How much camber?

[Aram]

For those of you with cambered jack or jointer blades, specifically for edge jointing, how much camber do you prefer?

Thanks.

[Axehandle]

I haven't done it in a while but it seems like I put a 12" radius camber on my jointer. I don't think there is really a need to though. If all you are doing is jointing, dead square would probably be best. Flattening is where you want a camber so the corners don't dig on the side of the pass you make.

[Aram]

Axehandle said:

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I haven't done it in a while but it seems like I put a 12" radius camber on my jointer. I don't think there is really a need to though. If all you are doing is jointing, dead square would probably be best. Flattening is where you want a camber so the corners don't dig on the side of the pass you make.

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Thanks. That was my MO for years. Then I read Charlesworth, who pointed out that with a cambered you can correct for non-square by shifting the plane laterally.

[Scoony]

For the jointer, I would want much less camber then a jack plane. I will not grind in camber, but will use enough rocking nothing on the stones to induce a little bit. It does help to square up an edge. You only have to adjust the position of the plane bed to get square.

With a square edge, you could use the lateral level to correct for out of square edges, and I have tried that, but I found a slightly cambered edge much easier.

[Jonathan S]

I agree with scooney. It's much easier to get a square edge with a cambered jointer. I put a bit more on it than a smoother but no where near as much as a jack. I too tend to camber it on the stones.

Jonathan

[HomerLee]

I must be missing something. How can you possibly joint a square edge with a rounded iron?

[rwe2156]

We're spllitting hairs but as cambered iron produces slightly concave edge all depends on camber. As Peter said a flat blade = better glue joint.
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Personal preference but I don't like a camber on a jointer plane at all I just ease the edges. I don't see what use a 12" camber would be.

[Aram]

Scoony said:

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With a square edge, you could use the lateral level to correct for out of square edges...

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You lost me here...





Seriously -- thanks everyone for the suggestions.

[Rob Young]

Scoony said:

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For the jointer, I would want much less camber then a jack plane. I will not grind in camber, but will use enough rocking nothing on the stones to induce a little bit. It does help to square up an edge. You only have to adjust the position of the plane bed to get square.

With a square edge, you could use the lateral level to correct for out of square edges, and I have tried that, but I found a slightly cambered edge much easier.

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+1

[Peter Tremblay]

I don't camber my jointer when I edge joint because I usually joint two boards together for edge jointing and then glue ups.

For the jointer when I use it to flatten a panel then I put a just enough camber to not leave plane tracks with a fairly heavy cut. I'm not even sure what the radius is because I have a BU jointer and I cambered that blade a long time ago.