Unmilled lumber and the time to work, what would you do?

[Tim Allaire]

I finally have some time to get some work done (which happens once in a bluemoon)-no kids or wife, and I am perplexed on which to buy first. Here is the situation: I have $600 and need either a Jointer or Planer (or both), need to pick out and have running by tomorrow, have about 300 ft/bd of cherry to be milled (not straight or to the right thickness), I am a weekend warrior (so I do not need the best of the best). Planer or Jointer or go cheap with both? What would you do?

Tim

[Michael McCoy]

There was a good thread on the same topic but I wouldn't go cheap on either. Personally, I could do without my jointer but I'd fight to keep my planer. I have a good set of hand planes though so your mileage may vary.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=82532

[alex grams]

A good planer with a leveling sled to flatten a surface would be a good investment.

While a jointer/planer are immensely complimentary to one another, a planer without a jointer will do more for you than a jointer without a planer (my 2 cents).

Or, just give me the cherry lumber and go relax and watch some TV :)

[Tim Allaire]

how do you know the board is level on the sled? I dont understand the process?

[Jerome Hanby]

As I use one, the sled lets you arbitrarily pick one side to flatten. Then you remove the sled and use the previously flattened side against the table while you flatten the other side.

[Tim Allaire]

AHH, right makes sense. I dont know what I was thinking. How long is the sled you use?

[Jerome Hanby]

Well I use a very sophisticated, well thought out, and carefully executed sled. That translates to the most convenient scrap of MDF to which I can carpet tape the piece I'm trying to flatten:D

I usually shoot for having a piece of mdf at least an inch or so longer than my material and at least as wide as the material. If I needed to to this regularly, I'd cut a piece the max width my Planer would handle and as long I anticipated needing.

[Tim Allaire]

I like the translation (very helpful)! thanks that seems so easy-is it percise?

[James Hart]

Fine Woodworking recently published a detailed article on making a sled for your planer. Check the website. I think building it right would take up the day you have, but you'd be set up for the time being.

Jim

[Chris Padilla]

Tim,

Have a deck of playing cards handy to use for shims on the planer sled. You'll also want to put a cleat on the sled so that your stock has something to butt up against to keep it from shootin' back at ya. Better, if your stock is long enough, carefully put some screws into it to secure to the sled but sink them babies low enough or kiss those planer blades good bye!

As far as precision goes, I'm not sure what you mean. If you secure the stock well so it doesn't move, you will have one side nice and flat and then you use that flat side to get the other side flat so you'll have two parallel surfaces.

After that, it is a matter of sqauring up the edges which you ought to be able to do on the table saw (since you probably won't have jointer).

[Jerome Hanby]

Well the MDF is definitely FLAT, that's what it does, be flat:D

It worked well on the chess board strips I glued up that didn't come out exactly flat. If you were trying to flatten something with some severe irregularities you might need to add shims between the MDF and the material to make it stable (not rocking).

For my uses it was plenty precise. I took very light passes and checked with my digital micrometer after each pass to make sure things were going as planned.

[Tim Allaire]

I guess I wasnt clear about being precise-what I meant was, if there are sever discrepency between and edge and the middle, how do you keep it from shooting it back at me. Problem solved. Any suggestions for a good planer?

[Prashun Patel]

I'd get a planer first. There are ways to joint boards on a table saw or a router, but there aren't ways to plane them without a planer. I read a thread here of someone who used a hand power planer to manually plane boards, but it seemed like a tough go.

[Frank Drew]

I've never used a planer sled and that might explain my slightly contrary opinion.

I think of a jointer as more of a finesse tool than a planer is; that is, anyone can run stuff through the planer, but you have to pay more attention to what you're doing on the jointer and subtle differences make all the difference. So, in a situation where time means money, if I could only get one I'd get the jointer first and bring stock I'd flattened myself to the local millwork to be run through their planer for surfacing, then back to my shop for edge jointing, etc.

I realize I've introduced variables not universally available (i.e. a local millwork), and don't expect my prejudices to be shared by everyone (anyone?).

[Jerome Hanby]

Once I get the top and bottom flat, depending on the project, I'd use a crosscut sled on my table saw for the edge. I've got a small jointer that I'd use for the edges in most cases.

If it's wide enough for you, it's hard to beat the price on the Ridgid lunch box planer. I'd be tempted to haunt craigslist for your area, you might be able to pick up a small jointer to go with your planer.


I guess I wasnt clear about being precise-what I meant was, if there are sever discrepency between and edge and the middle, how do you keep it from shooting it back at me. Problem solved. Any suggestions for a good planer?

[Jeff Dunlap]

I would by the planer first as well, I got a dewalt 734 on sale for 300. Since the 735 came out the 734 is on sale alot. I have only used it a little bit but it works great. My friend picked up a rigid sorry i don't remeber the model for around 300 as well, and he is completely happy with it. With 300 left for a jointer I know you could get a nice used 6" jointer for that. I just got a brand new 6" grizzly for 460 shipped to my door( haven't got it all the way set up yet, darn landscaping at my new home) but from reviews i believe it will work great. But if you can come up with 150 to 200 more bucks you can get two brand new really good pieces of equipment in my opinion.

[Rob Diz]

Unless your local craigslist has both a jointer and a planer listed right now, i would get a good planer and use a sled.

Using a sled can be a hassle, particularly when you have a lot of lumber to mill up, but it can be done.

The sled from FWW was a fancy one. I used some scrap mdf I got at Lowes for like a buck, and some of the shims that are used for door installs, the ones that come in bundled packs. You can use hot glue (be sure to scrape it off) or double stick tape to secure the shims so the piece does not rock on your flat mdf (be sure it is on a flat surface as well.

pay particular attention to areas in the board that are unsupported. The rollers in the planer may push down there, leaving you with a banana board.

If you don't have DC, you may want to do this outside as you will have an immense mess on your hands milling up 300 bf of cherry.

With that said, this is how I mill up boards wider than 6 inches (and less than my planer's 13). Works quite well for me.

I have the newer Delta with two blades. I like it a lot - easy adjustments and very easy blade changes. The dewalt gets good reviews - but has three blades. The makita also has a loyal following.