Jointer Plane - How much do you really use it?

[JohnM Martin]

I was just wondering how many of you use a jointer plane on a regular basis for things like flattening the face of long boards. For example, suppose you had a large project coming up like making a dining room table top or large headboard. Would you do all of the prep work for those types of projects by hand, or would you bring in the power?

As a secondary question, are the old stanley #7s (with a replacement blade and chip breaker) as good as the modern premium makers? I currently have an old stanley that is in decent shape that i picked up on the auction site a few years ago. I upgraded the blade and chip breaker because what it came with seemed worse for wear. It seems to work ok, but I can't help but wonder from those that have used both old and new if there is a significant difference in upgrading - especially given the significant price tag for a new jointer from a modern premium maker.

[ken hatch]

I was just wondering how many of you use a jointer plane on a regular basis for things like flattening the face of long boards. For example, suppose you had a large project coming up like making a dining room table top or large headboard. Would you do all of the prep work for those types of projects by hand, or would you bring in the power?

As a secondary question, are the old stanley #7s (with a replacement blade and chip breaker) as good as the modern premium makers? I currently have an old stanley that is in decent shape that i picked up on the auction site a few years ago. I upgraded the blade and chip breaker because what it came with seemed worse for wear. It seems to work ok, but I can't help but wonder from those that have used both old and new if there is a significant difference in upgrading - especially given the significant price tag for a new jointer from a modern premium maker.

John,

I have both Stanley and LN's #8 planes along with a couple or three wood stock joiners. I'll add all the machines needed as well. What I use machine vs. plane depends of wood, project, time, and mood. When I dig the joiners out the order of preference is wood stock followed by one of the Stanleys with a OEM iron and cap iron and very seldom, and usually just to remind myself why it is the last to be used, the LN #8.

ken

[Nathan Johnson]

Out of the old planes I've restored so far, my Stanley 7c was in the roughest shape, but turns out to be the best user. I don't know why, but it just seems to set up easier and give better results, to the point where I'm not even using a smoother afterwards sometimes.
It's been used on every project I've done so far and is the last plane I'd give up at this point.
This has the original blade and chipbreaker. They work so well I wouldn't consider swapping them.

[Matt Evans]

#6, #7, #8 are the most used planes in my shop. All have original blades or OEM. Stanly 6, millers falls 7, Sargent 8. All fantastic users.


Not sure about some of the newer jointers, as that I have only used one occasionally at either a friends shop or woodwoorking shows.

[steven c newman]

How much do I use my Jointers? Sometime, you might read one of my Build Threads.....

[Robert Hazelwood]

I use a wooden try plane and an old Stanley #8. I don't have a power jointer, so I do all face and edge jointing by hand. I can then run jointed boards through a lunchbox planer (if they are 12" wide or less) to bring them down to size. Even if I had a powered jointer, I would still need the hand planes for wide boards and slabs.

Vintage jointer planes are good, as long as the sole is reasonably flat, which unfortunately is not always the case. I have two vintage jointers, a 7 and an 8, and both were in decent enough shape that I had to do little work except prep the blade. I'm not sure how flat they actually are because I have purposefully not checked, but they can produce good shavings and flat surfaces, and so I reckon they are flat enough. If I were to check I might be tempted to spend many hours correcting some small error. If they were not flat enough, then it's a pretty big job to correct it. You really need a large, flat lap to do a good job...ideally twice as long as the plane, so something like 4'. Even then, there is so much surface area that the abrasion goes slowly due to lack of pressure. You could speed this up by working the high spots with a file or small sanding block. Still, it's a big job, perhaps an order of magnitude more work than for a #4. And it would be easy to make a mess of it compared to a shorter plane.

If you are worried about the possibility of buying a vintage jointer that needs sole work, then a LN or Veritas might make sense if you can swing the funds (money vs. time, etc.). The only drawback to these is they will be heavy, and face jointing is a lot of work. Also, big metal planes can have a lot of drag on a wood surface, and the more perfectly flat they are, the more drag (and suction) they seem to have. Which is why I've come to prefer a wooden try plane for working the faces of boards- it glides easier and doesn't require constant waxing.

It is also much easier and more enjoyable to flatten the sole of a wooden plane. But there are other issues to deal with- blade bedding, wedge tuning, eliminating shaving traps, etc. The learning curve to use one is a little steeper. They require ongoing maintenance. And it can be hard to find an old one in good shape. You can buy new ones, but they are not any cheaper than a LN jointer. They make a lot of sense for someone who is serious about hand dimensioning and will do it all the time, but maybe not for someone who will only use them occasionally.

[David Bassett]

... As a secondary question, are the old stanley #7s (with a replacement blade and chip breaker) as good as the modern premium makers? ....

I think this question is the biggest advantage to a new premium plane compared to a quality older plane that is in good shape. With the new plane, if I have a problem, it's 99% chance it is my technique. With a vintage plane, there are other options: Did I restore it correctly? Is it working well or in someway out of whack? (Though, for me, it's still probably my technique. )

If your restored #7 is flat, square, and the adjustments work well, I don't think a premium plane offers much extra other than shine. (Go to a L-N event. Shiny! )

[James Waldron]

If you buy S2S or S4S lumber, a jack and jointer/foreplane are rarely needed except for edges, and even then, a smoother can do decently if not optimally. If, like me, you start with all rough lumber, both are essential. I stay away from machines these days, except for ripping and/or resawing on the bandsaw for large pieces. For small pieces, ripping and resawing are [may be, depending on energy level, etc.] done by hand. In any case, I start with a scrub plane if needed, then flatten with a jack, then straighten and further flatten with a jointer/foreplane.

