Getting by without a jointer?

[Jon3]

How do you do it?

[ssmith1627]

I think the first question is -- what other tools do you have ?

Just the tablesaw ? Or do you have a thickness planer ? Router / router table ?

There are jigs that allow you to edge joint on the router table but that's not going to give you a way to face joint a board flat.

There are jigs / techniques that people use to keep a warped / bowed / twisted board level to run through a thickness planer. Once that is done, you have one flat face and you can flip the board and run it through the planer without the jig to flatten the other face and make it parallel to the first.

I picked up my HF jointer used for $150 with the mobile base and the dust chute already built in. You might want to check around for something like that. It's really been great having even a 6" jointer around.

Steve

[Warren]

A hand plane. A well tuned table saw. A router. There are any number of ways for getting a dead-on edge on a board. Oops, forgot one, a neighbor or friend with a jointer.

A plane takes a little practice, but is very fast and easy. A table mounted router with a shim on the outfeed side of the fence will give you a good edge. I'm not a fan of the table saw for jointing but, with the blade at 90 degrees and the fence properly adjusted you get a nice edge.

The plane, saw and router will also allow you to angle your edge a couple of degrees for a really clean, tight fit.

[greencat]

I think it depends on what you build. You can build a lot of furniture without a jointer. I don't have one but I have a good friend a few houses away that does. I think a correctly tuned BT3 can make a nice cut so that you don't need a jointer except for joining solid boards.

[footprintsinconc]

hi,

well if you have a router, then you will find the following post really useful:

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...=jointing+wood

good luck!

[Alex from Sac.]

Use a level for flat sides with the tablesaw.

If you are only trying to get a flat side not face I use the tablesaw with a level. When I want a flat edge I place the board against the level and slide them both along the fence of the table saw at the same time. It saves having to set up the router and is much quicker in my opinion. Various stores sell kits with clamps and a straight edge to hold the board but a decent quality level or a square board works great. I learned it watching Woodworks with David Marks on DIY. Anyone else using this method?

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Use the search feature. This concept has been discussed a lot in other threads.

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...hlight=Jointer

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...hlight=Jointer

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...hlight=Jointer

I personally would have the lumberyard S3S. Costs between $.10 and $.30 bf.

Edit: Oh, ya welcome to the group! Don't feel afraid to ask any question. I would try using the search function first, though we all know it is not very robust. Narrow your searches to the appropriate forum as well. That helps cut down on irrelevent posts, ie search for "Jointer" in Tool Talk or Getting Started forums, not all forums.

[jussi]

There are jigs / techniques that people use to keep a warped / bowed / twisted board level to run through a thickness planer. Once that is done, you have one flat face and you can flip the board and run it through the planer without the jig to flatten the other face and make it parallel to the first.


Steve

Can you give post a link or describe the jigs/techniques straighten a wapred a board with a planer?

[Knottscott]

How do you do it?

...I don't....

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Can you give post a link or describe the jigs/techniques straighten a wapred a board with a planer?

Google :

http://www.rd.com/americanwoodworker...&contentId=351

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworki....aspx?id=24118

http://www.kyler.com/content/view/36/1/

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=28859

Seems that basically you need a flat sheet of MDF cut to width of planer and the length of your average board. You will find a way to secure the rough lumber in place then shim areas needed until you get a board that doesn't move when you send it through the planer.

[jussi]

Google :

http://www.rd.com/americanwoodworker...&contentId=351

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworki....aspx?id=24118

http://www.kyler.com/content/view/36/1/

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=28859

Seems that basically you need a flat sheet of MDF cut to width of planer and the length of your average board. You will find a way to secure the rough lumber in place then shim areas needed until you get a board that doesn't move when you send it through the planer.

Interesting. What if the board arcsbut the two sides/ends are level with one another. Couldn't I just plane it with the arc facing down without using shims. Reason I ask is because I have that situation now.

Sorry if I'm hijacking the thread.

[drumpriest]

Well, I have a jointer, but as I've said here before, for long stock, I use a 5$ mdf shelf from HD and a hand router with a pattern bit. It'll cut a straight edge on a piece that is 8' long, I've done it. It's cheap and easy as can be.

For cupped stuff that needs to be face jointed, you are limited. You can flatten it via router rails, or you can use a sled in the planer, or a drum sander to do it. If you have a DS though, you probably have a jointer.

Jussi, if the piece sits entirely flat on the 2 "feet" then yes, you can, but if it has any wobble in the diagonals, you won't get a flat surface on the top.