Need help learning how to joint 39 inch long boards

[stryped]

x-no-archive:yes

I am thinking of building a bookcase. The plan has a solod hardwood top. It has to be 13 1/2 inches wide. I have posted before about trying to joint without a jointer. I have a 99 dollar ryobi router table that is small and does not have a split fence. I fooled with it ahile back tryign to put a shim on the outfeed side to sort of turn it into a jointer but it seemed nothing worked. I can try some more but I am wondering if a 39 inch lond board may be too long for it.

I have read something about clamping a straight edge to a table and clamping the piece to be jointer on top of that and somehow "freehand" routing the board with a straight bit. To be honest, I have never "free hand" routed nd have only used a router in my table. Can someone explain to an idiot like me how I can do this and get acceptable glue ups? Can I use a metal straigth edge?

Or should I just go out and buy a jointer? Lowes has one and I got a 50 dollar coupon off in the mail yesterday. The one they have is a Delta. It is on a stand. But to be honest, I am trying to save money. The company I work for is not doing too good right now and I am a little bit worried.

I appreciate you advice as always!

[Tim Taylor]

By chance, do you work for the old Delta faucet place in Henderson?

[pat]

[Dave W]

[Owen Lawrence]

You need a (flush cutting) straight bit with a guide bearing. That is, the bearing has the same diameter as the cutter. Ride the bearing along your straight edge and your workpiece will exactly match your straight edge. (Note: your "straight edge" doesn't have to be straight for this to work.) To route the matching piece, clamp it opposite your workpiece, as if you were about to mate the two boards together, but leave a gap a little less than the diameter of your cutting bit. Route again, but keep the bearing on your straight edge as before. When you're done the two boards should match. A bump on one will have a mating trough on the other. You can even use this technique to follow a grain pattern so your joint will be hidden better.

- Owen -

[dadiOH]

Exactly *what* didn't work? Shimming? Getting a straight edge on the board?

"Fooling with" doesn't count as applied, intelligent thought. _____________

Hard to say since you didn't give its size. Not likely though. Even if the fence were too short you could always make a longer one. You could make the top bigger too. __________________

Yes, you read it here...numerous people explained how to do it. Why not read it again? Oh, wait...you *can't* read it again because for some unfathomable eason you insist on not archiving your posts. _________________

1. Get something with a straight edge. It can be a board, metal, plastic as long as you can clamp it down and it is wide and/or thick enough to remain straight when you push on the side.
2. Clamp it to the board you want to work on. Clamp it at a distance from the board's edge that will allow you to run the router's base plate along it and have the bit take off sufficient material to make the board's edge straight.
3. Run the router baseplate along the straight edge, moving the router from left to right or - depending on how you are standing - away from you.

This is *not* "free hand" routing as the router is being guided and the cut controled by the straight edge clamped to the board you are routing.

A slightly easier way is to clamp the straight edge at the board's edge and use a bit with a bearing...the bearing runs on the straight edge and thereby guides the router. It's easier because you can eyeball where to clamp the straight edge and not have to include an offset for the baseplate. ________________

Then why not follow it once in a while?

[Andy]

I agree - I'd recommend a used Stanley #5 jack plane and a 36-48" straightedge to check your progress. (check ebay, local auction, antique shop, etc. - just make sure there aren't any big cracks in the steel bed/sole). Of course the longer jointer plane would be ideal, but the jack is more versatile and not as heavy. If possible, a decent block plane or #3 or 4 smoother would be a nice compliment and is nice for smaller trimming and chamfering. To learn how to tune, set up, and use hand planes, get a few books from your library or used from Amazon, do several google searches, and search the archives here (go to

and use "search this group"). I've had good luck flattening boards for face jointing with a hand plane, straightedge, elbow grease, and patience. I've also had fun playing with the planes, both setting them up and figuring out how to use them. If you can pony up the $150+ for a nice new one (LV/Veritas, Lie-Nielsen, Steve Knight, etc.) they're amazingly nice and just about ready to use out of the box, and still much cheaper than your power jointer, but I've also had good luck with a $15 Stanley (+$30 LN replacement blade). In fact, you might want a little plane to clean up the machine marks left by a low-end jointer anyway. Something to consider, Andy

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[Locutus]

Put a square on your shimmed fence, and set the fence so it is square with the bit.

[Tim Taylor]

Oh, ok. I was just curious. I grew up in E-town. I get down Bowling Green way quite often.

[alexy]

Why are you requesting that your questions not be archived? Frankly, if there is some reason you don't want this archived, I'm not sure I'd want to provide a substantive answer and have it archived. You are the only person I have seen do this. What is the issue?

[tom]

[boorite]

Best advice you have gotten so far is to use a bearing-piloted bit in a handheld router. The bit can be a "template" bit with the bearing on top or a "laminate trimming" bit with the bearing on the bottom. You just stack the workpiece with the material you use for a straightedge accordingly and go. Make sure your straightedge piece is really clamped at a right angle to the workpiece's ends, and the guide edge is just shy of the workpiece's existing edge.

Certain cheap sheet goods, like tempered hardboard, make really good straightedges for this purpose.

I would completely forget about using the cheap router table with the one-piece fence for anything remotely like jointing.

The router, however, is probably the same as mine (Ryobi fixed-base 1

1/2 hp), and it's just fine for this kind of handheld, template-guided edge routing.

Hope I helped.

[boorite]

My admiration for hand-planing skills is just short of awe. But what if he wants to joint the panel sometime this year? ;-D

[N Hurst]

I don't think that's it. If you're in Google Groups, you can see a history of his posts in a bunch of other newsgroups going back months.

And honestly, there's not a lot of privacy needed in rec.woodworking. In some of the other groups, I can kinda see it, but really, if you're THAT concerned with privacy, you shouldn't be posting things you don't want known on the freakin' NEWSGROUPS.

-Nathan

[foggytown]

That's the advice I'd give. I would only add that your choice of what to use as a "straight edge" deserves some thought. It needs to be thick enough so that the pilot (bearing guide) has a decently broad surface to ride on. A 48" sash cramp would be a pretty good choice. But you can get more flexibilty from a straightedge which is independently clamped to the board to be jointed rather than relying on integral clamps. A long spirit level is very good AND has other uses when you're not jointing.

FoggyTown Red Sox fan since 1955 - now considering options

[lwasserm]

A 39 inch board (assuming you only need edge jointing) is a piece of cake really. Tack or double-side tape a straight board to your stock (piece of plywood with a factory edge works well). Run that straight edge against your table saw fence, with the fence set so that the blade cuts a straight edge on the workpiece. Remove the straight-edge guide board, flip the workpiece, and rip a straight edge on the other side. If you have a good quality blade like a Forrest, you may be able to glue up as-is; If not, a few passes with your #7 (or #6 or even a jack plane will work fine on a 40" board) and it'll be ready to glue. Save the router for routing is my advice!

Now, if you don't have a table saw, you can still do it, use a straight edge guide with a circular saw to cut the straightest edge you can, then finish up with the hand plane.