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Advice on equipment.

1295 Views 31 Replies 17 Participants Last post by  Watercolor
Ive been in wood working most of my life and have never worked in a shop with a jointer. Most jointing task were accomplished on the table saw. Im in the process of outfitting my personal shop which is 18×18 but hopefully will be 32×18 in the next year or so. The only 2 tools im missing are a planer and jointer. I joint on my delta unisaw and follow up with a number 7 or 5, unfortunately my hand tool days are numbered due to arthritis Im afraid.
Im looking at a 15-20" planer and a 12" jointer or a hammer a3-31 or a3-41. I know ill save space with the combo but do i even need a jointer? Or could i do just as well with a planer and sled?
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I too have never felt the need, nor the lack of a jointer. My TS gives flat, glue line edges. I have a nice planer, but that is just used for dimensioning or taking the rough off. I resaw 1×6's on the TS to within 1/16" or 1/32" and only plane that last little bit. I do have DRO's on everything to eliminate parallax errors and make it easy for these old eyes to see. Skip the jointer, buy a better planer or something else.
DRO?
Apologize for my ignorance.
Digital Read Out, iGauging or Wixey brands typically.

I have a Wixey on the TS fence and on the planer. I use an iGauging Digital Height Indicator for setting router and saw cutter heights. A Wixey angle cube and an 8" digital caliper round out the set.

For general measuring and marking check out the 6" and 12" Incra T-rules. The have .5mm holes at every 1/64" so you can insert a mechanical pencil and slide to make perfect measures every time
Whether you need a jointer may depend on the scale of work you want to do. You can certainly get by with a sled and a table saw or even joint edges on a router table. I've never had the confidence my ripped edges of more than 48" were likely to be straight enough for glue ups but some people may be fussier at every stage of the process than others. If you're just working for yourself who cares what you do but if you do work for clients some of them can be very picky about details like tight joints.
The jointer is a very important machine to have. You can quickly cut a flat surface on a oddly shaped board then make a edge square to this face.
From there you can go to the planer or your tablesaw even the bandsaw. Really depends on what your projects demand.
Without a jointer you'll spend lots of time making silly fixtures on your planer or table saw to do what a jointer does in minutes.
Unless your into goofy work and like doing things the hard way get a jointer!
A jointed edge is a flat face to square edge. This is the first reference edge to mark off of that directs the fitting of the other parts.
Good Luck
The jointer is a very important machine to have. You can quickly cut a flat surface on a oddly shaped board then make a edge square to this face.
From there you can go to the planer or your tablesaw even the bandsaw. Really depends on what your projects demand.
Without a jointer you'll spend lots of time making silly fixtures on your planer or table saw to do what a jointer does in minutes.
Unless your into goofy work and like doing things the hard way get a jointer!
A jointed edge is a flat face to square edge. This is the first reference edge to mark off of that directs the fitting of the other parts.
Good Luck

- Aj2
+1
My work has ranged from a 15' 6 leaf table to standard case work. Last week i completed a 60" round table with laminated apron and turned base (i didnt turn the base).
This was at my day job not my shop. My last paying project at my shop was a teak and white oak swim deck.
If you are a production shop mass producing stuff for clients, a jointer is worth it.
Once you get a jointer and use it. You will wonder why you never got one sooner. It saves a lot of time.
I work daily in a custom/production shop but this will be in my personal shop. Sounds like it would be a welcomed addition…

I know its been beat to death but stand alone vs combo machines is the next question.
I like stand alone machines. So that's what I have 12 inch jointer with 99 inch long tables. My planer is 15 inch with a insert head.
Nothing wrong with having a combo machine. The only ones I would recommend are the professional line. Too many horror story's about mid low price budget friendly makers.
Too bad you didn't start your quest a bit sooner. It's a tough buy right now.
Normally I would suggest the used market but even that hasn't recovered.
Good
I have a small 6" jointer with a 30" bed. Wished I had room for a larger jointer. One tool you may not thought about putting in your shop, That's an Edge Sander 6"x80" or longer. The 6"x80" I have, is the second must machine in my shop. I also use it as a jointer. Have you looked at Woodmaster (made in the USA) planer or drum sander.
That wood master is interesting…
I was searching the used market but everything is upside down. I almost decided to purchase a powermatic 15hh but then i ran across the hanmer a3 series.
i have a nice baldor motor and plans to make an edge sander.
In the old shop I had a 6" jointer next to the table saw, making cabinets for the house it was a very nice addition in the shoo. Getting very smooth square edges requiring no to little sanding.

That is on my list of power tools to purchase, unless I can build up a nice collection of hand planes.
I buy most of my lumber 8/4 rough sawn in long pieces. That means cupping, twist, and bowing material. I find my jointer to be very helpful in flattening wide boards in preparation for the thickness planner. As far as edge jointing I seldom use the jointer. The table saw is my choice for edge jointing. I have an 8" Delta jointer. On occasion I yearn for a 12"er
Had a jointer in high school shop. Bought my first one, a short bed craftsman 6". When I found a delta 8" long bed, I grabbed and have not looked back. I'd rough lumber I have sawn, but I also use the jointer for edges. It is square. My planning isn't. And my shoulder is shot, so I would rather do minimal hand planing. I don't like the idea of changing from jointer to planer. Even for a small home hobby shop, I look at that as a waste of my time.
I always seem to analyze from the worst case perspective, ie hard times requires me to sell off my tools.

Between these two set ups which one would hold value and be easier to turn if need be?

Hammer a3-31
Or
Powermatic 15hh and 60c 8" jointer
I've got a Jet 12" combo and really like it. I chose it due to my limited space. It's on a mobile base as are all my tools.
I can move any tool into a clear space to make the best use of it for the task at hand, then move it back out of the way.
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