Planer and TS will get you S4S. Jointer is good for warped lumber, but personally I select straight lumber instead of pretzels.

Others will insist a jointer is mandatory, but personally I've never noticed the lack.

 

If you had a tablesaw a planer would be the next step.

 

I would agree with Madmark and Dave. With a good tablesaw and planner you won't really need a joiner. My 2 cents worth world be to first invest in a good tablesaw.

Chris

 

For the stuff I saw that you built I don't see the need for a jointer. If your plan was to use it on pallet wood that's a bad plan.
Some woodworkers do fine without a jointer.

Good Luck

 

Planer, and then Jointer. You do need both. You can work around not having a jointer with a planer sled, but it's way easier to use a jointer.

And for Madmark's smartass comment about buying select straight lumber, most of us do as well. Wood moves.

Plus, you can buy rough lumber for way cheaper than you can already surfaced.

 

If you can afford it, get a combo… Smaller footprint in the workshop than individuals and only 1 set of blades (though helical is recommended) to sharpen… If you're serious into woodworking and can scrape up the shekels, it's a decision you wont regret down the track…

And when it comes to pallet wood… highly recommend investing in a reliable nail finder and never pick the stuff on the ground potentially impregnated with stones/dirt/sand. Start from the 2nd. or 3rd. stack up.

 

Planer and TS will get you S4S. Jointer is good for warped lumber, but personally I select straight lumber instead of pretzels.

Others will insist a jointer is mandatory, but personally I ve never noticed the lack.

- Madmark2

Never in my whole 50 years of woodworking have I walk out of a lumber yard with wood that couldn't be substantially improved by using a jointer before running it through planer. I don't know where you get this flat lumber but it eludes me.

That being said, I'd buy the planer first but would never skip bury the jointer ASAP after the planer

 

For the OP, see my post to Madmark2. Just another opinion.

 

A planer with get you equal thickness thought-out your stock but it will not take out twist and bows or crooked edges.
Get a jointer as soon as you can after the planer.

 

TS takes out bows and crooked edges. Planer takes out cup & crown. Twist? See my comments above.

I was taught to eyeball the edges of lumber at an early age. If I can't find straight (un-twisted) stock I shop somewhere else.

Why would you buy twisted, bowed, cupped, and crooked lumber in the first place? For the sheer joy of reducing a crooked 2×12 into a straight 1×2? In my shop we call that stuff kindling.

 

TS takes out bows and crooked edges. Planer takes out cup & crown. Twist? See my comments above.

- Madmark2

The table saw takes out bows? How?

 

Personally if I worked a lot with pallet wood I would get some kind of hand held metal detector. You obviously need the tablesaw, a planer. The jointer if you like.

 

I used to think like the jointer nay-Sayers for quite a few years….........until I got one. Now I'll never go back.

 

Some shops had them when I worked for them and some didn't. It's never been a priority tool in my shop. I liked having one when I built furniture for a living. If I need a straight flat edge I n just use the router table…it's already eating space in the shop. Now if one pops up at a price I can't pass up I'll find a way to fit it in…

 

The table saw takes out bows? How?
- Rich

First you cut off the string… Then…

I still recommend the combo.

 

A planer with get you equal thickness thought-out your stock but it will not take out twist and bows or crooked edges.
Get a jointer as soon as you can after the planer.

- AlaskaGuy

This is how I've always looked at it. At least if you are using stationary equipment to prep stock.

Even the stuff that lays flat when stacked will take off stock hit and miss when face jointed across a Jointer. That alone says that "flat, true wood" from the lumberyard, is like a Unicorn. A once in a lifetime sighting, if at all.

Thinking some folks like "Kinda flat" stock. That ain't S4S though. It also makes joinery a tough experience.

 

You can make a jig to joint very well on a TS.
Buying 4S wood that does not need cleaning up on all four sides? Never seen it.

Remember, power tools are a modern convenience. One can make museum quality furniture with hand tools. One can get buy with a set of hand planes just fine. I did for years. Of course, a set of decent planes, from block to jointer size, costs as much as a good used 6 inch jointer.

Used helps the budget in jointers. Nothing has changed in decades. About the only thing that has changes in planers is the DeWalt 735. Table saws on the other hand now have a riving knife, very important safety feature, and of course the uber price SawStop.

