jointing warped boards...

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I bought some 12/4 hard maple to make a Moxon vise. I cut it to rough lengths a couple weeks ago and today I started to do the rough milling. Then the plan is to let it sit for a week or so.

I immediately ran into some warpage on both pieces for the vice. The first one I struggled with for a while then I came into the house to take break. I signed on to FWW and immediately found a video showing how to joint a warped board. Using that technique, I returned to the shop, and it only took about 3 passes to joint the warp out of the face. The second piece went much faster and it had a larger amount of warpage.

Basically one just places their weight in the middle of the board and keep it there as you push the board through the jointer.

[Derek Cohen]

Ken, correct. It is also easier if you run the board against the fence at the same time. This adds support in balancing the work piece until it has created a flat to ride on.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I did Derek! I just forgot to mention it. I was stunned how well that worked.

[Dave Zellers]

Ken, correct. It is also easier if you run the board against the fence at the same time. This adds support in balancing the work piece until it has created a flat to ride on.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Yes I'm always surprised to see people on YouTube just free floating in the middle on initial passes to flatten the first side. I ALWAYS want to run along the fence. Sometimes the first cut on a bow will hit the edge of the outfeed table, and you just need to pull it back and then the second pass will land on it.

[Mel Fulks]

I always run edges first to get rid of sap-wood. But not too concerned about parallel at that point. Just want to get rid of “evil sappy load
of rubbish” ,before proceeding.

[Dave Zellers]

Just want to get rid of “evil sappy load
of rubbish”

Excellent. Lets put this in the acronym list.

ESLOR

[glenn bradley]

We all end up with thin strips of off cuts and scrap. I keep a few of these in a tube attached to the side of my jointer.
Random Tips (30).jpg
When I have a board that teeter-totters I break off a small piece that is about half of the gap's size when one end of the teeter-totter is pressed to the table and capture it under that end with pressure from the push block. If the piece really rocks I may use a bit of tape to affix the "shim". It is destroyed during the first pass but, leaves the initial flat spots used during the following passes. This accomplished the same thing as splitting the difference free hand but gives me a fixed point to press on.

[Mick Simon]

When I saw the subject header, my first thought was to put up the link to Bob Van Dyke's video. Glad you already found it. It has saved me many board feet of lumber since I first viewed it. It's a technique I always try to pass on to my students.

[James Jayko]

I don't get it...aren't you just forcing it flat temporarily, and won't it spring back when you let your weight off? Or am I completely misunderstanding...?

[Tom M King]

You could look at this old 4x4 and see three sides.

[Michael Burnside]

I don't get it...aren't you just forcing it flat temporarily, and won't it spring back when you let your weight off? Or am I completely misunderstanding...?

James, no you don't push down. Doing that would basically make the jointer a planer and you'd be in trouble . Basically you take light passes, taking the apex out of the board. The only caveat with this is that, depending on the bow, you're going to get a much thinner board. This is why you generally want to have your lengths roughly, within 6 or so inches, of final length so the bow is less pronounced (or cut out).

[Jim Morgan]

I don't get it...aren't you just forcing it flat temporarily, and won't it spring back when you let your weight off? Or am I completely misunderstanding...?

Flip the board over, start jointing on the convex face.

[Mel Fulks]

Flip the board over, start jointing on the convex face.

YES , James’s has it right . Removing wood from the convex side often partially straightens a board by changing the stresses in it.
All counter advice comes from nutty “ safety ideas”.

[William Hodge]

I never understood facing the convex side of lumber.
I worked in the rough milling room in a millwork shop, and would face, plane, joint, and rip wood all day. (pulling stock was above my pay grade!) Everyone there put the concave side down on the jointer, so that the wood was supported by the ends. That way we could skip face it, and get it flat but not perfectly clean. The planer did that. We were mostly making solid wood entry doors. The wood needed to be flat.

[Mel Fulks]

William , the technique does not always work. But is useful. I’ve made pairs of doors up to 10 feet tall. No one pays for those when they
are not perfect in use. Over-laps are for roofs.