Hi,I just bought a portable 6" jointer planer and started using it on some reclaimed lumber of various widths. I have never used a jointer before but I need it due to the irregular cut wood. I have watched a number of videos on Utube but they never seem to bring up my issue? I am doing something wrong when I am using the planer because a piece of wood starts at 3/4" but many times it ends up at a different thickness throughout the board length say 3/4" on one end and 5/8" on the other. Is it because I am putting too much pressure on the board as it goes through the jointer or is it something else. Are you suppose to put pressure on the board as it goes through the jointer (using the paddles provided) or just enough to hold it through the cutting process. Could it be that the wood is so cupped on one end that it ends up being thinner than the rest of the piece by the time I get it flat? Any thoughts?
Jointer operation.
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I believe you want to put the pressure on the outfeed side, that way you're not pushing the wood into the cutter and then letting up on the way out.
Keep in mind you will not get uniform thickness with just the jointer unless you use shims.
http://www.wwgoa.com/jointer-vs-planer/
Keep in mind you will not get uniform thickness with just the jointer unless you use shims.
http://www.wwgoa.com/jointer-vs-planer/
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the jointer has no brain
It only does what you tell it......remove material when you push it over the cutter.
You need to sight down the board to determine WHERE the material needs to be removed ...at the ends, in the center, only on one end. You need to treat it like it's a hand plane on steroids and only remove material that will make the surface flat. That may mean "planing" from each end by stopping and flipping the board part way through each pass. You must sight the board each time to see what you have accomplished. You can mark up one side with chalk or a colored crayon to see the results. :yes:
A light pressure is much better than full body weight when starting out. You need to feel the machine and how it's working under the piece. You can start with a deeper cut to get things flat, then raise the infeed to just remove a 1/32" at a time when you get close.
It will take some learning curve to figure it out. Practice on wood that you won't miss if you mess it up, not plywood, maybe Pine or Poplar.
It only does what you tell it......remove material when you push it over the cutter.
You need to sight down the board to determine WHERE the material needs to be removed ...at the ends, in the center, only on one end. You need to treat it like it's a hand plane on steroids and only remove material that will make the surface flat. That may mean "planing" from each end by stopping and flipping the board part way through each pass. You must sight the board each time to see what you have accomplished. You can mark up one side with chalk or a colored crayon to see the results. :yes:
A light pressure is much better than full body weight when starting out. You need to feel the machine and how it's working under the piece. You can start with a deeper cut to get things flat, then raise the infeed to just remove a 1/32" at a time when you get close.
It will take some learning curve to figure it out. Practice on wood that you won't miss if you mess it up, not plywood, maybe Pine or Poplar.
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298 Posts
Make sure your outfeed table is at top dead center of your cutter head. If your outfeed table is higher, you will actually loose your cut as you finish it, meaning it will cut well as you start the cut, then take a thinner cut as you push it through, eventually not taking any material. If t is lower than your cutter head, you will get snipe as you finish the cut.
Keep in mind the only way to get a uniform thickness is to use a thickness planer, it cuts from the top down so it takes off a uniform cut, between the knives and the table.
Keep in mind the only way to get a uniform thickness is to use a thickness planer, it cuts from the top down so it takes off a uniform cut, between the knives and the table.
I rotate ends of the board if I am having to make multiple passes. I have found that if I need to take off very much wood I can wind up with a wedge if I do not change directions. That is probably because my technique is poor.
Yes, the majority of pressure on a board should be more on the outfeed end as the board is about to pass clear over the cutter head. Of course, in the beginning it is over the infeed side. As the board feeds, pressure should be about equal. Pressure does not need to be heavy. Just sufficient to ensure that the board stays in contact with the jointer surface.
George
Yes, the majority of pressure on a board should be more on the outfeed end as the board is about to pass clear over the cutter head. Of course, in the beginning it is over the infeed side. As the board feeds, pressure should be about equal. Pressure does not need to be heavy. Just sufficient to ensure that the board stays in contact with the jointer surface.
George
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1,239 Posts
i didn't read any other post's yet, a jointer will not make the board the same thickness on the end's , it is use to flaten a board , or edge a board, a planer will give the same thicknes on each end. that the difference's. you memtion a cupped board now a planer will take care of this , plane the cupped side up and what i do is make a couple pass so that their is a flat serface now flip it down and run it thro the planer a couple times now flip it over and over tell all is flat, now if it is twisted it will still be twisted but the same thickness on each end hole this helps
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You start with pressure on the infeed table and once the board has passed over the cutter transfer your pressure to the outfeed.
It's very easy to taper a board on a jointer, even when you think you're doing everything right. The more passes you make the worse it gets. I almost always use a #5 jack plane to rough a board flat before passing it over the jointer. It's easier to control where the wood is being cut. A couple light passes on the jointer finishes it off without losing a lot of wood.
Here's a good read on jointer problems;
http://www.newwoodworker.com/jntrprobfxs.html
It's very easy to taper a board on a jointer, even when you think you're doing everything right. The more passes you make the worse it gets. I almost always use a #5 jack plane to rough a board flat before passing it over the jointer. It's easier to control where the wood is being cut. A couple light passes on the jointer finishes it off without losing a lot of wood.
Here's a good read on jointer problems;
http://www.newwoodworker.com/jntrprobfxs.html
Hi, well there's more to this than I thought so I don't feel like I'm such an idiot! The unit I bought is a pretty basic unit, porter cable, but it seems to be working correctly. Like George has said, I also have rotated the cut so I get an even thickness when done. I also have a thickness planer so I can get all the wood the same dimension once they are flat, thanks for your input you guys are great, Merry Christmas!
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If your jointer is producing wedge shaped boards, you need to check to make sure your in feed and out feed tables are coplanar. If the outer end of one or both of the tables are set too high you will get wedge shaped boards. The more passes you make, the worse the wedge gets. If you have a parallelogram jointer it will be equipped with cams to adjust the tables. If you have a wedge jointer you will need to consult your owners manual. Most likely it will require shims to adjust the tables.
The grain of the board determines the direction that it is fed through the jointer. A properly set up jointer that is used properly will take the same amount of material from entire length of the board. If it is not doing that, then either the jointer or the technique in which it is being used needs to be looked at.
Setting up a jointer is not a fun process. It takes a lot of patience, and a very little bit of adjustment goes a long way. It is very easy to make the jointer a lot worse that it was when you started if you're not careful. If you don't have a good quality long precision straight edge and a set of feeler gauges, don't even start to work on your jointer until you do. It also helps to have a dial indicator and a good holder for it also. There are a couple of decent videos on the internet that show how to set up a jointer, but nothing beats just doing it.
Mike Darr
The grain of the board determines the direction that it is fed through the jointer. A properly set up jointer that is used properly will take the same amount of material from entire length of the board. If it is not doing that, then either the jointer or the technique in which it is being used needs to be looked at.
Setting up a jointer is not a fun process. It takes a lot of patience, and a very little bit of adjustment goes a long way. It is very easy to make the jointer a lot worse that it was when you started if you're not careful. If you don't have a good quality long precision straight edge and a set of feeler gauges, don't even start to work on your jointer until you do. It also helps to have a dial indicator and a good holder for it also. There are a couple of decent videos on the internet that show how to set up a jointer, but nothing beats just doing it.
Mike Darr
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