jointing question

[wayne]

i am just getting into wood working and i am having a tough time cutting a stright line even with a straight edge.my question is this ...on a board that has been cut crooked...how do you straighten out that edge?or say you have a board where all the edges are crooked,how would you straighten out one edge?

thanks, wayne

[Morris Dovey]

That's exactly the job planes were invented to do.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[bridger]

the easiest thing of course is to already have a straight edge you can count on to be accurate. then you can use it as a guide when making your subsequent jigs and such. the factory edge of a sheet of quality plywood is usually pretty good.

for some good reading material, start here:

[Mike Richardson]

The paranoid me says - how do you know it is called jointing, and yet don't know the first thing about it?

Sorry - I go take a pill.

:-)

[George]

Take off the high spots on one face. Can use electricity or armstrong. Then reference the others to it.

[Guess who]

1. Glue/tack a piece that has a straight edge to one side, realising how much you are willing to waste [if seeing tack-holes] if necessary, but also judging safety ...not *too* close to the edge. Run through the Table saw cutting the other edge first. Then use that to make your second cut. If the one side will be hidden in the finished piece, don't worry about tack holes.
2. Clamp a Straight edge and use a router with a straight bit.
3. I've come reasonably close freehand with a skill-saw with great care and caution. Close enough to get a decent edge to run against the fence for a clean cut on the other edge.

Think safety first! I've been doing it for years, and now have a small, but clearly visible L-shaped gouge in my forehead to remind me I'm still a Learner.

[Hax Planx]

I double stick tape a 48" aluminum ruler/tool guide so that it protrudes just off the edge of the wood and run it through the table saw with the ruler referencing the fence.

[Pat Barber]

To "force" a straight edge, place the board in question on a "cariier". This "carrier" can be a piece of cheap

1/2" mdf but it needs to be slightly bigger than the stock you are making straight.

Using screws, attach the board to the carrier leaving only a small amount over the edge of the carrier. This will be the part removed. Using the factory edge of the carrier, run it through the table saw. You will then have a board with "ONE" straight edge. Remove it from the carrier and using the new edge, rip the board again.

wayne wrote: