Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 33

Thread: Jointer Opinions wanted

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Cambridge Vermont
    Posts
    2,280
    One thing to remember is not every lumber yard or mill has a great machine. Around here I haven't found too many mills that sell to the public which leaves a shop that buys everything rough cut. The quality can vary by a lot. I actually like milling my own wood. It's usually pretty repetitive and you see a big difference between the before an after. I like it when I see results. It's kind of like putting primer on a car. Suddenly the car is one color and the lines appear. You know that there's a lot more work ahead but you can really see the wood for the first time.

    When it comes to making money things change. Suddenly even small stuff, like having to move tools around because your shop isn't big enough, eats up time. And everyone knows time is money to a business.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Western PA
    Posts
    1,242
    Chris,

    My first jointer was a used Ridgid with the orange base. Completely satisfactory machine for about a year before i upgraded to a DJ-20, and then a 12" grizzly, and then a 20" griggio. Depending on what you make, the machine will be enough for all you want to do, or severely limiting at times. For example, i could have made my maloof rocker last year with the ridgid and been just as happy as my 20" machine. A jointer is about the least critical/demanding tool for building that chair. However, i would have been in a bad spot making a 12.5-13' sapele dining table a month ago with the ridgid. Those were long, wide, and heavy 8/4 boards. It would have forced me to rip my 10-13" boards in half and rejoin them. Definitely doable, but not ideal.

    Once you have an indicator setup, setting knives is no problem. Especially on a 6" machine. I havent done it in a few years and i think it would take me 8-10 minutes to set 3 knives to within .001 on a 6" machine.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    The Hartland of Michigan
    Posts
    7,628
    I restored and used a 4", 6", and two 8" jointers. If you have the room, get an 8".
    My shop is also in the garage. 1/2 of a 2 car. I kept my last one, a vintage 8" Rockwell, 2' from the door, with the table saw at the back of it. A machine cover over it.
    A 10' flex DC hose connected to whichever machine I was using worked very well.
    Never, under any circumstances, consume a laxative and sleeping pill, on the same night

  4. #19
    If space is a big concern to you, as it is for me, read on....

    Wiring for 220v is easy, to remove the intimidation aspect of it, have an electrician friend ( or friend of friend) consult with you on site and tell you exactly what to do. Or just pay someone to do it and be their helper to reduce the price.


    I just got a used 12” Hammer jointer/planer yesterday.
    My garage space is only 1+, so about 300sqft.
    The Hammer combo seems to take up WAY less space than the 8” grizzly jointer I had. The jointer table is only 55” long, and very compact. Yet, I can easily/quickly put on 16” extensions to both ends if I need to work with huge boards for a certain project, then take them right back off.
    I used a 6” table top jointer (32” bed) for years. For anything not tiny, it was quite a hassle. For jointing long boards....forget about it.

    As for My portable heavy-ass planer, it no longer has to be lifted out from under my work bench and back breakingly placed on top.

    The Combo Units are heavy, but really easy to move if they are mounted on 4 swivel casters.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Western Nebraska
    Posts
    4,680
    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Bernstein View Post
    As I hobby person, I tend to buy lumber far in advance of any project. Sometimes I'll pick up some wood that just looks good and not for any project in particular. I store it stickered in the basement until I use it, which may be days or years. Before I had a large jointer, I bought my wood pre-surfaced as Steve R described. I found that after a few weeks in storage the wood was no longer flat, and had to plane it and/or joint it anyway. This took time and sometimes required more loss of final thickness that I would have wanted. So...now I mill all my own lumber and buy only rough-cut stock. I do the milling just before I actually use it. This works out better for me.

    I think Steve's workflow is much more efficient if you are a business, moving large amounts of lumber quickly, or if you are a hobbiest and purchase surfaced stock to be used promptly.
    Scott, they way I use lumber is partially like you said, pretty much as it comes off the truck. I usually order in 100bf increments or to whatever price break makes sense for stocking, so there is always some extra in stock. It varies how long that inventory sticks around, I have some quarter sawn white oak thats been following me around for 10 years now, maple and walnut rotates yearly or so, and some poplar, red oak and alder that rotates out in a few months. Things I have found that mitigate it moving in my shop are keeping it on stickers off the floor, but nice and flat, and storing it someplace where the humidity doesn't change much. The quasi high desert climate where I live makes the relative humidity low, with a few seasonal spikes, so just keeping it covered in plastic if we're getting a week of rain makes a big difference.

    There are some boards that just take off in weird directions though no matter how you store them. I have a "stack/twisted pile" of this stuff that gets cut into small components or just tossed. I figure I don't want to be trusting a board that moved badly in a piece of work because odds are pretty good that it will do it again even if I remill it.

