Jointer question

[lcm1947]

Could or would you joint a say 3/4" x 1 1/2" piece of wood or would this be dangerous? I assume a 3/4" x 3" would be fine but with the smaller 1 1/2" wouldn't that bring your fingers awful close to the blades?

[blame]

hi lcm

i have a 6" jointer that i have used to take the kerf marks on pcs as small as 1/2" x 3/4"

as long as you are careful and watch what you are doing and use push blocks in both hands

but your only as safe as you make it for yourself

blame

[drumpriest]

Push blocks, always the way to go. If you think your fingers are going to be too close, they are, so use something else to control the stock.

[SARGE..g-47]

Evening 47'...

Not an ideal situation, but as the guys have already mentioned; it can be done with extreme caution and either push sticks or over-head pads.

My question would be... how did you get yourself in the position of having to joint a 3/4" x 1 1/2" piece. Could it not have been jointed with wider stock and then ripped to get width?

Maybe not and all you had on hand for an impromptu job of some nature. Would be wise to pre-plan if at all possible to avoid a situation as what you have. Not preaching.. just giving you some fuel for future thought.

Regards...

[LCHIEN]

It could be done, as long as its longer than 10" (you don't say how long it is) But you have to be very careful, the push blocks will be much wider than the stock. The push blcoks will be opening up the safety cover a lot.

[footprintsinconc]

so you bought one, right?

morning,

so does this mean that you broke down and bought a jointer/planer? if so, then what did you buy? i know i am off topic, when i was looking to buy one just months ago, i remember you contemplating the decision to buy or not to.

i'd go with what everyone has already said, not much to add

[lcm1947]

First off thanks for the replies. I do appreciate all the help I always get from this forum and a bunch of wonderful guys. OK, Second no footprint not yet and that is partly why I am asking this question. So did you bite the bullet and get one? Would like to hear what they or it was if so. Anyway I am again thinking about it. I just don't know with the so little actual furniture building I plan to do that I can justify spending that kind of money. If what I've built to date is an example not much so I do hesitate to buy any more tools then what I've already spent and that's a lot. What started me back up about the planer and jointer is I am currently building a coffee table and keep running into problems that a planer and jointer would have eliminated so here I go again. Now the reason for this particular question is and this will answer your question Sarge I buy all my wood from Lowe's or HD so I am needing to take about 3/16" off of the pieces of Red Oak for the edging to make it level with the 3/4" plywood that will be the table top. I know, I know you guys have explained and repeated it over and over and I know I should buy from a local wood mill but it's so easy and I build so little it's just too easy to run down to Lowes and pick up a few pieces at a time as I progress on the project. And trust me it's quite a while between sessions so the money isn't so obvious. On the other hand I would spend half my time running way way across town to pick up a few pieces at a time. Anyway, that's the deal. Oh and Loring it's 17 1/2". Anyway that's the story. Sorry it was so long.

[SARGE..g-47]

Evening Mac...

I read you Lima-Charlie (loud and clear). Perhaps with as little as you say you have time to do, a small low-angle block plane would have done the job. Just a thought in lieu of a large planer requisition. It would have shined with the small task you have and cheaply to boot.

BTW.. a low angle block plane gets pulled from my bag of tricks on just about every project in some fashion or form. Not a bad place to get your feet wet with a hand-plane done in moderation. On a cautionary note.. the one little plane can lead to severe addition. And that can lead to a 12 step program at HPA! ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..

Good luck with the job at hand and be d*mn careful my friend...

Regards...

[footprintsinconc]

hi mac,

i broke down and did buy the ridgid 6" jointer/planer on jan 3, 2007. it was the first tool for this year. i havent done much in the past, but want to so i contemplated for a long time aswell and didnt want to spend all that money but at the end, just did it. i am glad that i did because i used it greatly on my work bench. all the wood i used on my bench is cull wood from HD and it was straightened using the jointer. i had fun with it and now wish i had bougth an 8" one instead. but you have to start some where.

you can use the router setup on your bt3K for that type of planing. remember all the post that niki did, those are a start. maybe one day you will buy a jointer aswell, who knows!

[LarryG]

I am needing to take about 3/16" off of the pieces of Red Oak for the edging to make it level with the 3/4" plywood that will be the table top.

If I understand what you're saying ... I wouldn't try to joint (or otherwise reduce) the edging to final size before gluing it on. Very difficult to get everything lined up when you do that, and there's zero margin for error. Instead, I'd leave the edging pieces oversize, glue them on, and trim them flush with a router -- preferably using an edge guide, but a bearing-guided bit will work. (A router table with a special fence section, notched at the bottom to allow for flush trimming, would be better yet.)

[lcm1947]

Hmmm, a couple of interesting ideas. Sarge I have actually thought about buying a hand plane but figured that would be too slow or too much like work but that may be what I have to do. I am also thinking a 4x24" belt sander would maybe do it after of course cluing them to the top, thanks for that advice JimD. I was contemplating doing it before cluing so glad you chimed in. Any comments about that belt sander idea? And JimD I really like your idea about using a routing table but have no idea what you are talking about. I can't for the life of me figure out how that would be done. Any further instructions would be appreciated. Now know that some of the edging will be about 2 to 2 1/4" wide so do you still think that router idea would work? I guess they do make 3 inch router bits but still can't imagine being able to plane like that. So footprint you got one. Good for you! Glad to hear you are happy with it. I've no doubt it's a good move on your part. So let me ask you how heavy was it. I know all assembled it's a killer but putting it together once you have it where it's going to go , could one guy assemble it. I can't tell by looking at it if the parts are all light enough for one weak individual to handle or not. What is the heaviest part and how much do you suppose it weights? I really would like to know if I could do it myself -if and that's a big if I do go for it. I think the beds are separate so you would only lift one at a time and bolt on to the main body that houses the blades but not sure. Any insight would be appreciated. Just a note, due to my back I can't or at least was strongly informed that I shouldn't lift over 50 lbs. Think any part or combination would exceed that limit? And yeah I am remembering Niki's posts and may very well end up going that way for my jointing needs.

[LCHIEN]

Hmmm, a couple of interesting ideas. Sarge I have actually thought about buying a hand plane but figured that would be too slow or too much like work but that may be what I have to do. I am also thinking a 4x24" belt sander would maybe do it after of course cluing them to the top, thanks for that advice JimD. I was contemplating doing it before cluing so glad you chimed in. Any comments about that belt sander idea? And JimD I really like your idea about using a routing table but have no idea what you are talking about. I can't for the life of me figure out how that would be done. Any further instructions would be appreciated. Now know that some of the edging will be about 2 to 2 1/4" wide so do you still think that router idea would work? I guess they do make 3 inch router bits but still can't imagine being able to plane like that. So footprint you got one. Good for you! Glad to hear you are happy with it. I've no doubt it's a good move on your part. So let me ask you how heavy was it. I know all assembled it's a killer but putting it together once you have it where it's going to go , could one guy assemble it. I can't tell by looking at it if the parts are all light enough for one weak individual to handle or not. What is the heaviest part and how much do you suppose it weights? I really would like to know if I could do it myself -if and that's a big if I do go for it. I think the beds are separate so you would only lift one at a time and bolt on to the main body that houses the blades but not sure. Any insight would be appreciated. Just a note, due to my back I can't or at least was strongly informed that I shouldn't lift over 50 lbs. Think any part or combination would exceed that limit? And yeah I am remembering Niki's posts and may very well end up going that way for my jointing needs.

If the edging is 2" wide or more, I'd run it through a thickness planer to match the plywood I was edging. Rather than jointing. Jointing is to give a straight edge, a TP makes it a specific, and uniform thickness.

Benchtop jointers weight about 40 lbs.
Free standing 6" jointers with 45 inch beds all weigh over 200 lbs.
Even in pieces they'll weigh more than 50 lbs per piece.

[lcm1947]

Hey Loring. I think you misread my posts. I don't have a thickness planer and that's the problem. I'm trying to figure out how to plane the edging down to the same thickness as the plywood top it's being glued to. As it is the edging is 3/4" thick but the ply is 1/16 to 3/32" thiner so I need to plane ( reduce ) the edging down by the 1/16 to 3/32" to make it level with the ply. The edging is 3/4' X 1 1/2 'x 17 1/2 " and some pieces 3/4"x 2 1/2" x 36". Hmmm, bad news about the weights. Darn! Thanks though.

[footprintsinconc]

mac,

i put it togather myself, however, when i was putting the bed on, i got my wife to help me out. it is heavy. she barely was able to lift it. the top is all one piece.

from reading your post, i think like sarge suggested, a hand plane would be a better alternative. but give what niki has done a serious thought and give a try on some scrap and see how it goes.

regards,

[LCHIEN]

Hey Loring. I think you misread my posts. I don't have a thickness planer and that's the problem. I'm trying to figure out how to plane the edging down to the same thickness as the plywood top it's being glued to. ....

No, Lee, I didn't misread it.
I said that the proper tool would be a thickness planer.
If you read my sig line, that says it all.