In essence, the choice (or necessity) of hand planes depends on the work you're doing and the stock you'll be using. There is no magic bullet answer for all users.

[Mike Holbrook]

First, I guess we have to consider the size of the wood being jointed. If one tends to work smaller pieces then just about any plane will serve as a jointer. The OP specifically mentions large surfaces which is where the long jointers shine. I use mid size, #5, #5 1/2 & #6 planes a great deal. My Custom 5 1/2 does the majority of my jointer work. I have plans to make a new bench and a new table. When those projects get started I may use longer jointers. I may even finally finish a 26 1/2” wood jointer, that thus far I have not needed. I never fine tuned my long wood jointer because I figured it might change before I got around to using it. I was also starting to see new wood plane blades with chip breakers start to enter the market. Making ones own jointer can be a challenging project too.

Another consideration is how critical the flatness of the final surface is to the design of the piece. The table I make will have a little texture in the final surface. I am not sure I need a jointer with a chip breaker. My LV/LA jointer is easy to use and I am not as critical of final surfaces as many are. My jointers may have a little more camber than those of other posters, for the same reasons.

[Jim Koepke]

I was just wondering how many of you use a jointer plane on a regular basis for things like flattening the face of long boards. For example, suppose you had a large project coming up like making a dining room table top or large headboard. Would you do all of the prep work for those types of projects by hand, or would you bring in the power?

As a secondary question, are the old stanley #7s (with a replacement blade and chip breaker) as good as the modern premium makers? I currently have an old stanley that is in decent shape that i picked up on the auction site a few years ago. I upgraded the blade and chip breaker because what it came with seemed worse for wear. It seems to work ok, but I can't help but wonder from those that have used both old and new if there is a significant difference in upgrading - especially given the significant price tag for a new jointer from a modern premium maker.

Since my main power tools are a lathe, bandsaw and drill press, bringing on the power to flatten a board isn't an option. My hand held power tools do not get much use in the shop.

Then it depends on a few things as to which plane is used. One of my #6s gets used on smaller things:

In To the Claw.jpg

Here it is being used on pieces that are ~4' long. Bigger pieces are usually worked with larger planes, especially when planing for edge joints.

Though there are premium blades in some of my planes, most work quite fine with their original blades. A premium blade may save a few trips to the sharpening station during heavy work sessions.

The improvements available by upgrading are many of the modern planes have benefited from improvements in manufacturing and metallurgy. In the case of Lie-Nielsen planes the adjustment mechanism, having less backlash, is much better than on older planes. Some folks are bothered by backlash in the depth adjuster, not me.

Most modern planes are made of ductile metal so they do not break when they are dropped on a cement floor.

Veritas planes have set screws for guiding their blades which many people really like for saving a little set up time. Now Veritas (Lee Valley) has a Custom line so one can have different angle frogs to help with the characteristics of various woods.

Combined the cost of my #7 & #8 was $71.25. No, it isn't everyday deals like that come along. My patience waiting for a deal is legendary among some of the folks who know me. The planes mentioned were bought at different times in different places.

When it gets down to the finished piece, there will not be any difference between the work done with a carefully fettled yard sale find and an equivalent modern premium plane. 'Equivalent' is used because the Custom planes from Veritas with different angled frogs may be capable of producing a smoother surface with a low angle frog or less tear out with a high angle frog. These are not generally big issues with a jointer plane. The chip breaker and lighter shavings can usually control tear out and the evidence of any tear out can usually be mitigated with a smoother afterward.

jtk

[John C Cox]

With guitars - I do a lot of hand jointing plates... But I generally use a good #4 or #5 to shoot the joint... And sometimes even a finely set and hair popping sharp block plane...

I use the same planes for shooting joints on longer and larger boards... Yes - including the block plane where I need to massage a certain spot..

What I have learned is that good jointing is more about technique than a huge long plane... The plane will cut deeper wherever you put more pressure and vice versa... As such - clamp positions and hand positions must move around as you are pushing towards a joint that candles properly..

[Jeff Heath]

For me, when I make the conscientious decision to build a project totally unplugged, then the combined efforts of my jointer planes come out. I have a woodie I made myself, as well as #7 & #8 hand-me-downs. This is typically done by me in furniture that I am building as a gift to a family member or friend. I enjoy giving the gift better when it is "hand made."

I must confess, however, that typically in my shop, when completing commissions, that these become the weapon of choice, for speed's sake.

Shop shot.jpg

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I use my jointer less than I used to. I do not have a powered jointer or planer. I used to use it a lot more, but over the years have gotten to where I do more with the jack, less with the jointer, less with the smoother.

[Patrick Chase]

I was just wondering how many of you use a jointer plane on a regular basis for things like flattening the face of long boards. For example, suppose you had a large project coming up like making a dining room table top or large headboard. Would you do all of the prep work for those types of projects by hand, or would you bring in the power?

I lack a powered jointer (no space) so I use mine all the time, probably second only to my #4.

[Brian Holcombe]

I have a powered jointer now, but still use my jointer and try planes. They're just essential kit.