Jointer or Planer

[Doug Miller]

Except that IME most lumberyards don't have jointers.

[B A R R Y]

My mistake. Lumber DEALER.

All three of mine have jointers. BIG ones.

[Doug Miller]

Shavings is shavings -- jointers don't produce as much as planers do because they're not used to remove as much wood as planers (usually) are. Coupla light passes through a planer doesn't produce a real big pile of shavings either. I guess what I'm saying is that it's really dependent more on usage than on the tool.

[Doug Miller]

I wish the ones around me did, or even knew what it is... I'm tired of hearing "Huh?? Joint-ner? Whazzat fer?"

[FoggyTown]

Sure I do! But the issue turns on a a question of scale. What degree of tapering and on what size stock? If I'm 1/32nd out on a 6' x 6" x

1" plank I'm not going to get too fussed. If I'm 1/16th out on a 12" X 2" x 1/2" board then there could be a problem. The tolerances for a king sized bed aren't the same as for a jewelry box.

FoggyTown

[Leuf]

Just one other thing to mention, do you have a good dust collector? Because a planer pretty much requires one, whereas a jointer doesn't, or at least mine doesn't. Or use the planer outside. I have a drum sander which isn't so great at removing a lot of material, but I can either resaw the board or use other means to get it close and then get it flat on the sander.

-Leuf

[Nova]

I have never dealt with a lumber yard (not home/building supply center) that didn't have one.

[Larry Blanchard]

I'd get the planer. With a sled and some wedges, you can flatten the first face on a planer. Not very efficient use of time, but it does work.

But a jointer cannot, unless there's some magical jig I don't know about, do the work of a planer and make one face parallel to the other.

[Doug Miller]

That's a good point; I'd kinda forgotten about that. Guess I've gotten spoiled with the fan-forced chip ejection on my DW735 -- that's a *nice* feature.

[Steve]

Whereas my DW735 Planer has a 1-Million CFM exhaust fan built in that can shoot shavings down the driveway and into the street if I don't connect something to it. Only did that once. :-)

--Steve

[Leuf]

But on a planer with the cutter on top you can get shavings that sit on top of the board and then get pressed into it by the outfeed roller. With a jointer the shavings are all underneath, and on my Jet just slide down the chute into a box.

-Leuf

[Sparky]

Thanks for all the input. I believe the planer will be first then the jointer next year. Thanks again.

[Leon]

Yes, you have no reference to insure uniform thickness. Not totally unlike ripping a board on a TS with out a rip fence. It can be done but not consistently accurately.

[Doug Miller]

I only did it once, too. You came out of it better than I did, though. My shop's in the house, in the basement. :-b

[Norvin]

Sparky, good choice. Perhaps even rethink buying the jointer. My TS with a Forrest blade WWII gives me a clean enough edge that I haven't use my jointer for several years.It has worked for several table tops.

[Mike O.]

Which ever you buy, there will be times you will want the other. If you buy quality material from a good supplier you may not need either very often.

Mike O.

[B A R R Y]

If you can use a jointer (machine) to plane two parallel surfaces to within 1/32" over 6'', you are extremely talented, and lucky.

I doubt many who are considering which machine to purchase first could come close.

[B A R R Y]

Having ANY thickness of material available on the spot has nothing to do with the quality of the stock.

A planer makes virtually any thickness of hardwood stock available. For instance: 5/32" blade splitters, 1/4" box dividers, 3/8" sled runners,

1/2" drawer sides. Built up moldings can take on new dimensions by changing the thickness of the layers before edge forming.

Lots of artistic leeway is provided when we can have stock of any thickness we want.

[mac davis]

Or, if you have an extra $1,800 laying around:

remove splinters before emailing