collinb Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 At this time I am not building tables or doing anything else that requires edge gluing. And I am not working with rough-cut lumber or otherwise thick stock. Is there any other reason to purchase a jointer? From what I'm reading, if I do small stuff then a little 4-inch class unit might suffice. But to upgrade one should give strong consideration to 8" over 6". But again that depends on the work being done. An 8" seems to take the place of a dedicated planer in some applications and I have one of those. In terms of functionality it appears that the size of the bed allows for a more accurate feeding of the medium. And the greater weight of a heavier unit adds stability and thus accuracy. Correct? Anything more I should understand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raefco Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 I used my router table or table saw as a "jointer" till I was ready to start buying rough lumber and stepping up to true furniture grade stuff, and you can build pretty much anything you want with out it but it is a lot of hard work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstroDave Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 Well if you're like me...right away I am just starting out. I think I'm trying to avoid the "hard work" as Raefco describes it. Personally I had a pretty healthy tool budget to start so I got all the essential big tools out of the way up front. With regard to 6 vs 8 I certainly debated this myself and went with 8 as it would what I refer to as my "one and done" tool. Hopefully meaning I won't likely need to buy another ever...unless it breaks and is unrepairable. I opted for the higher end of the hobby spectrum with the Powermatic PJ882-HH due to a number of factors... 8" cut Helical head long infeed table.. Parallelogram adjustments Weight Last factor is more subjective...When I heard from people who owned them they indicated it was spot on when they received their machines and requirement minimal fuss to tune. Again a factor that plays into reducing the "hard work". my 2c Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 A jointer is a must. My first jointer was a 6" bench top craftsman jointer I bought it for jointing and gluing guitar backs and tops together. I wasn't able to do boards that were overly long and it was time to upgrade. Seemed foolish to get a 6", so I went 8" to handle all this rough lumber I bought. Almost every project sees jointer use. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 You buy a jointer when you need the jointer. The debate over 6" vs 8" has been hashed over a bunch on this forum. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collinb Posted November 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 A jointer is a must. My first jointer was a 6" bench top craftsman jointer I bought it for jointing and gluing guitar backs and tops together. I wasn't able to do boards that were overly long and it was time to upgrade. Seemed foolish to get a 6", so I went 8" to handle all this rough lumber I bought. Almost every project sees jointer use. I can appreciate a fine hand-made guitar. Though my time has always been spent with a Yamaha G-235, not long ago I had the pleasure of playing a Ramierez. Is there a drool icon around here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collinb Posted November 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 You buy a jointer when you need the jointer. The debate over 6" vs 8" has been hashed over a bunch on this forum. That's part of my question: What are the needs? Edges, of course. Corners, perhaps, but I'm not certain. Again, I'm quite (and the metaphor is suitable here) green to the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 A jointer creates a reference edge for further milling. (flat face or straight edge) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 That's part of my question: What are the needs? Edges, of course. Corners, perhaps, but I'm not certain. Again, I'm quite (and the metaphor is suitable here) green to the field. I've had a 6" in my shop for a long time and rarely find myself wishing I had the 8". I bought a high end 6" with a long bed and have been super happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 You cannot count on your stock never moving. Ripping can allow stress relief movement. Humidity and temperature changes can cause movement. Cutting to length can also allow movement. Just because you do not buy rough stock does not mean you will never want to remove a cup or bow. The jointer may not be your tool of choice but do not make a decision on flawed logic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 I bought a thickness planer first and jointed with a jointer plane. Then I bought an 8" benchtop jointer which was a mistake. Not enough horsepower and couldn't keep the fence square. I persevered with it a couple of years and then bought a fullsized combo unit. 10" wide bed - joints and thickness planes in one unit. I assume you have a tablesaw? So really you could get away with a lunchbox planer and a jointer plane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oceandragon Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 I think its the same concept as buy the best tool on your budget and then buy the best quality on that budget. You might want that 8 someday and kick yourself if you just went with a 6. Cant decide?? You could just get S2 lumber and save up more funds while mulling it over. Then it might just be more like a question of Helical or regular unleaded.. than 6 or a 8. Hum what to wear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vyrolan Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 ...then bought a fullsized combo unit. 10" wide bed - joints and thickness planes in one unit. Which one since you like it? It seems like all the combo units get bad reviews except the big expensive ones like Jet's 12" or the super expensive Euro ones (obviously Euro ones easier for you). