Popular Post gee-dub Posted November 24, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted November 24, 2017 I saw some other 'old stroker' doing this in his shop. Stole the idea and have been using it ever since. There are times when I know I will remove enough material (and have enough to spare) that I just perform this task by feel. If my material can't spare much spoil I do this to assure a true first pass at the jointer. We've all had a board with enough twist in it to leave one end in the air if the opposing corner is held to the jointer bed. Tape a thin bit of scrap to this surface to split the difference. This small piece of scrap and the tape are destroyed on the first pass but, generally result in a usable reference surface for the remainder of the task without having to turn my blank into a piece of veneer. We all end up with thin cut-offs from various tasks and the material type matters little. I used the screws holding one side of the dust port to my jointer to attach a little tube. As I start to run out I gather the randomly occurring thin cut-offs and replenish the tube over time. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted November 24, 2017 Report Share Posted November 24, 2017 With such a dramatic rise, why is it necessary to destroy the shim? Is there no concern of mishap. Pain though it may be, is clearing the head and then powering down a bad idea? Just thoughts I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted November 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2017 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted November 24, 2017 Report Share Posted November 24, 2017 Great tip Gee. Same concept as a planer sled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronn W Posted November 25, 2017 Report Share Posted November 25, 2017 +1. I like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick S Posted November 25, 2017 Report Share Posted November 25, 2017 Here's another method that I've used with great success from Bob Van Dyke. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted November 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2017 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 . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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