How much to take off with each pass on the jointer

[Scott Brandstetter]

We have an 8 inch jointer and just added the helical cutter head. I was watching my son run a 6 ft cherry board, 2 inches thick by approx 6 inches wide and he was really putting a lot of effort into each pass; looked and he was taking of roughly 1/16th with each pass. Got me wondering if we are doing something wrong with our technique or taking too much off at a pass, or something else. To give an idea, when we joint a roughly flat board, we can normally accomplish it in 3 - 4 passes.

Any thoughts would be appreciated

[glenn bradley]

Wax the beds . . . no, seriously. The difference in ease of material movement is equal to that when you wax your planer beds. Generally I take less (1/32" or less) but, a 1/16" is not too much depending on material and width IMHO. If I have a really wonky board I will take bigger bites to get where I am going quicker.

[Randy Rose]

Won`t lower the actual effort required, but if you drive a small drywall screw just proud of the surface your push pads it sure helps with "gription" on rough sawn lumber.

[Michael Zerance]

I think 1/16 is fine for edge jointing but probably too much for face jointing. Mine is set at 1/32 and it requires little effort.

[lowell holmes]

I think 1/16 is fine for edge jointing but probably too much for face jointing. Mine is set at 1/32 and it requires little effort.

Plus 1 for 1/32.

The push blocks you use on your table saw will work on the jointer.

[Lee Schierer]

Keep in mind the heavier the cut the more likely there will be tear out in the curly grain areas. Waxing the table surfaces will definitely decrease the sliding friction without harming the wood surface.

[Hoang N Nguyen]

I wax my table and take off about 1/32". Even then, when jointing 8/4 maple that's 8" wide and 8' long, it requires a good bit of effort. I think the bigger and heavier the lumber, the harder it is to joint. I can joint the same wood but only 4" wide and 4' long with no issues.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Scott, my experience with the helical head is that they require more oomph from the operator than straight knives.

I normally take 1 or 2 mm per pass.

Since 2mm is more than 1/16" I don't see it as excessive...............Regards, Rod.

P.S. Of course wax the beds also as others have said or use a planing lubricant.

[Alan Lilly]

Type of wood is a factor, but I choose to take less than a 1/16" (more like 1/32") per pass and make more passes.

The other factor about face jointing to consider, is that you don't have to get the entire surface jointed, just enough to create a planar surface whereby the board will run consistently on that face through the planer so you can get both faces planed nicely. Took me a while to realize this and that significantly reduced the unnecessary passes on the jointer.

[Cody Colston]

1/16 is not too much unless it's tearout prone. Keep the bed and the fence waxed and it will make a huge difference. Also try to joint with the grain. I can tell by the sound if I'm going with or against the grain on my jointer. I usually take about 1/32 unless the board needs significant jointing to flatten then I'll take a bigger bite. Three or four passes is all I want to take to get it ready for the planer. Like Alan said, you don't have to get all the rough out, just enough to lay flat on the planer tables. If there is a slight cup in the board, you can leave some rough surface in the middle as long as the outside edges are jointed flat.

I saw my own lumber and it's all mill run, no sawing for grade, so I spend a lot of time jointing and planing.

[Brian Tymchak]

Hi Scott, my experience with the helical head is that they require more oomph from the operator than straight knives.
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I don't have a helical head, and so no practical experience, but I would have expected just the opposite. Doesn't a helical have less blade "edge" in the wood at any instant in time? Maybe my assumption that less metal in wood leading to less effort to feed is wrong...

[Mike Henderson]

I do about 1/32". I don't change the "bite" so I use that for everything. Unless you're working on rough sawn wood it's fine. If I purchased rough sawn wood I'd probably set it up to take a bigger bite.

Mike

[John Lankers]

I too personally prefer light passes ~1/32 or under 1 mm with the helical head but I don't see anything wrong with taking more off. Having said that, lighter cuts generally leave a smoother surface and less tear out.

[Steve Peterson]

I don't have a helical head, and so no practical experience, but I would have expected just the opposite. Doesn't a helical have less blade "edge" in the wood at any instant in time? Maybe my assumption that less metal in wood leading to less effort to feed is wrong...

There may be slightly less blade edge, but at least one blade is always in contact with the wood. A typical jointer with 3 blades will make a cut, then the head rotates a bit before the next blade makes contact. You may be doing most of the movement during the "dead" times when there is no back pressure. Helical heads are always pushing the wood back.

Steve

[Brian Tymchak]

There may be slightly less blade edge, but at least one blade is always in contact with the wood. A typical jointer with 3 blades will make a cut, then the head rotates a bit before the next blade makes contact. You may be doing most of the movement during the "dead" times when there is no back pressure. Helical heads are always pushing the wood back.

Steve

Thanks for explanation Steve. makes sense.