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keggers Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 A jointer is designed to flatten one face of the board and to square the edges to the flattened face. The planer is designed to thickness the board while referencing off of the flattened face from the jointer. YOU have to decide where your woodworking will go in the future. I have a 12" jointer - but my needs aren't the same as your needs. Only you can decide when it's time to take the plunge and what size jointer will fit your current needs and future needs. As your woodworking skills improve, you might want to build more complicated projects that might require additional equipment. You'll know when you need a jointer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikem Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 I personally would get a planer before a jointer. With sleds and jigs, you can make a planer and a table saw do everything a jointer can. I would then make the jointer the next machine purchase. As for 6" vs. 8", it really comes down to if you have power and budget for it. I ended up going with a 6" jointer as I do not have 220V capability in my shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janello Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 I used my router table or table saw as a "jointer" till I was ready to start buying rough lumber and stepping up to true furniture grade stuff, and you can build pretty much anything you want with out it but it is a lot of hard work This is where I'm at in my life. My next tool purchase will be a 220v jointer. And there was no doubt in my mind when I decided I needed one. So tired of using my router table! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan S Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 You need a jointer whenever you need an edge or face of a board to be truly flat & straight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 Which one since you like it? It seems like all the combo units get bad reviews except the big expensive ones like Jet's 12" or the super expensive Euro ones (obviously Euro ones easier for you). The one I bought is indeed a European one. It is called the Axminster AW106PT2 3 straight TC or HSS blades - although I believe they do a helical head upgrade for it now too. I bought it almost 2 years ago and blogged about it here I didn't want a separate full sized jointer and separate full sized planer as they would have taken up too much real estate in my shop. It seemed like the best option for me as in my shop time is not money. It takes less than 20 seconds to go from jointer to planer mode as I have got the process real quick now. It easily takes off 1/8" from 10" wide oak boards when planing. I still have the lunchbox planer/thicknesser though so if I wanted to maintain a setting on the planer I could still joint on the combo. Current price of the AW106PT2 is $1335.94 US and they do ship internationally - 220-250 volts single phase - do check with them though as in Europe the frequency is 50Hz I know in the US it is 60Hz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 Its a trickle down affect. Its a myth that you can get s4s boards and just go at it and have flat straight boards unless you have seriously good luck. Your boards affect everything from milling, joinery to finishing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vyrolan Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 Thanks Terry. I'll check it out and read your thorough review. The only Euro one I ever seem to see recommended are the ones from Hammer, and they're pretty expensive. I think if I was going to have 220V and go well over $2000 I would just get the 12" Jet one with helical (for around 3K). It has good reviews and seems like a nice machine. So it's nice to see you have one you like that's actually at a sub-2K price point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 It's very, very rare that any board that gets run through the table saw, does not have an edge straightened on the jointer first. I can't imagine working wood, with any kind of efficiency, and not having a jointer. We never even set a tablesaw up on a jobsite, without having a jointer right next to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwacker Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 Im pretty sure the Axminster line is Laguna on this side of the pond. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 They do indeed look very similar. The Axminster ones have cast iron fences now instead of the aluminium ones (they used to have) and the photos of the Laguna's seem to have aluminium ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 You'll know when you need a jointer.Keggers, This made me laugh when I read the last part. Reminds me of when I was in jr. high and I told my mom I was in love. She said "son, you'll know when you're in love". That night she and dad sat me down for a grown up discussion 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vyrolan Posted November 26, 2014 Report Share Posted November 26, 2014 I don't see mention of a current 10" version for Laguna though? Maybe my Google-fu is not strong on my phone and their mobile site is weak. I only see a 12" version at higher price point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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