jointing and edge on a drawer face after glue up

[Brian Runau]

I jointed some pieces, one face one edge 90 degrees, let them sit, and touched them up and then glued the two jointed edges together. Let them sit some more. I did not make any effort to make the opposite edge parallel or mill the opposite face perfectly flat. I usually do this after glue up. This morning I went back to put another edge on one edge so I could begin cutting them to rough size prior to jointing the glued up piece again for final work. I need a finished 7-3/16" and have an 8" jointer, so my thought was to joint and edge and then cut a parallel edge on the opposite side on the table saw.

For the life of me I can't get either edge on the first piece to flatten on the jointer. I tried fixing it to a piece of plywood and trimming the edge straight then going back to the jointer, no luck...

I think next time I should cut the opposite jointed edge parallel on the table saw to eliminate this pain.

I am stumped.

Any help appreciated.

[John TenEyck]

I always face joint and plane parallel at the same time. If you only work on one side any imbalance in MC in the piece, and there almost always is, will result in the piece cupping. Doesn't matter if I'm doing rough work, where I'm going to leave the piece thick for a day or so, I still do both sides. But that doesn't sound like your problem here, if I understand correctly. Your problem is in edge jointing, yes? If so, I don't know quite what to say other than it's not all that important on a drawer face; close is close enough. But it that's not good enough, and you can't resolve the problem with your jointer or your technique using it, then joint one edge straight with a hand plane and rip the other edge parallel on the table saw.

John

[Robert Engel]

I'm stumped, too. There isn't anything I can think of other than after gluing some sort of stress was produced, but I've never heard of that or seen it.

I can't get either edge ....You're talking about the edge not the face?

[Brian Runau]

I always face joint and plane parallel at the same time. If you only work on one side any imbalance in MC in the piece, and there almost always is, will result in the piece cupping. Doesn't matter if I'm doing rough work, where I'm going to leave the piece thick for a day or so, I still do both sides. But that doesn't sound like your problem here, if I understand correctly. Your problem is in edge jointing, yes? If so, I don't know quite what to say other than it's not all that important on a drawer face; close is close enough. But it that's not good enough, and you can't resolve the problem with your jointer or your technique using it, then joint one edge straight with a hand plane and rip the other edge parallel on the table saw.

John

They are inset drawers so I have to get them more parallel. thanks brian

[mike stenson]

Mark a parallel line and hand plane to it.

[Brian Runau]

I went back, after lunch and calming down, and started from scratch trying to square up a flat edge on the jointer. I had jointed a slight hump in the middle of the length on the edge. Was not aware it was moving when passing it through the jointer, I couldn't feel it doing it. So I put it back on the plywood and cut a straight edge on the table saw and this allowed me to joint it flat the full length of the piece. Now I have a reference I can cut the other side to rough dimensions. Using a hand plane was also a good idea, since they are insert, it is all about the visual look vs perfection. thanks brian

[Zachary Hoyt]

In my experience it is easier to accidentally create a hump on the jointer on a piece that is taller relative to its length. Something about my hands being up higher makes it easier to rock from the infeed to the outfeed, which makes the hump. This may all just be in my head, but it's what it feels like somehow.

[Brian Runau]

In my experience it is easier to accidentally create a hump on the jointer on a piece that is taller relative to its length. Something about my hands being up higher makes it easier to rock from the infeed to the outfeed, which makes the hump. This may all just be in my head, but it's what it feels like somehow.

piece is @9 x 39. Could be it. thanks. brian

[Brian Runau]

I figured out the real problem this morning. I have an 8" jointer and when I changed the knives last time I got a nick early on near the fence in one of the knives. Since I rarely use the 8" I moved the fence over past the nick so I could use the new knives without changing them out. I moved it back to 8" the other day planning on joining the face of the wider drawer front and I was edge jointing on the unused portion of the blade.I think I was partially on and off this unused portion of the blade. Occurred to me this morning and I moved the fence back over the nick and it worked fine. Damn another self inflicted wound. Brian