Question about jointing on a table saw

[Marshall Harrison]

I can't afford both a planer and jointer at this time. I know the conventional wisdom is to get a planer and use a table saw or router for jointing if you can only have one. I fully plan to get both as quickly as possible.

I have been watching Youtube videos on jointing with the table saw. But there are so many different jig/sleds etc for this that I am confused as to which jig and technique is best. I'm also confused as to the best material, plywood or mdf to use.

Can someone recommend a good Youtube video on jointing with a table saw? I don't want to waste time or money going down the wrong path by following the wrong Youtube guru.

I know there may be multiple opinions on this but hopefully we can come to a consensus.

Thanks.

Marshall

[Matt Day]

Get a pair of these and use mdf or plywood, whichever you have and has a straight edge.

http://www.rockler.com/e-z-jointer-clamp-kit

You can also make one with a couple de-sta-co clamps.

[Ted Derryberry]

I'm guessing you mean face jointing, not edge jointing. When I started getting serious about woodworking I bought a planer and quickly realized it wasn't much good without a jointer. Its been a while now and I can't really remember what I did until I got a jointer, but likely very little except changing the thickness of boards. If I had to at this point I would build a sled for the planer and use it to face joint, not the table saw. I've seen, but not watched, videos on YouTube claiming to face joint on a table saw, but I can't imagine that being worthwhile enough to even try. For edge jointing I'd use a router table with offset fences. You can also use a straight edge and a handheld router which is what I do on very large boards (2" x 2' x 12' slabs for example).

The link in Matt's post doesn't work for me, but if they're what I think they are save your money. All you need to straight line rip without a slider is a straight board, plywood or MDF, and some kind of clamps to hold your work on top of it that won't interfere with the fence or protrude through the bottom surface. That can be toggle clamps, hold down clamps with a bolt through the middle and a knob on top, or just screws through the work in an area that will be trimmed off later.

[Ted Derryberry]

Well I just wasted 10 minutes watching a video on face jointing with a table saw. I don't even own a hand plane, but if I didn't have a jointer and needed to flatten boards that video would convince me to buy a hand plane and learn how to use it.

Either that or find a new line of work.

[Simon MacGowen]

Can someone recommend a good Youtube video on jointing with a table saw? I don't want to waste time or money going down the wrong path by following the wrong Youtube guru.

I know there may be multiple opinions on this but hopefully we can come to a consensus.

Thanks.

Marshall

Something like this (found with a Google search):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrYjc3G1vgo

[Steve Demuth]

If you have table saw, it's not hard to do edge (edited - original post incorrectly said face) jointing with no jointer. Really just a matter of having a well-adjusted saw, and simple clamping jig. It's also not hard to do face jointing with a planer and sled, or a planer and hand or power plane. Lot's of instruction on youtube on the sled method. My preference, before I had a jointer, or when face jointing something wider than my jointer can handle, is to use a scrub plane to get one side flat enough the planer won't rock or bend the board. I know people who use a power plane to speed up the gross stock removal, and that is very successful.

[Ted Derryberry]

Steve, can you explain how to face joint with a table saw, even a well-adjusted one?

[Mike Henderson]

Before I bought a powered jointer, I used to face joint with hand planes. You need to break the long boards down to the size you're going to use (a bit longer) then use the hand planes to get them flat. Once you get one side flat, you can go to your (powered) planer and do the other face. While it's possible, it's a lot of work. I was really happy when I got my powered 8" jointer.

Mike

[Matt Day]

Wait, you meant FACE jointing on a TS? I’ve never seen that before. Only edge jointing.

I’ve used the clamps I referenced with success, but I didn’t do it much as I quickly realized the value in a jointer. I’d pickup a cheap used 6” jointer to get you by for a while.

[Steve Demuth]

Steve, can you explain how to face joint with a table saw, even a well-adjusted one?

No, because what I wrote was dumb typographical error. I meant to say "it's not hard to do edge jointing ...." My bad. I don't think there is a reasonable way to do face jointing on a table saw.

[Ted Derryberry]

That's what I thought, I just wanted to be sure.

[Sam Murdoch]

Before I bought a powered jointer, I used to face joint with hand planes. You need to break the long boards down to the size you're going to use (a bit longer) then use the hand planes to get them flat. Once you get once side flat, you can go to your (powered) planer and do the other face. While it's possible, it's a lot of work. I was really happy when I got my powered 8" jointer.

Mike

This highlighted in blue is to my way of thinking a BASIC of successful straightening (or flattening ) of stock. Work with the shortest dimensions practical for your finished purpose.

As for the OP's question - edge jointing on a TS is a get close proposition at best. UNLESS you own a big slider. It involves attaching a true straight edge - a wide stable rip of ply or mdf - to the stock so that the straight edge rides along the fence and the edge of the stock that needs to be straightened runs through the blade. Attaching the straight edge safely is easy for paint grade stock - more of a challenge for stock that will be clear finished. Start with wider boards and let each ripped piece be your straight edge for subsequent cuts. You can do the same on a bandsaw.

NOW - the problem will arise that as you do your TS (or bandsaw) rips that you will be releasing tension in the boards and they will likely come off the saw UNSTRAIGHT This will drive you nuts and force you to learn to use a hand or power planer or buy a jointer (or at the least a track saw).

I think that for a woodworkers who uses machines more than hand tools - a jointer is an essential shop machine. The TS techniques is tedious, not all that safe and certainly not all that accurate AND even when you have a straight edge you will need to plane the edge smooth of TS blade tracks. I think that a good jointer is more useful than a planer. You can buy dimensioned lumber and the jointer will flatten as well as straighten whereas the planer is mostly a thicknessing tool. Sorry Marshall if I have not helped.

[scott spencer]

Edge jointing is very doable on a TS or a router, but its still important to flatten the face to get a uniform 90° edge down the full length. With the help of a planer sled you can face joint with a planer before you edge joint.

[Ted Derryberry]

As far as boards coming off the table saw unstraight, that really depends on how much you are taking off. If you split a 10" wide board down the middle, odds are neither piece will be straight. If you rip 1/4" off an edge then that edge will be as straight as your rip. A track saw isn't going to make any difference.

You also don't necessarily have to plane off the blade marks. First off all a quality blade and the proper technique will leave minimal blade marks that can be sanded and if you're gluing the edge in a panel then you shouldn't need to do anything.

It is tedious to straight line with a jig on a cabinet saw. It's heaven on a slider. Saves a ton of time at the jointer.

You definitely need at least one flat face before edge jointing regardless of how that edge jointing is done. Even with a hand plane you don't have anything to reference off of without one flat face.

[Marshall Harrison]

Something like this (found with a Google search):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrYjc3G1vgo

Thanks.

That was an interesting video and the jig looks pretty easy to build. The video that played right after it was similar but the jig used the left side miter slot and cut with the blade on the right side of the wood without using the fence. a different approach but I like the frst video better.