My jointer is a 1940s Davis and Wells model with a rabbeting shelf that's part of the infeed table.
The usual technique of removing the shelf, then running the board over and letting it get a lip that you then even out in the thickness planer isn't possible.
So I'm thinking I'll just lower the infeed table a hair each pass. None of the boards I'm dealing with needs a lot of straightening, so it's unlikely to take more than a couple of passes - nothing extreme.
If I understand correctly what you're describing, I've done that. If they're pretty straight and just need to be planed smooth, it works. Then I realized that if they were that straight to start with, why not just use my planer? It works too.
Well, I wouldn't try to straighten them on the jointer if they were ready for the planer. But chances are I'll just run them through the planer on a sled if necessary anyway.
I place a 1/8" hardboard sled on my infeed table and lower the infeed by the thickness of the sled. I have a cleat on the underside of the sled that grabs the end of the infeed table.
I used to run the piece through and flip it end for end (same side down) after each pass. Now I mostly just run it through, remove the lip with a handplane and repeat until the warp, twist or cup is gone. Works well on boards up to about 9 inches wide on my 6-inch jointer and is surprisingly quick (quicker than a planer sled most of the time).
I'm intrigued by paridgerunner's solution, though, and may give it a try.
I'm not seeing the benefit of the sled on the jointer. I use that method often by simply removing the guard and using the rabbeting capability of my jointer (20 y/o Jet JJ6). The Grizzly model he's using can do the same thing.
I do like his sled for the planer. I use a long one with cleats which rides with the board through the planer. His way looks better since there's no sled to have to manage during the cut. I'm definitely going to try it out.
Rich,
The issue is that, without some kind of workaround, you only get a single pass through the jointer. After that, the raised lip will hit on the rabetting shelf (unless, like OP mentioned, you have a removable shelf). Using an infeed table you can remove as much wood as the table is thick before it starts catching on it.
Rich,
The issue is that, without some kind of workaround, you only get a single pass through the jointer. After that, the raised lip will hit on the rabetting shelf (unless, like OP mentioned, you have a removable shelf). Using an infeed table you can remove as much wood as the table is thick before it starts catching on it.
I've been doing it for over 20 years that I've owned that jointer and have never run into that issue. As the article mentioned, you will get an angle, but any board that's going to need more than 1/8" removed to flatten isn't worth working with without saving it for smaller pieces. Given a 6" jointer, the angle won't exceed much past 1 degree and besides, the goal is to get a flat face to run on the planer sled, not parallel ones. That's the planer's job.
Question about paridgerunner's link: why does the sled have to be 1/4" narrower than the cutter head? Doesn't it make sense to make the rabbet as thin as possible?
I ve been doing it for over 20 years that I ve owned that jointer and have never run into that issue. As the article mentioned, you will get an angle, but any board that s going to need more than 1/8" removed to flatten isn t worth working with without saving it for smaller pieces. Given a 6" jointer, the angle won t exceed much past 1 degree and besides, the goal is to get a flat face to run on the planer sled, not parallel ones. That s the planer s job.
I need to give it a try sometime without the sled and just end up with the angle.
In your experience, do you end up removing less material, as stated in the article?
I can see it removing less on the jointer, but do you end up removing extra on the planer to flatten the angle?
Question about paridgerunner s link: why does the sled have to be 1/4" narrower than the cutter head? Doesn t it make sense to make the rabbet as thin as possible?
I need to give it a try sometime without the sled and just end up with the angle.
In your experience, do you end up removing less material, as stated in the article?
I can see it removing less on the jointer, but do you end up removing extra on the planer to flatten the angle?
As I mentioned earlier, if a board's going to require much stock removal, I prefer to save it for smaller pieces that will be easier to mill and find a straighter board to use instead.
This isn't something you want to be doing on 13/16 S2S if your goal is 3/4. If that's your point about removing less material, then I say give it a go, but it's risky, so have a plan B. You're much safer shopping more carefully in the first place. Know what you're buying for each part of the project. If it's a table, some irregularity in the pieces for the legs and apron can be tolerated since you can just cut those to rough size on a band saw and go from there. Grain direction is the most important thing for legs. The boards for the top need to be chosen more carefully for straightness and a good grain pattern, especially if they're wider than your jointer.
As a last resort, consider ripping the boards narrower on the band saw and glue them back up. It obviously wont work for a something like a book matched top. It's really up to the woodworker.
So much of this varies depending on the situation. There's no way I could give a set of steps to follow that will work in every case.
Just a few dabs will do where the lumber meets the sled and to secure the wedges to hold it firmly as it passes under the feed rollers.
A knife cuts it free. Then the otherside may be planed sled-free.
For more, I am sure there may be some youtube clips that may demonstrate.
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