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Thread: Tips for jointing long boards

  1. #16
    My friend and I recently had to join two 8 foot, 24” wide maple countertops into a 4’ wide island. The countertops were hit with a round over bit so we needed to rip a 1/4” of one side on both. We looked at the jointer. We ruled it out very quickly since they were so heavy. We considered my #7 jointer but hand planing 2” thick maple down a 1/4” and maintains a square edge is beyond my skill set. So, we tried ripping it using my PM 66 table saw but the fence wasn’t long enough to work right. We ended up clamping one countertop as a fence while ripping the other. It worked dang near perfect. We had a tiny gap that pulled tight with the clamps. So, I’d try a glue line rip blade and a beefy homemade fence, you know, something like a 24” wide maple countertop with a factory edge you have lying around.

  2. #17
    Patrick, Have seen it in print a number of times, but I think avoiding liability issues is the
    origin. Facing with convex side down often makes a board straighten some instantly; when it does not work it never makes the board bow more. The other way tends to make the problem worse, but I'm glad it has worked for you.

  3. #18
    So your point or the thinking must be “take the belly out” the stress is thus released and the board stops moving in that direction?

    It normally works my way, but as said sometimes I throw boards in the trash. I’m often trying to get a .75x1.5x120” piece perfectly flat to say miter wrap.

    I say this with no attitude being you may have taught me something and I mean that. But I tend to not pay attention to what read in books and rely more on what I learn from in practice.

    But with that said you mentioning the technique reminds me I have also read that here or there but somehow with all the hours I have behind a jointer I never once thought to approach it that way. Sure I’ll joint a board concave side down dropping the middle into the cutter but it was never with the intent that the board would stop moving but rather for another reason “who knows what” it seemed the best approach. Could be a hunch of bark a giant piece of tear out, a knot bake bake blah, could be anything.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    Patrick, Have seen it in print a number of times, but I think avoiding liability issues is the
    origin. Facing with convex side down often makes a board straighten some instantly; when it does not work it never makes the board bow more. The other way tends to make the problem worse, but I'm glad it has worked for you.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    3,730
    I’m with Mel , I try to create a flat in the middle of my board edges or faces. I do think the wood will relax in my favor.
    I have no scientific proof or videos. Sorry
    Aj

  5. #20
    I worked with guys who remembered the depression. They did not often give tips to those they thought might get their
    job. But when they were being leaned on to "get it done" they would do what they could to speed us up ! And it's good
    bar bet material !

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Winterville, NC (eastern NC)
    Posts
    2,359
    You have plenty of jointer bed length to surface your lumber, so maybe your technique needs adjusting.
    You can also get a straight edge from the table saw by mounting a board to a plywood carrier which runs along the fence.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Itapevi, SP - Brazil
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    672

    Pay attention to downward force

    Quote Originally Posted by Matthew Curtis View Post
    I am having a difficult time trying to edge joint some 8' boards. I'm not able to get as straight of an edge as the shorter pieces that I normally joint. I tend to get a cup in the middle. I am sure this is because of my technique. My table length is 59" and I have a 40" long fence that is 6" high on my jointer.

    Is my difficulty the nature of the longer boards?
    What can I do to improve my results?
    Wood is a flexible media and bigger it is, more prone it will be to have a significant flex so pay attention to downward force you apply when planning those long pieces... for some extreme cases even the own weight of the piece can compromise you end results.

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Cambridge Vermont
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    2,271
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom M King View Post
    Sight down the board, and develop an attack strategy. Table length makes for easier handling, but doesn't limit the length of boards that can be jointed. I see so many people having trouble who think they have to run the whole length of the board every pass. If I sight one, and see a hook on one end, the first pass(or several) may only run 6" of a 16' board over the cutterhead.
    This has been my go to technique as well. Take a little off one end, spin the board around and take a little off the other end. Then look down the board to see how much further you need to go. If I have to do a second pass like this I'll usually go twice as far as the first pass.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Griswold Connecticut
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    6,923
    Quote Originally Posted by Matthew Curtis View Post
    I am having a difficult time trying to edge joint some 8' boards. I'm not able to get as straight of an edge as the shorter pieces that I normally joint. I tend to get a cup in the middle. I am sure this is because of my technique. My table length is 59" and I have a 40" long fence that is 6" high on my jointer.

    Is my difficulty the nature of the longer boards?
    What can I do to improve my results?
    Matthew
    The key is stabilizing the material through the jointer. You need to cobble together some additional infeed and out feed supports to take the weight of the material out of your hands.
    As for your tables, cut a 2x4 the length of your tables. Run it through face down until it's flat. Edge joint the 2x4 now, and then run it through one more time, face down, stopping 1/2 way through. Remove the board relieve a 2" wide space across it, maybe a 1/4" deep, right over where the cutter head was at when the board stopped.
    Put the 2x4 back on the jointer, align the relieved section with the cuttehead. Move your fence into the table approximately the width of the material you wish to edge.
    joint.
    Align the 2x4, which should have one edge jointed with the fence, face down, with the cutterhead centered in the 2" wide relieved area. Now clamp it down on both tables.
    Move the fence out of the way and then set the material to be jointed on edge, against the 2x4.
    Move the fence back in and ever so lightly until it just "clamps" the material between the 2x4 and fence. You're not really "clamping" the material, you're just making sure that it has to remain in a vertical plane. Now your material will stay upright and aligned to your fence.
    With the auxuiliary infeed and outfeed supports, and the 2x4 clamped to the table, you no longer have to control the weight of the board, and are free to concentrate on technique.

    I have edge jointed 6/4 jatoba, 11' long, and 16" wide, using this method on a 6" Jet jointer, end to end, less that 48". If you can edge joint a 4' board properly, you can edge joint those 8' boards properly. You just have to get some of the weight out of your hands.
    Last edited by Mike Cutler; 11-15-2019 at 6:02 PM.
    "The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

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