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Is a Jointer worth having?

14K views 85 replies 37 participants last post by  pottz 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Here's what I think should be an easy question - Am I missing out by not having a Jointer? Currently I mill my own lumber with a Chainsaw mill, air dry it and then break down the boards with a Track Saw and lastly plane them with a benchtop Planer. I have heard that planning both sides of the board until flat is not the ideal scenario for getting truly flat boards, but I haven't noticed much difference.

I wanted to ask opinions and see if I should be adding a Jointer to my future equipment list? With the lumber that I have been using, I have not noticed any issues and for large glue ups, I have been using the track saw and obtaining great joints.

The more information I see online, I wonder if adding a jointer to my process would make a noticeable change.

Thanks for the thoughts!
 
#2 ·
The primary tool for flattening is normally jointer. You flatten one face of the board with the jointer and then using that face on the fence joint an edge 90 degrees to that. A table saw can be used to make the other edge parallel and a planer used to thickness the remaining face to be parallel to the jointed face.

People can get around having a jointer by using a sled on a planer or using routers or other techniques. Brave people use handplanes. :)
 
#6 ·
id say absolutely,i use my jointer everytime im in the shop,if you need to flatten a board or get a nice clean straight edge you cant beat it for speed.sure there are always other ways to do anything in woodworking but i sure dont have the time to it the "other" way.go into any professional wood shop and youll find one,it's one of my must have tools.
 
#7 ·
In my mind the jointer is a speciality tool. As stated there are a number of ways to get a straight and true edge (track saw being a good one) and alternatives for facing two adjacent sides in prep for planing.

Surfacing a board face is probably the one thing a jointer does that is both fast and difficult to do with other tools.
 
#9 ·
After several years of non use, I sold my jointer. I work almost exclusively with rough sawn hardwoods, Mesquite, maple, oak and walnut, mostly. A track saw with a good blade, a router, a TS with a good rip blade, and a planer sled are individually useful. Which method depends on the job at hand.
There are many ways to square stock easily and quickly without a jointer.
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
It depends what your building, Jointers are an excellent piece of equipment if you are making panels or more finish pieces that you need to joint the edges, but if you are face planning you can only face plane a board the width of your jointer so if your working with large slabs with a natural edges then a jointer might not be worth your investment and you can accomplish one flat side with a router sled. but if you are working with face planning boards the with of available jointers(4" 6" 8" 10" 12" up to 3' wide for very old jointers then a jointer may be a great asset.
https://www.google.com/search?q=flattening+slabs+with+a+router&oq=flattening+slabs+with+a+router&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.16142j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1
 
#11 ·
You are having good success with the equipment you have, I suspect, largely because you are starting with rough sawn lumber that is pretty flat to begin with. If you want to add some capability to your shop for straightening/flattening lumber that is less true, I suggest you make a good sled for your planer. Of course, you can do this with a wide jointer, but getting one as wide as your planer can be very costly. If you have room and money is no object, go for for it. They are nice to have. I have a small one that is used mostly for edge jointing for panel glue-ups. For flattening large boards, I use my planer and sled.
 
#14 ·
I wouldn't be without one.. not every peice goes across (and i generally use a shaper to edge joint) but for making a flat face in parts used for joinery, you need one.

I have a 8" looking for a 16", just makes life easier. Tough to make doors (passage or inset) with s4s stock alone.
 
#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
I wanted to ask opinions and see if I should be adding a Jointer to my future equipment list? With the lumber that I have been using, I have not noticed any issues and for large glue ups, I have been using the track saw and obtaining great joints.

- Jeepin85CJ7
After re-reading your post it sounds like you would be using it mostly for edge jointing, not face jointing. If it is for edge jointing you can get good results with a tracksaw, table saw or even a router table jig. A wide jointer (larger than 6"-8") can get very spendy.

But then again, you can never have too many tools and even a nice 6" jointer would be handy to have just for convenience vs using the track saw. I't always nice to be able to just walk over to the jointer and use it without having to pull out and set up the track saw.

I have a 6" Grizzly that I love. Don't use it all of the time but when I need it it's handy, quick and efficient.
 
#16 ·
I love having a jointer. Its the most efficient and effective method for getting flat, square, straight stock. Flatten a face and square an edge…everything else references from there.
 
