rodger. Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 When using a dedicated jointer, what are your upper limits of face and edge jointing? I have understood a good practice is that a board twice the length of the infeed table will be perfectly straight after running over the cutter head. For example, an infeed table of 40" can handle an 80" board. Any comments? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barron Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 It's probably a good rule of thumb if you use proper technique, and with good technique you can probably go longer. Hand planes were used for everything for a lot of years and they tend to top out around 24"-30." Other than work benches and big conference tables, how often do you need to joint boards over 80"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Other than work benches and big conference tables, how often do you need to joint boards over 80"? Bowling lanes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted February 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 It's probably a good rule of thumb if you use proper technique, and with good technique you can probably go longer. Hand planes were used for everything for a lot of years and they tend to top out around 24"-30." Other than work benches and big conference tables, how often do you need to joint boards over 80"? Not too often, but its frustrating when you need the capability and dont have it. I have 6" jointer with an infeed of under 30", so this limits me in width and length. I'm going to buy an 8" jointer soon, but was wondering what others do. When I need anything beyond about 6 feet in length I use my jointer plane to edge it. Would be nice to just be able to zip it over the jointer instead. The primary reason for the 8" upgrade though is the width face work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenaqua Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 on long boards I edge joint using a track saw and it has worked well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Bienlein Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 The max I have done were 12" long pieces of 8/4 x 9" wide by myself on my Grizzly G0586. It all comes down to technique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 I've never needed to glue up anything this long, but my helpers and I straighten boards up to 16' long fairly often on our portable jointer- a 6" Woodtek. I handle it at the machine. One helper holds it coming, and the other catches the outfeed. I can't think of the exact purpose, other than once a fancy boathouse roof we did with a long cantilever over jet ski lifts, but I'm sure we've done 2x12x16s, and many other boards up to that size. I'd say 8' or 10' for a heavy board is about the max I'd want to do by myself on a six inch jointer. Jointer length doesn't determine the max length- just board handling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim0625 Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Like Barron said "proper technique".....it's everything. If you have helpers or roller stands set up, you can joint longer boards. If not, I'd recommend staying with the shorter stuff and let someone else build that bowling alley - right Mike? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 When using a dedicated jointer, what are your upper limits of face and edge jointing? I have understood a good practice is that a board twice the length of the infeed table will be perfectly straight after running over the cutter head. For example, an infeed table of 40" can handle an 80" board. Any comments? The rule is there is no rule. Twice the length of your table is baseless. If you need a rule the shorter the better, the length of your infeed table or less will net the highest stock yield. Sometimes the jointer is not the right tool for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodeuce Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 I have the 12" grizz. 8 ft table if I recall. Anyhow, i do 8 ft tall doors occasionally. As said already, infeed/outfeed rollers really are key for the long stuff. I have a 80" level i use as a straightedge to guide how high I set them. Use a feeler gauge under it on the jointer table and I can get it pretty dead on. Put your wood on the table before you fire it up to check for tipping points (you want to do this before you set the height of the rollers). Bring it in a foot or so. Level them. Rock and roll. I do find it tough to grip long boards though when im pulling it through initially. Maybe I need some safety paddles with spikes....hmmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 Never use rollers with a jointer unless your jointing thin stock that flexes and sags off the table due to its extreme length. Roller with wider rigid stock defeats the purpose of a jointer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pghmyn Posted February 25, 2015 Report Share Posted February 25, 2015 When I had a tiny benchtop 6" jointer, I added 30" of MDF tables to each side of the machine. Granted, the machine was bolted to a very rigid steel base, so I bolted the tables to that as well. Other than being loud and only 6" wide, that jointer was pretty darn good at flattening stock. It was the delta benchtop model. I'm not sure if quality is the same since then, but this was bought when Norm first showed it on an episode of NYW. My dad just HAD to have it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim0625 Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 I have the 12" grizz. 8 ft table if I recall. Anyhow, i do 8 ft tall doors occasionally. As said already, infeed/outfeed rollers really are key for the long stuff. I have a 80" level i use as a straightedge to guide how high I set them. Use a feeler gauge under it on the jointer table and I can get it pretty dead on. Put your wood on the table before you fire it up to check for tipping points (you want to do this before you set the height of the rollers). Bring it in a foot or so. Level them. Rock and roll. I do find it tough to grip long boards though when im pulling it through initially. Maybe I need some safety paddles with spikes....hmmmm... Curious....what are you doing that you are jointing 8 ft doors? Feeler gauge...sounds pretty precise like you know what you're doing. Tell me more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodeuce Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Curious....what are you doing that you are jointing 8 ft doors? Feeler gauge...sounds pretty precise like you know what you're doing. Tell me more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodeuce Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 My rough stock I purchase from a local sawyer. Usually 9-10' length. I cut to rough size and joint. With rollers, I use my long level placed on the jointer table with tipping point slightly off the table. I raise the rollers up and check to see if the level is flush with the table using my feeler gauge. My rule is anything .002 and under is good for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim0625 Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Do you make 8' doors? Are you a builder? Craftsman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twodeuce Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 Tim, I have a part time custom business. I do remodels mainly. Most of my doors are 6' 8", but seems like I'm doing a lot of 8' lately...technically speaking they are usually in the 92" range. When they are that tall. I make them 1 3/4 thick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted February 26, 2015 Report Share Posted February 26, 2015 When I had a tiny benchtop 6" jointer, I added 30" of MDF tables to each side of the machine. That is really closer to the right way to extend jointer tables. You really don't need full width tables something like a little 2" plywood "I" beam is plenty. When edge jointing a board with a crown its best to have full support. When jointing with the "frown" down using rollers the piece will rise as it goes over the rollers and fall as it passes the rollers, just like your car going over a speed bump. The material does the same thing with the edge of your table except it does not fall. 12" joiners usually have about 80" of table around 40" per side. Long boards in the ten foot range with a crown will hang well below the 40" infeed table and rise as they are pushed across the jointer creating a wedge. This is why even with "large" jointers its best to cut a straight line on your saw of choice before going to the jointer for dressing. Some boards you can cut the "fown" out on the jointer by passing one end over the cutter and stopping where the cutter is no longer cutting. Flip the board around and do the same. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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