Question about smoothness from thickness planers

[CW]

I have a planer, no jointer. Not likely to ever have one. No need.

wrote

[CW]

It's a plane. Place it on the wood and push.

[henry]

The reason above folks suggested a Jointer is that a cupped or bowed board needs to be flattened on one side and then put that side down through the planner to get the other side parrallel which means that it also will get flat. The planner rollers will flatten a board going through but the board will want to go back to its cupped shape. If you get tear out feed the board in the other direction to get the grain in the correct direction. My delta has problems without dust collection as stated above. Also try a lighter pass at very end.

[president]

A planer treats the wood fibers differently than a sander does. When the grain gets compressed by a planer it will stay compressed during sanding. The moisture from a stain or paint can cause the fibers to swell and thus re-expose the marks.

[John Grossbohlin]

"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" wrote in message news:IcKdndE8CvgoRBHZnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]...

As others have mentioned, it's a hand plane. Following is a link.

'd wanted one for at least three years. Tom L-N and his daughter manned the L-N booth at my club's woodworking show in March and I decided to go for it... With the "show special" discount and the "post card" discount it was slightly less painful than paying full pop. After using it, compared to my grandfather's abused and tired Millers Falls 22, I promptly forgot the price. This as it works so nicely! I find I use it for things where a smaller plane could work. ;~)

Saturday I prepped enough stock for the eight students signed up for my hand cut dovetail class. The students will make Shaker style pencil boxes--though some may opt for finer "Empire" style dovetails with contrasting wood. (More guys wanted to come but I am afraid to try to tackle more than eight students even with help!) To put the focus on the layout and cutting of the dovetails I figured I'd get all the stock ready ahead of time. Running the L-N No 7 over everything took care of the thickness planner snipe and undulations in short order and besides it was another excuse to use the plane!

John

[mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.ne]

[mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.ne]

[mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.ne]

Darrell,

How rough does a board have to be to justify getting a jointer? The wood at the Santa Fe store seems pretty flat and I'm looking to just do small projects. Of course, even a small curvature probably makes a reasonable difference when making cabinets or dressers.

If I'm just looking at doing things no bigger than a couple feet, like boxes ... can I get away without having a jointer? Space is a premium in my workshop.

Jack

Darrell Dorsey wrote:

[CW]

Yes, easily.

[Prometheus]

Of course. I don't have one, and I've been doing woodworking in various forms for quite some time. Not only is it a hobby, but it's how I make a living, and in every shop I've been in, the jointer sits unused in a corner collecting dust.

That isn't to say they don't have their uses, but they are rarely a must have piece of equipment.

[Leuf]

Yes, but you really should have a hand plane or two to straighten the edges prior to running through the table saw.

-Leuf

[George]

Don't any more, but I used to prepare a couple pieces once a year for the kids as a demo. Scrub to smooth and beyond. Glad there was a shower near by, as it's sweaty work, especially to one who is used to letting the machine do it. My preference, as a matter of fact. Product over process there, anytime.

[mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.ne]

Yes, I've already fell victim to that problem. Right now, I have a board that is uneven on both sides. What I plan on doing is taking a nice straight guide board (like a precut 2x1 oak strip), affixing it to one side, then making my first straight cut with the straight tacked strip up against the fence. Then, the board should be ready for a simple cut on the other side with the newly cut side against the fence.

I'll check the newly cut side first and ... as you suggest ... hand plane it if necessary to ensure a nice straight cut.

Thanks!

Jack

Leuf wrote:

[Darrell Dorsey]

"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" wrote in message news:KOudnTCauNfulBPZnZ2dnUVZ [e-mail]...

I really don't know. Never thought about it. I always buy 8 to 10 foot boards 6-8 inches wide. I don't have time or patients to flatten one side with a jointer. So a jointer is the only way to go for me.

Again, don't know, never tried it. My first step with rough lumber is to flatten one side on the jointer. I have worked with shorter pieces of rough stock. But I flatten first. I know I've seen jigs in magazines that allow you to shim and hold rough boards for flattening on a planer, with out a jointer. Never thought about using one, cause I have a jointer.

Darrell

[Darrell Dorsey]

So what are the steps you use for flattening rough stock? Do you find that hand planes are faster and better than a jointer?

Darrell

[alexy]

Even if you had the patients, how would you convince them to do the flattening for you?

[Darrell Dorsey]

I guess you cant trust spell checkers to do the thinking for you as well as check spelling!!!!!

Darrell

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I thing your write. Doughnut get you made?

[Prometheus]

Faster and better? No. Cheaper and smaller? Yes. My standard procedure with rough lumber (though I will point out that at least 75% of my stock is S3S) is to hand plane one side, check the board for parallel faces with some winding sticks, then run it through the planer.

Truth be told, if it's not too rough I often skip the handplane and go right to the planer- it hasn't complaned yet.

As far as edge jointing goes, I just run it through the table saw. If it's warped, I tack it to a bit of mdf and run that against the fence, then flip it to rip the other side to the final dimention. A good blade and a bit of practice will give you cut edges that are ready for glue up right off the saw.

If your saw isn't very accurate for one reason or another and you need a better finish for edge jointing, just clamp the two boards that are to be jointed together, stand them on end, and shave them both with a handplane at the same time. Even if you're a little out of square, the result will be complemenary angles.

A good hand plane (or even a bad hand plane that is sharp and tuned up) is easy to use, and very portable. A jointer is easier to use, but you're never going to lug it to a jobsite to trim a door- and when you're not using it, it's an aircraft carrier collecting dust in your shop. I'm not a neander by any means, but at least in my shop, that's a bit of big iron that would probably not earn it's keep.

Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind and buy one at any time! :)

[George]

Note, there's hardly a tool out there you can't work around, though some people must get taken up with process and forget about time entirely. A decent jointer is too handy, and scarcely a buck and a half more expensive than the LN #7, which is why most shops have one, even when lumber is delivered surfaced and edged. It's not worth fussing.

No need to give a board parallel faces to put it through a planer. Plain and plane silly. All you need is a stable board and to let the planer do its job. Most people will do a quick high spot knock down and start the feed if they need to. Even people with jointers do this. The machine does an averaging act as it feeds. Of course, you can always stabilize boards on a sled.

Did I mention that anyone owning their own planer should have their head examined if they plane and store lumber? With a planer you make up what you need in the dimension you require on the spot. Which is why you make shorter boards, which are easier to work with, of the longer before processing.