job done. Some people have made various jigs that hold a router and the workpiece at a consistent plane to each other and you slide the router over the wood, again, and again, and again...Not very efficient.

Another choice for face jointing is using a planer with a simple sled that holds the workpiece and keeps it from rocking while you feed it through the planer. After the first side is planed flat you can remove the workpiece from the sled and feed it back through the planer with the good side down. You now have two flat sides that are parallel to each other. This last part is something that you just can't do with a jointer. There's no way to assure that the second side is parallel to the first side with a jointer. It may be flat but it's unlikely that it's a consistent thickness. I've also seen someone post a link to a simple jig for your planer that holds the workpiece on edge for edge jointing. I've never tried this but I can see where it would work. I'd rather use my router and a straight edge or my EZ Smart with the SRK attachment though.

I realize that a jointer is a very useful tool in the shop and I'm very glad to have an 8" jointer as well as my 13" thickness planer. But I thought this through before I bought either and realized that getting the planer first just made more sense for my uses.

If you only ever buy perfectly pre-surfaced lumber that only needs to be edge jointed then a thickness planer isn't really necessary. But how often is pre-surfaced lumber exactly the right thickness and perfectly flat? Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Not only will you spend a lot of time picking just the right piece for grain appearance but now you have to look for something that didn't warp after the lumber mill machined it and a piece that is the thickness your project requires. You'll also usually pay more for this lumber than if you bought less prepared lumber. So you have to spend more time picking through the lumber and you many get a smaller selection unless you have the mill custom mill the lumber for you and you're usually going to pay more. I dunno, it just doesn't seem like a very logical choice to me. But to each their own I s'pose.:confused:

Bruce

I agree with this guy, makes good sense.

[Joe Jensen]

If you only ever buy perfectly pre-surfaced lumber that only needs to be edge jointed then a thickness planer isn't really necessary. But how often is pre-surfaced lumber exactly the right thickness and perfectly flat? Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Not only will you spend a lot of time picking just the right piece for grain appearance but now you have to look for something that didn't warp after the lumber mill machined it and a piece that is the thickness your project requires. You'll also usually pay more for this lumber than if you bought less prepared lumber. So you have to spend more time picking through the lumber and you many get a smaller selection unless you have the mill custom mill the lumber for you and you're usually going to pay more. I dunno, it just doesn't seem like a very logical choice to me. But to each their own I s'pose.:confused:

Bruce

You post reminded me. If you have not ever used perfectly flat, straight, and thichnessed wood for the WHOLE PROJECT, you don't know what you are missing. I personally would have a jointer and a planer before anything else. Even a 12" lunchbox planer and a 6" joiner will allow you to glue up flat panels. I HATE pre serfaced lumber. It's always curvy, and starts too thin to properly flatten.

[Tim Wagner]

I can get my edges pretty straight with my table saw, so I will go with a Plainer first
8" jointer second and I will can the domino idea till I just have money to blow. LOL

Edit:
Can't I run a board thru the plainer until one side is flat, and then flip it and run it thru to get a square face?
then run it across the TS to get the edges square? seems like it should work ok till I get a jointer.

[Paul Johnstone]

I don't understand the argument to get a joiner first either.
To me, that makes little sense, for the same reasons other posters said.

If you have a planer only, you can get most wood "good enough" to make things. I've done many projects that way. If the board is cupped (most frequent warping defect, IMO), run it so that the two "points" are down..
In other words, the first few passes with the planer will remove the high center area. When that side is reasonably flat, flip the board over.

Yes, this technique won't work on board that are really badly twisted.. but for those boards, but if you have a really bad warped/twisted board, you probably want to save that for cutting into small (around 2-3' long) pieces. It makes no sense to try to joint a badly twisted board along an entire 8'-12' length, for example, unless you are down to your last board.

A well tuned table saw with a good ripping blade will cut the edge joints close enough for gluing. Not as good as a jointer, but good enough.

In contrast, if you only have a jointer, I have no idea how you'd get your wood a uniform thickness after you joined it or get the two faces parallel.

[Bruce Benjamin]

The problem with running a warped board through a planer is that sometimes all it will do is give you a planed, warped board of uniform thickness. Depending on how it's warped and how thick/thin it is, the pressure from the planer's rollers will flatten the board out as it's planing it. Then as it exits the planer it springs back to it's original warped shape. This won't always happen but this method isn't really very reliable. Plus, other than with a cupped board, the board will want to wobble and it won't be even.

That's why some sort of planer sled works for this. There are different designs but essentially you need a flat, rigid platform for the workpiece to ride on. A cleat of some sort at the back will keep the workpiece from sliding off of the back. Then you need to have a way of supporting the workpiece so that it won't wobble. A simple way is to just use some wedges or spacers of some sort. You can attach them however you want but some people use hot glue or double stick tape. Or you can make a fancy one where the wedges are part of the sled itself. I think earlier in this thread someone posted some pics of this design along with a more basic one. Regardless of how you do it, you need some way to keep the piece from rocking/wobbling and you need to prevent the planer rollers from bending the workpiece flat. It's really pretty simple and it's far easier than any method to use only a jointer to flatten and thickness a warped piece of wood.

Bruce

[Bruce Benjamin]

I thought that the planer sled post was in this thread but it wasn't. Here's a post by Glenn Bradley showing his sled. It's a nice one.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=58735

Bruce