joiner/router table

[habbi]

What advantage does a joiner have over a router table with straight cutting bit and fence?

[Eric Ryder]

Even though the router will have more CPM (20,000 X 2) than the joiner (4,800 X 3), the larger diameter joiner cutterhead will produce cuts that are more tangent to the long axis of the board/grain and probably produce less chip out.

Also, if I did the math correctly (big if:), a two flute 1/2" straight bit in a router @20,000 rpm = 62,700 cutting inches/min. a DJ20 (4" dia cutterhead?) three knife cutterhead @4,800 rpm = 180,000 cutting inches/min

You would need to increase the router bit to 1-1/2" dia to equal the joiners surfacing capability. That said, it seems that the router table would have an advantage with long stock as supporting the ends would be easier (without bridging the fence).

[todd]

Plus, to add to Eric's post, your question presumes that the only purpose of a join(t)er is to joint edges. Another purpose of a jointer is to flatten faces. That's hard to do with a router.

todd

[Bob S.]

Well for one, a joiner is a person (cabinetmaker) and a router table is an object....

With a jointer, you can flatten the face of a board and make one edge perpendicular to the face just flattened. You can use a router and a fence as you indicate to edge-joint a board but to flatten a face of a board you would be limited to the height of the router bit.

The advantage of edge jointing using a jointer over a router setup would depend on several variables (width of edge, how long the stock is, how long the router table, sturdiness and accuracy of router fence, etc.).

Bob S.

[stoutman]

Another definition of joiner:

A wood-working machine, for sawing, plaining, mortising, tenoning, grooving, etc.

[stoutman]

Taken from dictionary.com

[Bay Area Dave]

working the face of boards up to 6" or 8" or, if you've dropped some serious cash, 12" or wider! I doubt you have a router bit that can cut even 3 inches! A well tuned jointer does a fast job and leaves a surface requiring minimal sanding even for perfectionists.

dave

habbi wrote:

[Joseph Crowe]

Worth noting, with a 6" jointer, can't you surface 12" wide boards in two passes??????? That said, for a novice what advantages does the Powermatic 6" jointer have over the Jet for ~$200 more in price, other than longer beds?????

[Upscale]

I don't own a jointer, but from all the comments I've read here about jointers, a longer bed appears to be a very desirable feature.

[Bay Area Dave]

the Powermatic 6" is what I've got and it's got what I wanted: a loooong bed, quality, and FLAT beds and fence. That's critical to the purpose of using a jointer.

Yes you can do a wider board, but it may not come out perfect, like jointing a board narrower than the blade. Also, if you want to joint just a tiny bit off, you'll have to find a similarly thin piece of material to place on the rabbetting table to help stabilize the board for the second pass.

For me it's WELL worth the little bit extra expense. Consider how long you'll own it...

dave

Joseph Crowe wrote:

[Bob S.]

Dave,

I think what he meant is that you can do a 12" wide board using "skip jointing" - where a majority of a surface is flattened sufficiently to put it through a planer and not have any adverse effects, such as flattening cupping in the board only to have it spring back. I have done 8" wide stock using a 6" jointer and then plane the surface.

The extra long beds certainly are nice too. Every time I have one of those projects that require 7' to 8' long pieces I have to put lead weights in my britches just so I have enough oomph to keep the board from lifting....;-)

Bob S.

[Bay Area Dave]

sounds like a different technique than what I've read about where you joint at least 50% of the board, and then shim the rabbetting table for the second pass.

dave

Bob S. wrote:

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

Face jointing to start.

Barry

[Routerman P. Warner]

The story at this link:

************************************************************************> What advantage does a joiner have over a router table with straight cutting

[Eric Yancey]

Couple of things I can think of off hand:

1) versatility - you can more easily joint non-90 degree edges 2) face jointing (flattening stock) - can't do it with a router 3) longer table = ability to joint longer stock

There are others, but the biggest advantage I can think of this: if you primarily use your jointer for making edges straight you can set it once and leave it that way. It always took me 5 to 10 minutes to change my router table from whatever else I was doing with it to "jointer mode". It is soooo handy to be able to take a board straight from the table saw to the jointer without having to change the configuration of the router table.

As you know there is more than one way to skin a cat. But even for a weekend woodworker such as myself the jointer was a very, very welcome addition to my shop. I knew it would be handy, but I'm using it much, much more than I ever thought I would.

My $.02

Eric

[Joseph Crowe]

Yes, that was what I was thinking of. I have seen some interesting techniques, though, that one can do to make a planer work for such things as well. For instance, with a warped or cupped board, you can edge glue the board to two straight boards and run it through the thickness planer until it's flat on one surface and then eliminate the side boards and surface the other side. Winding sticks and a hand plane also work.....after all, that's how it was done for a long time before modern power tools existed.

That would not be a challenge for me.....*BEG*

Thanks for the input...it's in the consideration hopper

Good point.....