Random Tip #9 - Jointer Teeter Totter Assist


gee-dub

Recommended Posts

I probably was too brief in the explanation of what was going on.  The rise is the result of twist, not bow.  The shim allows you to press down on that area assuring a continuous feed path.  The idea is to allow you a full pass on the areas that will engage the cutterhead.  This leaves you a jointed area that will now ride the tables without teeter-tottering or requiring anything other than a normal pass through the machine.

Many folks, including me, do this by balancing the twisted board and that works well enough in most situations.  The shim just makes it easier to split the difference reliably on the first pass.  When your material is barely thick enough to yield the parts you need, this will lessen the amount of material you need to remove to get to "flat".   I have never had a jointer have trouble with the shim or tape.  They just get obliterated and sucked into the DC flow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

45 minutes ago, Mick S said:

Here's another method that I've used with great success from Bob Van Dyke.

Right, this is the 'free hand' method I mention. 

16 hours ago, gee-dub said:

Many folks, including me, do this by balancing the twisted board and that works well enough in most situations. 

This is what I often do if material thickness is adequate.  The shim helps if your blank doesn't have much spoil to offer and comes into play when that is a concern for me.  I imagine it could also help folks develop muscle memory who are uncomfortable with, or are still working on, their free hand technique.

Just one of those random things we all pick up along the way.  There's always more than one way to skin the cat :).

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Who's Online   3 Members, 0 Anonymous, 39 Guests (See full list)

  • Forum Statistics

    31.2k
    Total Topics
    421.7k
    Total Posts
  • Member Statistics

    23,756
    Total Members
    3,644
    Most Online
    FaithMoody
    Newest Member
    FaithMoody
    Joined