#17 ·
Personally I could not work without a jointer, tablesaw, planer and chopsaw (or RAS) for crosscuts. Jointer is the best/fastest way to flatten rough lumber and set a square edge. There are other ways to do it, but with a properly set up jointer and the right technique none will be faster.
 
#18 ·
I also get alot of my own lumber cut. I just moved up to an 8" jointer. I know some like hand planes, some like hand saws, but I want to build projects, not spend my hours working with hand tools. You said you use a chainsaw mill, not a 2 man crosscut saw. I doubt you will be sorry with a jointer in the shop.
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
none will be faster.

- TungOil
My text message to my supplier to put an edge on it is faster. :)

Honestly, when I didn't do this for a living, and was a hobby. I wished someone would have told me to not waste money on consumer grade jointer, planer, and drum sander.

I think I spent a little over $2000 on all of it. I dont use any of them anymore because they were more frustrating than enjoyable to use. I would spend more time fiddling with the jointer to give a good edge, than actually using it. The planer did ok(bench top type). But rough lumber is 1-1.125 thick. how many passes does it take? with mine it was a lot. Couldn't really use wide boards cause it just couldn't handle it. The 1632 performax was probably the worst. Take paper thin passes and the breaker would trip. Always finnicky with parallelism. Had to have motor rewound, only to park it in the corner cause it sucked so bad.

With all that, getting a flat glued up panel was extremely slow. And just not fun. Maybe some people dont mind taking there time with small, weak machinery. I just couldnt take it. And actually gave up woodworking for a few years.

$2000 grand would have been a nice start to a Saw Stop(still using a craping 20yr old contractor type). Or a heavy duty drum sander that produces great, flat panels without frustration. Almost a Kremlin air assisted airless. The beez neez of spray finishing.

Anyways, thats my jointer rant. dont mean to offend anyone, just my experience.
 
#21 ·
Ah. CW, it seems you are buying finished lumber.
When you work with rough lumber, especialy air dried, you need a jointer. Yes, the boards are cupped, twisted curved etc. Every one. But when you can get cherry for $2/bf, it's nice.

Not trying to be a jerk, serious question. Are boards really that crooked ?

I can think of one board in the past 6 months I was gonna take back to supplier because it was warped. Ended up just cutting it up and making smaller parts.

I dunno, maybe I'm just lucky.

- CWWoodworking
 
#23 ·
It's clear to me that it depends. As mentioned it is a specialty machine. I do not have one, and plan to continue to "get by" using a planer sled as well as other sleds and guides for my table saw.

This is becasue I just do not need to do it that often. So taking longer is not a big deal for me. Also, I don't want to use up valuable floor space in my small shop for something I wouldn't use often.

However, if I were milling rough lumber often (something like several times a month), I'd give it serious consideration.

As with probably every tool or machine, there is always some other way to get the job done. So arguably no tool or machine is an absolute necessity. But, all have their place.

Based on your description, you don't have a problem you need a solution for, so why get it now? If you need better results, need to do it more often, faster, or just want a new toy, then go for it.
 
#25 ·
But If I worked wood for a living I d damn sure have a jointer.

- Woodknack
I always chuckle at this idea.

I do this for a living, you would have to pay me a weekly wage to use a jointer.

I have been in very small to medium cabinet shops, no jointers. Buy my lumber from same suppliers as these people. My supplier has zero jointers.

I used to work for a top 25 USA furniture maker, Specializing in hardwood frames. We are talking about a 300 million dollar company. No jointers. I dont think they would know what a jointer is.

There are different ways of doing things. depends on your goals. Depends on what you like to do. If you like to listen to big motors making wood chips, get after it. a jointer will certianly do that. If you have a sub par supplier that doesnt offer planing or ripping services(do these even exist?). A jointer will serve you.

If you do this without taking time away from family and its just beer drinking time, hell, get as much 220V tools as you can afford. I love the hum of big motors.

I think the only people that use a jointer and do wood working for a living is people specializing in something, or making the one off peices and then writing an article about it in fine woodworking.

People that are moving any decent amout of lumber, are not using a jointer.

Again, I dont want to sound like a jerk, Just want to stop a potiental mistake if I can. Man, I made a lot.
 
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