Some might saw a band saw and a planer are the most important. Some do wonders with a track saw and a router. 9 out of 10 ways to do something work. Pick one of the 9.

Of course, we want them all. He who dies with the most toys wins.

 

On the question of jointer vs. planer there are many opinions. Before I'd buy a TS, Jointer or planer I'd look into a good metal detector if you plan to work with salvaged lumber. Find those boards with leftover bits of nails and staples prior to finding them with a cutter and damaging it. If you are mechanically inclined, I'd look for used units though it may take a little maintenance to get them into top shape assuming they're complete and unbroken to start. I'd look for a TS first then Jointer and finally a planer. You can work with things like hand saws, hand planes etc to cut and flatten wood by hand till you find the tools you're looking for. Back in the pre-industrial revolution days, that's how our forefathers did it.
My 2 cents.

 

aside from the recommendation to get a metal detector for pallet wood something else to think about is what the pallet was used for. The best pallet wood is for the heavy stuff like tile and concrete products. The dust from these can quickly cause the demise of any sharp blade.

There are some workarounds but a jointer get two sides at a true 90 deg. The planer gets the other wide surface parallel with an even thickness. The last step is to run the last side on the table saw to complete S4S. If you work doesn't require all of this level of true and square then that is a lot of money to spend.

 

For me, it is what comes up used first. I was lucky, the same guy was selling Delta 8" long bed jointer and griz 15" planer. Got both for $1200, only. 30 minutes from home. He was buying a new combo machine. Mostly I hear complaints about changing machine back and forth from planing to jointing. There are a lot of used machines if you are not in a hurry. Good luck,

 

You can make a jig to joint very well on a TS.
Buying 4S wood that does not need cleaning up on all four sides? Never seen it.

Remember, power tools are a modern convenience. One can make museum quality furniture with hand tools. One can get buy with a set of hand planes just fine. I did for years. Of course, a set of decent planes, from block to jointer size, costs as much as a good used 6 inch jointer.

Used helps the budget in jointers. Nothing has changed in decades. About the only thing that has changes in planers is the DeWalt 735. Table saws on the other hand now have a riving knife, very important safety feature, and of course the uber price SawStop.

Some might saw a band saw and a planer are the most important. Some do wonders with a track saw and a router. 9 out of 10 ways to do something work. Pick one of the 9.

Of course, we want them all. He who dies with the most toys wins.

- tvrgeek

So true! That's the planer I've used too - such a gift to use. I'd like to become better versed with hand tools (feel like it's the best way to learn, and appreciate power tools), it's just a matter of money right now.

 

Some shops had them when I worked for them and some didn t. It s never been a priority tool in my shop. I liked having one when I built furniture for a living. If I need a straight flat edge I n just use the router table…it s already eating space in the shop. Now if one pops up at a price I can t pass up I ll find a way to fit it in…

- JackDuren

I have a hand router that i'm just beginning to learn how to use. Though if i'm being honest, I dont quite understand how to flatten a board using a router table. Feels like an imprecise way to do it, though perhaps I'm just misunderstanding it. Either way, i do think routers are great - just gotta become better versed with it and eventually step up to a table of sorts. Thinking something like this since i already have this guy: Bosch Portable Jobsite Router Table

 

Really appreciate all the kind and smart replies. This was my first post on LumberJocks and y'all did not disappoint. Thank you thank you! Going to continue saving for a TS (probably this DeWalt), and then pull the trigger on the DeWalt 735 planer (thanks again, @tvrgeek).

 

Look at the Griz G0889 planer. It has:

• Head lock - reduces snipe
• Dust bag - Great idea, no dust collector needed
• Cut depth indicator - shows actual amount of matl to be removed
• Preset stops - crank until it stops
• Planes to 1/8" - most others run out at 1/4"
• 13" width - vs 12-1/2"
• Triple cutters vs two
• Spiral cutterhead option

Grizzly G0889 13" planer with Wixey DRO

No matter which planer you buy be sure to keep the feed trays well waxed.

Now available with optional shop cat!

 

Rich: To get rid of a bow you start by cross cutting it in half. Then you rip a little off each side alternately until the bow is gone. Takes about three passes.