When you need a Benchtop Jointer...


Jesse

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I have a very small workshop. I also do a lot of work on the job site. Thus, I must choose my tools carefully for both quality AND portability.

I have need for a jointer, but I'm not excited about hauling around a 200+ lbs, awkwardly sized piece of precision machinery.

It seems that a lot of quality is lost when a manufacturer scales a jointer down to benchtop size. But this is what I need.

I'm looking at the Grizzly 6" benchtop model, as it seems to have good power, is the only benchtop model I have come across with a cast iron table and fence. It also has far less reviews online (bummer), but the reviews I did see weren't so bad (spiffy!).

I have ruled out the Jet and Delta benchtop models due to lots of horrible reviews about the aluminum tables and fences, warping, adjustment troubles, and overall chintziness factor.

Has anyone here used the Grizzly G0612 or any another benchtop jointer? Can you guys share any positive or negative feedback?

I will also be looking for a benchtop planer soon, and am considering the newer DeWalt 734 12.5" model. Any word on these puppies?

I'll stress again that I need small portable tools. It seems like any dialogue about 'which jointer' always leans toward 'bigger is better'. I simply don't have floorspace enough for any standing units (I have the narrow half of a one car garage for a lathe, bandsaw, tablesaw, router table, compressor, shop vac, storage and all the other goodies), and need to be able to tuck everything out of the way and/or pack it into the van several times a month. I hope to be set up with a bigger shop and jobsite trailer in the next few years, but still need to keep expanding my craft in the mean time! Any help is appreciated!

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I'm faced with a very similar problem. My basement workshop is only about the size of a single car garage and I have to be very careful with what I put into it. The way I solved this problem was not to have a jointer at all! Instead, I do all of my jointing with jigs on the table saw. I do have a benchtop planer though. Here's my process:

- Use a hand plane to make one side of my board "approximately" flat.

- Run the board through my planer with my "flat" side down.

- Flip the board and flatten the other side on the planer. I then end up with two parallel surfaces.

- Run my flat board through the tablesaw using one of my jointer jigs.

- Rip the final side to the final dimension on the table saw by running the jointed edge along the fence.

I have two jointer jigs that I've built. The first segment in this video from WoodSmith shows one of my two jigs.

http://www.woodworkingonline.com/2010/03/26/podcast-44-5-surprising-woodworking-techniques-you-didnt-know-about/

Here's another example of the same thing:

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/17567

My second jig looks something like this:

http://www.table-saw-guide.com/table-saw-jointing-jig.html

They both work very well and give excellent results. Best of all, they hardly cost me anything and they take up almost no space!

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I have the Delta bench top jointer. It is the last machine that I need to upgrade to better model. I can make it work, but i wouldn't recommend it.

I also have the DW734, have had it for about a year, and it works great! The head lock does its job well and snipe is minimized. My only advice is make sure you occasionally clean the table on it and waxed. The only issue I had with the planer was the table on the one side of the machine wasn't slick enough, and the board would get stuck. I cleaned it up, and completely solved the problem.

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I had a bench top model when I was first buying tools. It was a "regret" tool. The beds aren't long enough to be of much use and the fences are less than desirable. I'd either go the hand tool route and/or save up for at least a decent 6" floor model. But, I've since got rid of my 6" Jet, too. I now have a 12" Grizzly. NOW, I'm happy.

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I am sure you have done your homework on researching this and I apologize if I am going over well trod ground here. The table saw jig, a similar one for the router table, and a hand plane can solve your edge jointing with no need to find much more additional space. For the flat of the board there is a jig you can make for a router that is a time consuming method but works. I imagine there is ways to do this with other tools including the band saw. Trouble is then you have these jigs to store too. I only suggest these because I know if you are anything like me I get it into my head that I need "this" to solve a problem and I stop looking for other ways to solve the problem.

Back to your question I do not have that model of Grizzly I do have experience looking into bench top jointers and that one looks like it is probably as good or better than any of the models I have seen. I still would not buy it even if I had the same troubles for space as you do. If I didnt have the space I would not have a jointer or I would have a small hand held power unit dedicated to edge jointing.

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I appreciate all the comments! My concern with the use of hand planes for edge jointing is getting a perfectly square corner. The tablesaw jig looks like it could work. I'd like to do a butcher block style countertop soon, and it really seems that even for this project alone, a $200 benchtop jointer will be a real time saver and pay for itself by the time I'm done. Even if it is only good in a very limited capacity, I'm sure I will eventually get my $200 worth out of it. Or, if it ends up being a total waste, I'll write some negative reviews all over the web so more people don't make the same mistake.

I think the solution to my problems for the foreseeable future will be some mixture of the TS jig, handplanes, a benchtop planer, and possibly the cheapo benchtop jointer. I'll let yall know how the Griz works out, too.

Side note - As I'm typing this the autocorrect doesn't recognize the following words:

Handplane

Tablesaw

Jointer

Benchtop

Countertop

This amuses me, being in a woodworking forum, although I know that woodworkers most likely did not design the platform...

