When using a typical 6" floor model jointer like a Grizzly - what would you say is the longest piece of stock that can be easily worked by one person? Would using roller supports make jointing longer boards feasible?
If I buy 8' rough lumber I find that I have to cut it into smaller workable pieces to joint and plane it.
Vic
Possibly, depending on how much hassle it is to adjust them to level and parallel with the jointer tables.
You're better off cutting the pieces to an easily workable length before jointing, no matter how long your jointer is:
a) Shorter boards are easier to handle. It's usually *faster* to make one pass each with two 3' boards, than with one 6' board, and the results are better.
b) You'll have more thickness remaining after jointing, with the shorter boards. Consider an 8' board 1" thick with a uniform bow of 1/4". If you joint the entire 8' length at once, you will have only 3/4" left after jointing and planing. If you cut it to 4' lengths before jointing, the bow is only 1/8" in each section, and you have 7/8" left after jointing and planing.
c) Since you're removing less material, you don't have to make as many passes across the jointer, either.
IMO there is no reason at all to try to joint an 8-foot board unless you need to produce a straight, flat 8-foot board. If your objective is straight, flat, three-foot boards, cut them to three feet plus a few inches first, and then joint.
Most folks consider the jointer bed length the determining factor on what can be reasonably jointed. I think you can easily go to about twice the total jointer bed length with the board and still get reliable results with good technique.
Rollers "might" help with longer pieces but they will introduce some problems with accuracy. They may be less of a problem with face jointing, than they would be with edge jointing. Regardless, I'd avoid them.
In addition, I would say you should joint the material at the shortest size that will work for the project (Unless it's really short). Just do the rough cross cuts early, then do the jointing. Only joint a long unweildy piece if that's whats needed for the project. Of course this is all just opinion.
Like others have said, you can joint about to about 2 times the length of your jointer, BUT it's usually wise to first cut long lumber to shorter lengths because warped boards will lose too much before they are straight along their entire length. If you get no snipe, you can just rough cut to about an inch longer than the final dimension. Set up properly, you shouldn't get any snipe, unlike many (depends on which model) surface planers which are prone to snipe no matter how they are set up. Don't cut boards into too small of pieces, as there's a safe and practical limit, which should be noted in your manual.
Dave
Vic Bar> When using a typical 6" floor model jointer like a Grizzly - what would you
Well, I guess I've been doing it the right way then. I have no *need* to joint an 8' board, just trying to save steps but it seems they're not really there to save. Also, I hadn't considered the remaining thinckness as pointed out by Doug - that's more important to me.
Thanx for the opinions!
Vic
The jointer does its job at the cutter. As you've noticed, the infeed doesn't need full contact. What does need contact and control is that portion of the board which has just passed over the knives, so it can provide a proper reference.
The "length" limit is really a weight/leverage limit. A narrow board can be controlled well at greater than 8', a 2x13" piece of yellow birch becomes a challenge at six.
Extensions, unless they are _perfectly_ aligned with the outfeed, cause more trouble than they're worth.
Thanx George, after thinking a bit and reading the comments, I can see where it would be very difficult to get the extensions to be the exact height. What brought it to mind was some 8' long 4/4 hard maple I'm using. Trying to cut corners because at 8' that sucker is heavy. I did cut it into smaller workable parts and it went well.
Thanx,
Vic
Only drawback with cutting to length first is that you may get an unexpected snipe in the planer and ruin a piece. I like to combine into 4' minimum lengths. I used to crosscut an inch proud, then I learned that I couldn't read a ruler that well, so I went to two. Still a lot easier to join a board two inches over use length than to run the whole thing. I also make one extra of the longest and widest piece in the project.
You do cut the longest pieces first?
As noted in a previous thread, I cut to layout based on grain matching for the project , and only after satisfied there try to minimize waste. Using every scrap is of no benefit if the project comes out looking like a mish-mash of unrelated parts.
I cut all pieces enough oversize to mill w/ comfort and avoid snipe. Multiple pieces such as window muntins, etc. are, of course, blanked out in larger pieces for rough preparation. Short single pieces such as narrow drawer fronts are also roughed out in two's or three's, depending on the size of the piece, both for keeping them together for grain and as is comfortable size to work with/minimize waste.
IOW, it's a logical selection of what makes sense driven first by the aesthetics, tempered the practicalities. There is no fixed length or specific minimum/maximum other than the above considerations. As noted, it does make sense to not make a zillion really small pieces too early in the process, so such pieces are kept together as long as possible.
HTH...
Pretty much - I let the grain figure decide which way I'm going to go to minimize waste though.
Someone once said " Sometimes it takes longer to find the easy way to do something than doing it the hard way the first time"
This is a really good explaination of project material planning. I'll add that I've found that using chalk to markup the pieces is also really helpful for this process. I used to use a marker on the edge but it is harder to track multiple pieces from one board once you start breaking it down.
Yes...I keep at least three colors of lumber crayons (red, yellow, black) plus a chalk marker or two for places where the crayons don't work well or don't show up..in general, the crayons last longer and are so somewhat cheaper although it's pretty much a nit....good point for newbies who may not be familiar w/ them.
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