    BTW, nothing against you guys milling your own stock but I always try to throw in my alternative so new guys realize there are options that don't require as much machinery cost. Most of us start with limited tools and if someone had convinced me that I couldn't do woodworking without spending way more than my megar tool budget allowed to produce something nice, I may have just not tried. I don't ever want to discourage someone from trying this sport out.

  6. #21
    Chris, lots of great advice here!

    If you have a panel in your garage, it would be easy to add a 220v outlet or three. I did so, cutting out about 6" of sheet rock on my first woodworking garage (about 20 years ago). In my current shop, I stole the power from the 220v line that was for the hot water tank, as mine ran on Natural gas (until I paid an electrician to run a line about 100' around my house from where the panel was at). If you get very far into WW, you'll likely need 220v. I went from 110v bandsaw, jointer, planer, to needing 220v for a table saw.

    I've had a 6" jointer. It got used a little, but I quickly outgrew it. I then got a 12" J/P combo machine, which took up not much more space. If I were new to WW, I would purchase S4S at the local home hardware store or use a portable planer with a sled to make the one side flat, until you decide you need to upgrade. I've upgraded many times now, and it's a much more expensive way to build a shop!

    When I went to use hardwoods beyond the home hardware store (walnut, cherry, nice maple), I found that the best ones were usually around 7" to 8" and they wouldn't fit on my 6" jointer anyways. Combo tools actually save space; however, I would not get a benchtop Jet or whatever 10" J/P, as they are not very accurate.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    3,737
    It’s 240 volts. 120 + 120 = 240
    I agree if your going to have a hobby workshop get some 240 breakers nearby.
    Aj

  8. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Hughes View Post
    It’s 240 volts. 120 + 120 = 240
    I agree if your going to have a hobby workshop get some 240 breakers nearby.
    Top requirement of having some serious woodworking machinery going, have some 240v circuits on tap. IMO no way around it. Just find a way to set that up, no matter what it takes.

  9. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Hughes View Post
    It’s 240 volts. 120 + 120 =240 .


    True, but its often referred to as 220 or 230. To add confusion, the 240v plugs will say directly on then “250v”.
    I wonder what Voltage terms the electricians prefer to use? I would think 120/240. Not sure though.


    I resisted the 240v wiring thing for a while. Then I got a welder (dual voltage 120/240) , and put in a big old 50amp 240 circuit....Very Shortly followed by a 3hp table saw, then a 3hp 17” band saw, then a 3hp cyclone dust collector.

    While there is some added effort and cost.
    The 240v power makes a HUGE difference. Plus it’s awesome to NOT constantly trip your 120v 15-20 amp breakers.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Jacksonville, FL
    Posts
    110
    I have a 6" powermatic jointer and have been very happy with it...that being said, I have wished for the 8" many many times. I always seem to get lumber that is 6.5" or 7" and have to rip a part off or spilt the piece and mill separately. I will upgrade at some point to a 8 or 12"

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Jefferson City, Missouri
    Posts
    25
    Chris,
    I got the Ridgid jointer in spring 2020 when it was on sale, partly based on the May Wood magazine review of 6" jointers (which you should probably take a look at because they review 2 of the Grizzlies and one of the Jets that you're considering in addition to the Ridgid). I've been very happy with it. I haven't put hundreds of hours on it, but I've run some pretty dense and occasionally twisty burr oak through it with good results.

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Wayland, MA
    Posts
    3,655
    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Hughes View Post
    Woodworking as a hobby is expensive. There just no way around it.
    Compared to golf, bass boats, or sailboats? I don''t think so.

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    So Cal
    Posts
    3,737
    Quote Originally Posted by roger wiegand View Post
    Compared to golf, bass boats, or sailboats? I don''t think so.
    Compared to bird watching,Karaoke or Wikipedia editor it is.
    You can have the last word if you want.
    Aj

  14. #29
    I have used a 6in. Jet long bed jointer with a helical head for many years. Sure, there are times I wish I had room for a wider bed but this is fine for most of my work in my garage workshop. I do recommend the helical head, it makes a big difference.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    Alberta
    Posts
    2,162
    The way I see this from my experience. I would buy an 8" or a 12" jointer /planer combo first . It will save you upgrades later. I started with a six inch and regretted it after about one month. Next was a 8" old Delta. Huge difference, made life so much easier with the longer/wider beds. Now I have a 16" Italian machine ,I was looking for a 12" but this one was 1000 cheaper and a better machine as well. I am glad I skipped one step to end up with my machine for life. I work in my shop for a living, if I did not the 8" Delta would still be there.

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •