Which Jointer Should I Purchase?

[andy bessette]

...you can also straighten the edges on the CNC.

Jointers are something out of the 18th century.

Just bad advice to recommend a CNC router to do the work of a jointer.

[Will Boulware]

Jointers are something out of the 18th century.

So is making your own furniture, yet here we sit....

OP, buy a used one made in Canada or the US, take your time, and get it right the first time. If a 6 inch model is what you need, buy one and wear it out! Most people (myself included) end up stepping up from there, but if you buy a good used one, you can get your money right back out of it when you're done with it.

One piece of serious advice, when you get one, take the time to set it up properly. Even if you get a new one, don't assume it will work out of the box just because it's got cosmoline on it. New, used, or whatever, these machines need to be set up. This can be done with a jointed stick or with a toolbox full of Starrett equipment, but it needs to be done. It's not hard, but it does take an hour or two.

Good luck with your search!!

[Matt Day]

Sold my jointer years ago. Now have a CNC router. I can easily flatten 4 foot wide X 8 long. Takes a bit longer, but then I can do all sorts of other things with the machine, cut tenons, mortises, carve, 3d carve, make parts with big curves easily, etc.

If you are a hobbyist you should look for tools that will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Oh? Did I mention, you can also straighten the edges on the CNC.

Jointers are something out of the 18th century.

I didn't see that coming.

[Ted Reischl]

Just reread my original post, sounds a little snarky...sorry about that. Here is what happened and why I wrote what I did:

Been woodworking for over 30 years. Like most folk I started with a table saw and then added equipment. Jointer, planer, router table, mortising machine, drill press, etc. So I know how to use all those machines and also know the issues that can crop up with them. No big deal. I also have a background in CNC machines going back to 1974. One day about ten years ago I discovered that a person could build a darn good machine for not really crazy money. I have about $4K invested in mine.

So there I was, doing what most people who have a CNC router do, cut parts out of flat stock, mill pockets, cut contours and do 3d carving. One day I needed to straighten a board about 4 foot long and do some pocketing on it. Normally I would have run it through the jointer but it occurred to me I could straighten that edge on the cnc AND do the pocketing all in go. It worked.

Then I discovered the joy of having a long straight board that can be attached to the TS fence. Next thing I know, the jointer is sitting over there doing zippity doo dah but taking up space. By this time I had found it very easy to do face jointing on the cnc. I needed to face joint a large slab of maple, about 23 wide by 4 ft long, 3.5 thick. Easy on the cnc. I also edge jointed one edge while I was at it.

Now the planer was becoming obsolete. Remember, I run a "hobby" shop ( I do a LOT in that shop since I am retired) so the absolute fastest way is not always important. Years ago I had got a good deal on a 16 inch drum sander so that helped the planer become obsolete. Amazing how much material can be removed with 36 grit.

Next to get obsoleted was the mortising machine. For doing mortises I made two vises to mount on the cnc to hold the work on edge. Mortises are now a beautiful thing. Tenons were still a "problem", too much fiddling (aka fitting). Got to thinking, hmmmm, most parts that need tenons are not all that long. Built a fixture that sits on the front of the table to allow the parts to stand vertically. Oh my, tenons that fit the first time, all the time. No fooling around anymore. Proof of concept came when I built two bath vanities and matching mirror cabinets that had louvered doors. Lost count of the mortises when I hit about 300 for all those louvers and door frames.

I am getting ready to sell the mortise machine next.

Why Andy thinks it is bad advise to recommend a cnc machine to cut straight edges to a hobbyist is beyond me. I wonder if Andy knows that on a cnc one can climb cut with no problem. That eliminates the whole "reading the grain" issue with jointers. It also eliminates tearout when surfacing stock. So, Andy, tell us why you think it is bad advice. Just throwing out that statement means nothing if you cannot provide the reason you believe it to be true. Saying you have been woodworking for 40 years, are a professional means nothing on the internet or anywhere else for that matter.

I do not miss changes blades on the planer or jointer. The planer was not so bad, they were indexed blades, but they were not cheap. The jointer was a flat pain and I was not about to toss all sorts of money into a machine that has so little run time in the shop. Like helix heads and fancy gages to make changing blades easier. Nor do I want to contribute to LS Starret if I do not need to do so.

One other thing... facing on the CNC is not the fastest, but then again while it is running I can do other things in the shop for a few minutes.

My typical feedrates in most wood is around 200 IPM...when facing I will do that between 400-600 IPM with a 2 inch cutter. Goes pretty darn fast. The machine will actually cut at 800 IPM, but that causes me to get a little nervous.

Ok, so now everyone knows the evolution in my shop over the last ten years. I did not start with a CNC but as things progressed it became evident that it can be used for a lot more than just cutting flat parts.

Oh, and yes, I do use hand planes, chisels,real carving tools, hand saws too. Whatever works and seems the most appropriate for the task at hand.

[lowell holmes]

The tool in the picture you posted looks like my 6" Jet jointer. My Jet is a solid tool. I've had my jointer for over 10 years.
When you get one, make a push block for pushing thin pieces through. I consider any thing under 2" to be thin on a jointer.

[Mike Kees]

Hey Matt you are right apparently we are sort of on Craigslist. I checked it out and there was a smattering of adds from Calgary and area,however we are lumped into an area with mostly Montana adds. Kaiispell, Bigfork,Columbia Falls ,etc. Not sure when this started here but must have been not to long ago. Thanks for the info. Mike.

[Curt Harms]

Re "wider is better", that for me was because of buying rough stock. Rough stock often needs to be flattened and is often (usually) over 6" wide. There are ways to flatten a board wider than 6" on a 6" jointer but it takes longer and I don't know if the workarounds are as accurate. If you're mostly edge jointing 6" may be perfectly adequate. For my uses 8" often wouldn't be enough; 9" - 10" wide boards are not uncommon. I went with a 12" J/P and that has worked out well for me, I don't think an 8" jointer would have. The point being not everyone's needs are the same.

[Jim Andrew]

Have a bandmill, and saw my own lumber. Also have a 12" Grizzly G0609 jointer with Byrd cutterhead. Would have liked to have gone with a 16" jointer, but just a lot of cash. I often resort to ripping a wide board in half, jointing it flat, then gluing it back together, trying to match the grain.

[Rick Alexander]

I started with a 6 inch used Craftsman jointer. Wasn't the best quality but did do the job if you were diligent about checking the setup every now and then. I use almost exclusively rough sawn solid so I have a bigger need for a good jointer than most but I also have limited resources so I moved up to an Oliver 8 inch with a byrd head. The longer bed turned out to be a god send and I love the byrd head. It really didn't give me more capability however - just convenience and speed. The 6 would have been fine. I still usually use a planer sled more than my jointer to flatten anything larger than like 4 inches - just seems easier to me and I don't need a giant space to park a huge jointer when I know I will still need the planer as well.

[lowell holmes]

A tool tip

If you need to joint a wide board on a 6" jointer you can joint both sides of a 1X6 and tape it to a 1X6 with sticky tape.
Then run the sandwich through your thickness planer.