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I think the auto-correct is in your browser, not in the forum. I just right-click on the words and my browser gives me the option to add them to my dictionary.

Woah!! I am ashamed - being both nerd and aspiring woodworker, I am embarrassed not to have realized that I can edit my browser's dictionary to include terms of the trade... I am in your debt, sir.

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I have a very small workshop. I also do a lot of work on the job site. Thus, I must choose my tools carefully for both quality AND portability.

I have need for a jointer, but I'm not excited about hauling around a 200+ lbs, awkwardly sized piece of precision machinery.

It seems that a lot of quality is lost when a manufacturer scales a jointer down to benchtop size. But this is what I need.

I'm looking at the Grizzly 6" benchtop model, as it seems to have good power, is the only benchtop model I have come across with a cast iron table and fence. It also has far less reviews online (bummer), but the reviews I did see weren't so bad (spiffy!).

I have ruled out the Jet and Delta benchtop models due to lots of horrible reviews about the aluminum tables and fences, warping, adjustment troubles, and overall chintziness factor.

Has anyone here used the Grizzly G0612 or any another benchtop jointer? Can you guys share any positive or negative feedback?

I will also be looking for a benchtop planer soon, and am considering the newer DeWalt 734 12.5" model. Any word on these puppies?

I'll stress again that I need small portable tools. It seems like any dialogue about 'which jointer' always leans toward 'bigger is better'. I simply don't have floorspace enough for any standing units (I have the narrow half of a one car garage for a lathe, bandsaw, tablesaw, router table, compressor, shop vac, storage and all the other goodies), and need to be able to tuck everything out of the way and/or pack it into the van several times a month. I hope to be set up with a bigger shop and jobsite trailer in the next few years, but still need to keep expanding my craft in the mean time! Any help is appreciated!

I own the Grizzly. It's the one tool I regret buying. It's hard (for me) to get the fence set to 90 degrees; something is warped, as I can't get the far ends of the fence to *both* be 90 degrees at the same time. :-/

The Grizzly planer and bandsaw that I own are both two of the best (and least pricey!) tools I have, but the jointer, not so much. My plan is to jig up the tablesaw or router to handle this in the future. Something, as the shop isn't going to fit a full sized jointer.

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What timing! I was actually ready to make the Grizzly purchase today but happened to hold off just long enough for a guy selling a Delta 6" benchtop model on Craigslist to call me back :) At $65, I'm super happy with it. The fence is a joke, but I've got a sense of humor.

I put some Ash firewood through it, just for fun. It cuts amazingly clean, and I was able to square it all off pretty well despite the wonky fence. on a 5" wide piece of ash, I was able to make full passes at 3/64" without bogging it down. Not sure if these are numbers to be proud of, but it meets my needs! I've got a few projects in mind using firewood, so it'll have its work cut out for it. I just picked up some applewood, too - I'll update when I've put that through it.

Glad I didn't go Grizzly on this one - sounds like it would be just about the same machine at four times the price!

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Nice deal! If you get that shop you are hoping for $65 is not much to have spent for something you may upgrade. Also if you put it up for sale you can likely get your money back if it is in decent shape still. Glad things worked out so well for you.

Oh boy... Me too! Craigslist really is something else - I seem to find too many irresistible deals... Just in the past few days I picked up:

the jointer,

a Makita 3 1/4hp router with table and auxiliary speed controller,

about 20 router bits,

circle cutting jig for the makita,

a set of zero clearance hole reducers,

Delta 13" benchtop planer with an extra set of knives (model 22-580),

Bosch jigsaw with many extra blades,

about 2 dozen assorted clamps,

6hp shopvac (an extra so I don't have to keep switching the other one between dust collection and portable cleanup duty),

a smaller porter cable compressor with hoses and accessories (for trim work only so I can leave the 90lb Dewalt at home sometimes!),

a decent set of turning tools (to upgrade from my little homemade set :)

All this cost me about $850, so I figure I saved somewhere between $1,200 to $1,500 as compared to buying everything new.

...and there's a tile saw I've got my eye on, too!

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the jointer,

a Makita 3 1/4hp router with table and auxiliary speed controller,

about 20 router bits,

circle cutting jig for the makita,

a set of zero clearance hole reducers,

Delta 13" benchtop planer with an extra set of knives (model 22-580),

Bosch jigsaw with many extra blades,

about 2 dozen assorted clamps,

6hp shopvac (an extra so I don't have to keep switching the other one between dust collection and portable cleanup duty),

a smaller porter cable compressor with hoses and accessories (for trim work only so I can leave the 90lb Dewalt at home sometimes!),

a decent set of turning tools (to upgrade from my little homemade set :)

All this cost me about $850, so I figure I saved somewhere between $1,200 to $1,500 as compared to buying everything new.

...and there's a tile saw I've got my eye on, too!

Nice pick-up on all of the tools. Craigslist is a blessing and a curse!

