Which would you buy first if you could only buy one. Either of these would be in the $400 range not the high end pro models, at least not yet. Thanks!
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17 years ago
Jointer or planer?
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17 years ago
Planer.
Lew
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17 years ago
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17 years ago
I bought a planer because it's possible to use it as a jointer, and it's possible to use your table saw as a jointer, and it's possible to joint yer wood with a hand plane. There's lots of ways to flatten a board but not many ways to get all your stock to a precise thickness with both surfaces parallel.
But it didn't take me long to really, REALLY want a good 8 inch jointer. I got a lot of use out of the planer alone but it sure is a joy having both. 400 is not a bad price for a planer but I think the kind of jointer you'd get for that will give you more frustration than help. I paid a little over 700 for my Griz G0586. They're about 800 now. In a jointer, length of bed really matters.
If I had it to do over I'd still buy the planer first and force myself to wait till I could afford a longbed jointer, or find one used. Usually in hindsight I'd make changes but in that instance I still think I did it right.
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- posted
17 years ago
Kinda depends on your needs. If you buy all of your hardwood already surfaced then you may not have as much need for a planer. If you do a lot of ripping you might use a joiner to clean up your sawed edges. Personally, I have more need for a joiner and would buy that first. YMMV.
Mike O.
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- posted
17 years ago
Agreed. You can pick up a decent DeWalt planer for around $400. I went the cheap route with a jointer, and it pretty much sits and gathers (saw)dust. I end up using my radial arm saw for any large jointing, and my router table for any small work.
BTW, Craftsman 6 1/4" jointer for sale. $80 OBO. Lightly used. In Ft. Worth, Texas.
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17 years ago
Planer. There are many ways of jointing without a jointer but thicknessing is rather difficult without a planer.
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17 years ago
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17 years ago
Wrong. It is *never* possible to use a planer as a jointer.
The two machines serve completely different functions. The two machines have a kind of symbiotic relationship. A jointer makes one surface of a board flat. The fence on the jointer is used to make one of the edges adjacent to that flat face perpendicular to it. Various adjustments to the tables and fence on a jointer can vary the results from flat and perpendicular.
The reason a planer cannot joint is that the pressure of the feed rollers can temporarily flatten the board so that it gets planed, but the board returns to it's formerly cupped/twisted/warped original shape after that pressure is relieved. Of course, if you're board is "flat enough" or you otherwise use any clever jigs or other contraptions to hold your board as it goes through the planer, you
*might* get away with making the surfaces flat and reasonably parallel to each other.- Vote on answer
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17 years ago
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17 years ago
EE Gads, I just scanned down the list and there sure are a lot of opinions as to which machine to buy. I don't know that there is any real consensus of opinion! But one thing for sure.... There are lots of opinions!
Let us know what you summarize from it all and what you decide to purchase!
Don Dando
thicknessing
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- posted
17 years ago
Fri, Dec 8, 2006, 3:54am (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@removethis.yahoo.com (George=A0Max) doth burble: Wrong. It is *never* possible to use a planer as a jointer.
Oh ye of little imagination. I don't have a jointer, and do most of my jointing with my planer.
Simple enough, use a planer sled. They'll work even with crooked wood. I've made two, plan on another. Or, you can make a guide to run stock thru, I may try that for my next project.
JOAT I am, therefore I think.
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17 years ago
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17 years ago
Thu, Dec 7, 2006, 10:18pm (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com did plaintively query: Can you explain this for the woodworking challenged?
Thought I had. OK, very basic. The magic 8 ball says, DAGS planer sled.
Mine've got cam alone one edge, from some of my uncompleted cam clamps, so I can take up the space with scrap wood, then clamp everything in place. They're 100% wood and glue, no metal, just in case.
JOAT I am, therefore I think.
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17 years ago
Ibid.
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17 years ago
The best option is to save your money until you can buy both. Next best would be to look at used equipment so you can buy both.
Here are the considerations:
- A jointer cannot do the job of a thickness planer. Period.
- With appropriate sleds or jigs, you can face joint with a planer. But it's a lot easier with a jointer.
- With appropriate sleds or jigs, you can edge joint with a table saw. But it's a lot easier with a jointer.
- The whole operation (face jointing, edge jointing, and thickness planing) can be done with hand tools. But it's a lot easier with a jointer and a planer.
The two work together: flatten a face with the jointer, then make the opposite face parallel to it with the planer. Best to have both.
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17 years ago
Planer.
The design feedom to use other than stadard-thickness components is huge in my book.
Get a hand plane to knock off the high spots before planing.
Then save for the jointer... You will want one.
-Steve
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17 years ago
Planer
I have had a jointer longer than a planer and have seriously considered on several occasions of getting rid of the jointer to make more room. Currently my jointer is more convenient to use than either of my planers or my TS and choose to use it as a last resort. With a very simple jig you can rip straight an edge on a board and with a little more complicated jig plane flat a board on a planer.
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- posted
17 years ago
Wrong, tell that to the 200 BF of 8' long oak I have that was all rough cut and not perfectly flat or straight.
From the factory, yes. With a jig, no.
The fence on the jointer is used to make one of the edges adjacent to that flat face perpendicular to it.
On long boards this is easier and faster on a TS with a jig.
Various
True
You mention flat enough. If your board is not "flat enough" you should not even consider using a jointer to flatten it. There will simply be too much waste. Better to rip the piece on a band saw to get rid of most of the cup or cross cut to a shorter length to get rid of most of the bow. The planer jigs work really well.
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17 years ago
Food for thought here.
A planer will allow different thickness stock that is not always available at a reasonable price. A jointer is NOT correctly used to clean up after a TS rip cut. To maintain uniform width you need a reference fence. If you saw does not leave a shiny smooth edge consider spending $100 for a premium quality blade and read a book on tuning up your TS.
23 years ago I was under the assumption that I should have the jointer first. I am now on my second planer and the jointer pretty much sets collecting just.