Originally Posted by
Matthew Curtis
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)