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Here's another option that I just stumbled upon a few days ago when pricing out some stock for a quote. My local lumber dealer will mill anything I buy from them S3S for a flat fee of $25 (I couldn't find any BF limit). They will thickness to whatever I specify, and joint one edge straight. Now I have an 8" spiral head Powermatic jointer and a 13" Delta planer in my shop so it never crossed my mind to pay my lumber dealer to do my milling for me. But when I saw how cheap it is, I think this is the route I will start going. I'll have them basically joint and thickness it TAP and then I can do the final milling back in my shop. This will save me a lot of time and effort not just dressing stock, but also in emptying my dust collector (which I hate more than anything else I can think of). If I didn't have a jointer yet, this is the approach I would take every time. Even if the board bows or twists slightly upon acclimating to the shop, it would be fairly fast to dress it again with a jointer plane.

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Sorry, but just another post on this topic.

If all you are concerned about is edge jointing, a jointer is more of a nice to have rather than a necessity. Before I purchased a jointer, I had success in using a router table to edge joint. But there are so many other methods

- good table saw set up with a nice blade (WWII or one of those glue line rip blades)

- router table with a jointing fence

- good straight edge with a pattern bit

- handplane

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Hey Folks,

Thought I'd share an update on how the craigslist special is working out:

Awesome!!!

I've got a commission coming up where the couple wants some rustic cabinets made from reclaimed wood for their kitchen. One of the ideas I pitched to them was to make the drawer faces and cabinet doors from old pallet wood.

Don't tell me what you think, I already know. Every person that I have told about this idea so far (except my own crazy family) has just gone silent and stared at me like I'm trying to make them drink snake oil. Then, after they regain their composure, they either try to explain how wrong that is, or they politely change the subject...

So I figured I need to do a little proof of concept. I pried apart an old pallet, pulled out all the nails, ran a metal detecting stud finder along each board to make sure all the iron was out, and faced them up on the jointer.

I think they came out really pretty. Not sure what the wood is, but its got great color - some of it almost looks like cedar (but not so aromatic) in spots with some pinks and reds in the grain. After face jointing, I planed them down to 1/2" (using another of my craigslist specials...). Then I brought the boards out to show the customer. They loved the color, and how the cross sections of old nail holes show through.

I was worried about the quality of cut with the small table on the jointer, but after a few passes I had it down pretty good. The trick is walking the board along with even pressure, hand over hand on the outfeed table about 10"-12" at a time, with a roller stand set up a couple feet out. I was also able to edge joint a few 6'ers perfectly after only a couple practice cuts. With a little TLC and a refined technique, this jointer will definitely make do. However, a "real" jointer would definitely be a lot more forgiving - so, when I finally have the space for a "real" jointer, I'll get to feel extra spoiled!

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Here's another option that I just stumbled upon a few days ago when pricing out some stock for a quote. My local lumber dealer will mill anything I buy from them S3S for a flat fee of $25 (I couldn't find any BF limit). They will thickness to whatever I specify, and joint one edge straight. Now I have an 8" spiral head Powermatic jointer and a 13" Delta planer in my shop so it never crossed my mind to pay my lumber dealer to do my milling for me. But when I saw how cheap it is, I think this is the route I will start going. I'll have them basically joint and thickness it TAP and then I can do the final milling back in my shop. This will save me a lot of time and effort not just dressing stock, but also in emptying my dust collector (which I hate more than anything else I can think of). If I didn't have a jointer yet, this is the approach I would take every time. Even if the board bows or twists slightly upon acclimating to the shop, it would be fairly fast to dress it again with a jointer plane.

Cheap for the Bois.

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  • 8 years later...
On 6/4/2011 at 11:08 PM, Jesse said:

I appreciate all the comments! My concern with the use of hand planes for edge jointing is getting a perfectly square corner. The tablesaw jig looks like it could work. I'd like to do a butcher block style countertop soon, and it really seems that even for this project alone, a $200 benchtop jointer will be a real time saver and pay for itself by the time I'm done. Even if it is only good in a very limited capacity, I'm sure I will eventually get my $200 worth out of it. Or, if it ends up being a total waste, I'll write some negative reviews all over the web so more people don't make the same mistake.

 

I think the solution to my problems for the foreseeable future will be some mixture of the TS jig, handplanes, a benchtop planer, and possibly the cheapo benchtop jointer. I'll let yall know how the Griz works out, too.

 

 

Side note - As I'm typing this the autocorrect doesn't recognize the following words:

Handplane

Tablesaw

Jointer

Benchtop

Countertop

 

This amuses me, being in a woodworking forum, although I know that woodworkers most likely did not design the platform...

My intermediate fix:

When I was getting into hand planes, knowing my lack of athletic prowess, I built a jig to hold a board so that I might take the plane over it to produce the perfect 90 degrees required. (One purist told me that if he could do it, anyone could. *sigh*) Anyway, just two right-angle pieces clamped in my Workmate did the trick for that first year before I got a power jointer. Just clamp your board in between the two units. Then ride the sole of the plane at an angle over both sides of the holder and you've got it.  (I would only use it on pieces 4' or shorter just b/c of the clamping ability of a Workmate.)

jointer.jpg

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