I recommend purchasing the planer first. Making a jointer sled for a planer is a simple and straightforward affair. It will give you the same results as a jointer although it will take a little more time.

 

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.

- Madmark2

Are you sure you know what a bowed board looks like? Please tell me how your method removes the bow from the board pictured below:

Perhaps you're confusing it with a crooked board.

 

I am on the Planer over Jointer team. I have both and each is a great tool, but if I had to give one up, it would be the jointer. We all know there are a number of ways to do almost everything in our shops, but the planer does something that no other machine can do, thicknessing. My projects often need thinner stock, 1/2, 3/8, 1/4 inch parts, and I couldn't do that without a planer, unless I wanted to spend hours using a hand saw and plane, and the results wouldn't be as good.

 

I do that sometimes. I have never used the word "crook"in the cabinet shop. If I said there's a crook that might lead to panic…

 

Hi Noahkix, I have read your post and the first page of comments. I like to know what your trying to do our you buy lumber like 4/4 , 5/4 or 8/4 with the idea of milling your own lumber to size. This is lumber that is rough saw you can buy select boards with one edge and face done . But if your trying to mill your own lumber to size you need both jointer and planer. Now it all depends on what your trying to do. I like to say that Madmark is wrong on the table saw taking out bows hes going to get people hurt giving that advise. A jointer is use to flatten ONE face and square ONE edge to then to use plane to bring down your lumber to it final thickness . Than use the table saw to square the other edge . Like i said about select boards you can buy them you can get around a jointer but will still need a planer. The best thing you could do is read up on these tools and get a STRONG understanding of what they do and HOW TO USE THEM. I also like to say research how kick back happens on a table saw . Good luck

 

What your pic calls crooked, I've called bowed because of the bow shape.

Cutting the bowed board in half will take a lot of the bow out esp if it's just at the one end. Planer will take out most of the rest. But again, why are you buying twisted lumber?

For most reasonable lumber a TS and planer will give you perfectly usable S4S lumber. If you're trying to make good lumber out of pretzels you'll remove so much material getting it right you'll wind up with a perfectly flat and straight toothpick!

Look at my stuff and tell me if you can know if I have a jointer or not. No? Thought so.

Was a jointer used or no?

How about on this?

or this? (Box made from 6" X 6" X 3/16" scrap - jointer that!)

Yes, a jointer is an absolute must as you cannot make anything but crooked sloppy work without one. NOT!

Oh, and no, I don't use a rip jig (but I'll concede their usefulness for lumber I don't buy), I just use the saw fence. Once you have a flatish edge it's easy to rotate and get it progressively straighter. Like I said, two or three passes is usually enough.

 

I don't know if Mark uses the edge to edge jointing clamps that are available. You put the clamps on a known straight board which runs along the fence. The bowed board is clamped to the straight board and run through the saw to get a straight edge, but at a bit of a vertical angle. Then rip the other side of bowed board, then a final small rip to straighten the vertical on the other side. A slow, but inexpensive fix. Rockler sells the EZ jointer clamps for $30. Also available elsewhere.

 

What your pic calls crooked, I ve called bowed because of the bow shape.

Good Grief. You can't just make up your own vocabulary. A bow is a bow and nothing else. You can call it George if you want, but it's still a bow.

But again, why are you buying twisted lumber?

Where do you come up with this stuff? No one said they were buying twisted lumber.
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Look at my stuff and tell me if you can know if I have a jointer or not. No? Thought so.

- Madmark2

Clearly you don't have a jointer. I do and it is a part of virtually every milling process I do.

 

If you weren't buying twisted lumber it wouldn't need straightening now would it?!

"Clearly you don't have a jointer." How? Where? Point at a flaw caused by the lack of a jointer.

I posted three size projects, cabinets (large), plant table with dovetailed drawer (med) and a box made from a piece of 6×6 scrap (small).

Please circle in red what "clearly" shows a jointer wasn't used.

 

Lot of ways to skin a cat…..I usually just cut it with a saw, realign the straight edge and use a router with a flush bit. Great for long boards. If you can buy milled lumber already processed but might need a bit of attention and if they can be shortened you can usually take them to the tablesaw and get a good straight edge…

Sometimes you can't use a jointer nor a tablesaw…

 

.

 

Nevermind. No point in wasting my breath.

 

Very entertaining, thanks for the laughs this morning..

I'm a cabinet maker, not much needs to be all that straight or flat to build a descent "cabinet".
In fact there are lots of woodworking projects you can build without one.
Picking good lumber to start with and your pretty good to go.

But, Furniture is different.

Every project has different tooling requirements for the desired outcome.
Depends on what your building.

 

I haven't used my jointer in years. 6" Jet.

If I need to edge joint, tablesaw is my 1st choice, then router table.

If I need to face joint, I use the Supermax 19-38 and a sled to flatten 1 side, then use the planer.

If it's too out of shape for the 19-38, I get another piece of wood.

 

I haven t used my jointer in years. 6" Jet.

If I need to edge joint, tablesaw is my 1st choice, then router table.

If I need to face joint, I use the Supermax 19-38 and a sled to flatten 1 side, then use the planer.

If it s too out of shape for the 19-38, I get another piece of wood.

- hairy

Are you a hobby woodworker or a Profesional woodworker?

It make no sense to me…

 

Typical LJ thread. The question was Planer vs Jointer - which to buy first? Not do I need a jointer or not.

 

It's been that way on all the forums for the last 20 years…..

 

I would get a planer first.

By themselves, much more can be accomplished with a planer vs jointer.

 

Planer first. Build a sled for flattening one unruly face with the planer until you have a jointer, which will be much easier and faster to use than setting up the sled for the planer.

Edge jointing can be accomplished with jigs (er… fixtures) on the table saw or router table, or even a straight guide board with hand-held router & edge trimming bit, etc., but again, a jointer will do it quicker and easier.

Technically, a jointer, in skilled hands, can do everything a planer can, but the planer gives you two parallel faces with much less effort and skill. Note that parallel faces does not mean either one is also flat; the jointer excels at getting one face flat, so the planer can make a the second face parallel to that flattened face.

If space is tight (and perhaps money not), consider a combo planer(thicknesser)/jointer. Though at 12" wide or wider, a combo is cheaper than separates of same width. One cutter head, and one motor. And you will always be able to face joint any board that will fit in your planer.