Hey it has been an awful long time since i've checked in. I am building projects still and i am starting to build them to make money. I don't have a planer and a jointer though. How would you guys solve this problem. What tools would you substitute for a less spacious shop like mine and what tools do good for projects that you have had experience with.
I don't know what tools you have,but you can use a table saw as a jointer.You can make a simple little jig to do it.As for the planer,if you are buying rough lumber,then that would be a good investment for your shop,as it can save you a bunch of money on your lumber.If you decide on getting a planer,get the best you can afford.Those cheapo's are more trouble than there worth,not to mention that most of em won't do the quallity work you may need.DeWalt makes a heck of a good one for around 400 bucks.
Good luck
Ken
Brian, if you google up some jigs you can find some alternatives. The rounter table or the table saw can be used as a jointer and the plans for those jigs are fairly common on the internet. They are limited by their capacity though and will almost always be less than even your typical 6" jointer. I don't know what size wood you are needing to joint, so I don't know if that is a feasible option. If you have no space for dedicated tools you may have to use hand planes.
The post above suggests using the table saw and a jig. You just add a sacrificial fence to the stock fence, set it to the right side of the blade sothe blade protrudes into the fence and raise the blade, power on. Just enough blade should protrude to take 1/16th or so cut. You can edge joint this way. If you get a planer, you can make a sled that will level out a board with twist. By wedging up the low corner, you can make the board stable enough to plane the top side flat. then flip the board flat side down and plane off the other side. All this will make do until the "real" jointer shows up. A straight bit in the router table will also work. A circular saw and a straight edge guide will give you one straight edge to work from. You can then use the table saw to make both edges parallel. Don't run a board thru the TS without straightening the edge that bears against the fence first. It will KICKBACK! :furious:
Also don't run a board with twist through the TS it will kick back when the cutoff stops supporting the rest of the workpiece.
You'll really need both eventually, go used, go cast iron, most older tools are rebuildable with new bearings, knives etc. Don't be afraid to shop around. Many people are ridding themselves of excess or older equipment at bargain prices. Check www.craigslist.com bill
Jointers make boards straight and flat. Planers make flat boards a uniform thickness, hence the name thickness planer! :yes: bill
........I don't have a planer and a jointer though. How would you guys solve this problem. What tools would you substitute for a less spacious shop like mine and what tools do good for projects that you have had experience with.
I dont have a joiner or planer either. Fortunately, I have a good hardwoods yard an hour away. I buy all of my hardwood lumber surfaced on 2 sides and straight line ripped. I am fairly good at estimating my lumber needs and never have much left over. Usually any leftovers soon become plates and platters on the lathe. With space restrictions, you can still build lots of fine furniture with a good table saw and a good blade, a bandsaw, a drill press and several routers.
I would look into purchasing both a jointer and planer. Neither takes up much room and can be stored easily when not it use. I recently purchased a table saw, jointer, dust collector and planer and work out of my side of a two car garage. It works. When I need extra room, I back out the wifes car.
seems like all the replies have missed the most obvious so far. You could always go the way of our ancestors.
disclaimer: I'm a power tool guy and will always gravitate in that direction. I only mention the old school option because you didn't specifically say you are not interested in jointing/planing by hand.
Hand tools are great, but to make money on a project, you're not going to hand plane boards to the desired thickness. If you plan on making money building furniture, get a planer and a jointer. These are tools you will use everyday. The benefit is that you can buy much cheaper rough sawn lumber from your local smalltime sawmill for much cheaper than you'll find at a hardwood dealer, or big box store.
Ultimately, a jointer and planer in conjuction are the best tools for flattening, squaring, and planing to a desired thickness but there are plenty of workarounds. I'd go with a planer first and build a sled for it for flattening as "woodnthings" suggests. You really need to get a face flat before edge jointing with a TS or a router for it to be accurate and effective enough. Note that planers don't flatten well without the help of a sled....they just make one side parallel to whatever face it's referencing against, so a twisted board in will result in a twisted board out without a sled or without flattening one face first....the jointer is the most efficient method of flattening a face. Many wood suppliers can flatten a face for an extra fee but you'll lose the flexibility to reflatten as needed if the wood moves. Handplanes can help get a board flat enough to put through the planer, but its a lot more work to do by hand.
If you can spot one-- Mine seems to be doing fine. I had the opportunity to physically check two other nearby stores and they did not have any.
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